No. 4. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



57 



wisilomns thoir neighbore, "be ihe same more or 



I nilmit that we may often judge with some correct- 

 re i< of the weather for the proeent day ; poesihly we 

 may make a good guess in ihe evening of what will 

 happen to-morrow ; but the third day is entirely bc- 

 >'ond our reach. Not one 0/ your readers can foretell 

 he irentlicr/or three )iai/s ii;. iidiancc. I may startle 

 hem indeed ; but if ihey think I am wrong, lot them 

 t)ri/ig the matter fairly to the teat. Let two or more 

 »f them agree on what shall happen, and reduce it to 

 priting. I give the form of such a minute, to be al- 

 :€red according to circnmetanccs : — Ttire^: days liencc, 

 'he sun tcilt nse >rithout a cloud — mild and pleasant — 

 mnd in tlic icest. In the <iftcrnoon, a snow-squall — 

 hen clearj succeeded In a sharp/roity night. 



O, we can't be so particular as that." Well, 

 low particular can you he? "Why wecan. teU 

 yhelher it will be likely to rain or snow within a week 

 ;r 60." Yes, that Kiay be well said in a rainy or 

 ;no\>'y climate \\ithout adding much to our stock of 

 inowledgc ; but you cannot tell the quantity thai 

 viU fall. You cannot tell, for instance, when one of 

 ?our friends comes a hundred miles in a sleigh to see 

 fou, and the snow goes ofl", how long he must wait 

 or good sleighing to return ; nor whether it would be 

 )etter for him to stay a few days longer, or procure a 

 (vagon and go honic. 4-11 our knovvledge o( ihe third 

 iayhexce amounts exactly to nothing ; and the soon- 

 r wc become satisfied of this truth, the better it will 

 le tor lie, — for we shall then not be disappointed, but 

 )repared to take the weather as it comes. 



yague and indefUiite pretension is a mere cloak for 

 gnorance ; but I believe that many persons are not 

 uvareof the deception thai they practice on ihem- 

 :elve3. Numerous are the rules for determining the 

 weather that is to come ; and many who adhere to 

 hem, believe in their correctness ; but this could not 

 lapf en if they kept accurate records. They forget 

 heir failures, and only remember their sncceae. It 

 Toidd be strange however, in on.- variable climate, 

 f they did not hit sometimes ; and when they do so, 

 hat satisfies them. Two misses to one hit, has no 

 jermanent efi'ect on their cred,ulity. They console 

 .hemselvea with thinking that all signs foil sometimes 

 — or the miss was merely accidental — or they came 

 ^ery near it — or something elae. 



AH the rulca that I have heard for judging of the 

 iVeather, are entirely fallacious ; and founded on no 

 :auBe capable ^of producing such efibcts. The moon 

 aas been credited on this score to a great amount; 

 )ut accurate registers, kept in one place for fitly 

 ^ears, and in another place for thirty years, show that 

 jhe has nothing to do with the matter. The rules 

 ;alled " Herschell's" are spuriaus ; and our observa- 

 ions have proved them to be utterly worthless. 



gome judge of the v.'eather by the aspects of the 

 new moon — whether the points are turned up to hold 

 Ae raire, or turned down to let it sprinkle us. Now 

 ill this depends on the relative positions of the sun 

 md moon, easily calculated by any astronomer fifty 

 fears beforehand. The moon never strays from her 

 jrbit. But to show that all such rides aie unfounded, 

 t is only necessary tfl remark that one tract of country 

 IS deluged while another is suffering from drought. 

 While we were parched the last season, the country 

 300 miles south of us, had rain in abundance. " We 

 have had a wet bummer," says a correspondent in that 

 i}uarter, " except in the beginning of the siiih month. 

 In the eighth month the water issued from the sides 

 of the hills along the roads, as it does in the spring of 

 the year." Now it is always raining or snowing on 

 some parts of the earth, and always dry and parching 

 on some other parts. All such such rules must there- 

 fore be nonsense, and nothing else. Can the moon 

 make wet and dry at ihe same time? It is absurd 



for both often occur on ihc same meridian, or in the 

 same latitude, and not unfrcquently even in the same 

 country. 



Some say the last Friday in ti;e month is the index 

 of the weather for the next month. Why should it 

 be so ? There is no reason why. This notion, found 

 ed on nothing but a whim, could only have origina- 

 ted in the meat deplorablo ignorance; and its adop- 

 tion is n proof of the grosscDt credulity. It has not 

 even the plattsii>iliiy of witchcraft, {U^d is unaupponod 

 by either sound sense or observation. 



Many judge of the mildness or severity of the com- 

 ing winter by the shape of a hog's melt (spleen). If 

 ihai viscus had been moulded by the weather that had 

 come when the animal was living, it would he odd 

 enough — as odd as if the weather had given a new 

 shape to their own noses ; but that heat or cold which 

 haa sot l/cen felt, and hud no existence at the time, 

 should give it form, exceeds all credibility. It re- 

 minds me of ihe aruspicy of ancient Rome, and de- 

 serves no more credit — 111 only to be enlcrtained by 

 the woishippersof idols. 



N. B. The preceding remarks have no reference 

 to seiemific investigators of atmospherical phenomena. 



The King .ijiple is a v/inter fruit ; and wasbrougiit 

 to this place from Tompkins county, though I believe 

 it was previously cultivated in some other parts of this 

 county ; but I have learned nothing of its origin. It 

 appears to be a good bearer. The following descrip- 

 tion may assist, iii ideKti-fying it : 



Fruit large, or middle sized, ronndieh or conical, 

 inclining to flat. Eye small, closed, in a narrow shal- 

 low basin. Stalk an inch long, set rather deep in n 

 wide cavity. Skin a light yellow on the shaded side, 

 streaked or blotched with red nexl the sun, ond where 

 much e.vposed, passing into a full red, sparsely mark- 

 ed with brown dots near the stalk, but more thickly 

 doited near the eye. Flesh whitish yellow, subacid 

 but more sweet than tart, of a fine flavor. 



For the New Genesee Farmer. 



Comparison ot tlic Devous and the Short 



Mr. Editor — 



In a late number of your valuable paper, " A Sub- 

 scriber" enquires how the farmer, in view of the con- 

 flicting opinions with regard to ditTerent breeds of cat- 

 tle, can arrive at correct conehisinns respecting the 

 best breeds, both for ihc farm and the dairy? 



Permit me, having had some experience with the 

 Durhoms and Devons, to give my views of the two 

 breeds of cattle. Both are unquestionably excellent 

 kinds of cattle, the rearing of which has been too 

 much neglected. 



I should be much influenced in a choice by location. 

 If in the Western port of New i'ork, Ohio, Kentucky, 

 or Tennessee, I should prefer the Short Horned Dur- 

 hams, for the following reasons : — in a grain growing 

 country, or one well adapted to the culture of rootf, 

 the Durhams would be Lest ; for they are a large 

 breed of cattle, and require good keeping, and more 

 lime to mature than the common kind ; and their 

 size is, I believe, much increased by warm stables oj 

 climale and good feeding, for they are generally in 

 the hands of those who take the best core of ihem. 



So far as my experience has taught me, they do not 

 endure the cold .weather of middle New York, as well 

 as our common cattle, nor equally fallen on grazing, 

 at two or three ycais old; 



I have not seen them used as working oxen, and 

 cannot, therefore, speak of them in that capacity ; as 

 milkers, I consider them good as to quantity, though 

 not above the common cattle, with ihe same treat- 

 ment. 



But for t'le New England Slates, and the northern 

 and middle parts of New York, I should prefer ihe 



Devons ; for they arc lees in size, arc finer boned and 

 closer made ; will thrive wellon lees strength of food, 

 are easily kept on hoy, mature younger, are very har- 

 dy, and prove well for the slaughter al two or three 

 years old. For working oxen I hove seen ncihing 

 their superior in the New England States ; for thry 

 are tracioble ond active, unsurpassed in color, am 

 easy to match and of good size. 



With full blood Devon cows I hove hud lint liltlo 

 experience ; bnt the hnlf breeds aie exceHcnt in size 

 shape, and color, and their milk rich, though not largo 

 in quantity. I think our common cotile much im- 

 proved, both as woiking o.\en and as cows, by a cross 

 «iih the Devons. 



Having thus given my opinions, very briefly, \ipon 

 both kinds of cattle, I would, in conclusion, request 

 ony of ihe subscribers to your valuable paper, also to 

 state ihcir experience respecting the Durhams and 

 Devons. It in only by a mutual interchange of opin- 

 ions, tha,;sj;t;tb is elicited and prcmulgnted. 



December, 1S4I. A SUBSCRIBER. 



F.ditorial liimarhs on the ohore. 



We owe an apology to 'A Subscriber,' for delaying 

 the publicaiion of his article. One reason is that mir 

 paper has of late been so bristled with horns, that we 

 feared many readers might be deterred from approach. 

 A better reason is, that his comniunieaiion is not sat- 

 isfactory, especially as it was without authority ; ond 

 wo regret that, now wc have the authority, we are 

 enjoined to withhold the name. 



The question on which he pronounces so confident 

 a judgment is a liebaiable one, involving some feeling 

 and many interests. We want then facts, not mere 

 opinions. In this case, for exomple, we wont 10 

 know how mony of the Durhams or Devons he hos 

 owned or bred, ond how long an experience he has 

 had with them, what wos their pedigree, what their 

 ages, wjiat their w.cighi, how they were fed ond how 

 nionogcd ? Wo want te know likewise, in regard to 

 ihe Durham and the Devon cows, or the mixed race, 

 what was their actual product in milk or butter. The 

 pail and the churn are the only tests, which we admit, 

 of the character of a ,cow. 



In some respects, his judgment is entirely opposed 

 to the prevailing opinion. He speaks of the Durhams 

 OB coming .Zn/c to maturity. A poinl for .which their 

 advocates most strongly value them, and we think with 

 apparent reason, is their coming caj/?/ to maturity. 



He says the Devons will thrive wellon "less 

 strength of food." The Durhams are larger amimale ; 

 and size, thougli not always, yet generally requiies a 

 proportionate amount of food. But excepting this, 

 we doubt whether the Devons will do better on hay 

 only than the Short Horns. That the Devons are 

 more hardy must probably be admitted, 09 high bred 

 animals, such as the best Short Home, require pecu- 

 liar attention ond care to keep up their condition. 



We have seen some admirable oxen of very high 

 blood ot the Improved Durham ; but we can hordly 

 expect to find any cattle which, as working o.vcn, sur- 

 pass the Devon and their crosses. In general, ani- 

 mals of moderate size and snugly built are better 

 woiking oxen thon those which ore large ond heavy. 



As milkers, many of the odvocolesof the Improved 

 Durhams admit that a cross of the Durham with the 

 Devon is an improvement, as it respects the milking 

 properties of either roie. We have seen excellent re- 

 sults from such a cross. 



Tomato Figs. — These are certainly a iuTury — one 

 which conies within the reach of all, for every man 

 who can put down pork for his family use, can put 

 down a jar of them^ and by so doing the utility of to- 

 laato pills, which now rank so high as a ■narspaprr 

 medicine, will be superceded, for in preparing the figs 

 the medical qualities of the fruit are all concrntrattd. 

 At the South they are already in high repute. And at 

 the North too. as far as they have been tried. W. B. 



