Meteorolosrical JournaL 97 



""b 



bloomed the 26th of April, and the apple the 1st of May, which 

 was about the same as last year, although there was very little pro- 

 gress made in vegetation until the last week in April, when the 

 weather set in with the warmth of July, bringing forward the un- 

 folding of leaves and flowers with the rapidity of a Russian summer. 

 It exceeded any thing I have ever witnessed in Ohio, and clothed 

 the naked trees, in the space of six days, with the beautiful garments 

 of spring. The mean of the summer months being two and a half 

 degrees greater than that of the former year, ripened the wheat at 

 the usual period, that is, about the 4th of July. Other grains and 

 fruits were also forwarded in their growth as rapidly as usual, so that 

 they were perfected before the setting in of frosts early in October. 

 September was with us warmer than common, the mean heat being 

 eleven degrees greater than that of the year 1835, at which time 

 the Indian corn suffered from the early cold in a similar manner to 

 that of New England in 1836, while here no frost was seen during 

 the whole month. The heat of the autumnal months being consid- 

 erably less than usual, abridged to a few days the weeks of beauti- 

 ful " Indian summer" weather, formerly so common to this region. 

 The amount of rain and melted snow is 36.75 inches, which is be- 

 low the annual average at Marietta. We have had more winds 

 from the easterly points of the compass, than in any preceding year 

 since I have kept a regular diary of the weather, which is twelve 

 years. What eflJect this may have had on the temperature is un- 

 known. The fluctuations in the mercurial column of the barometer 

 have been greater than usual. It was at the lowest on the 10th of 

 March, when it fell to 28.65 inches, during a gale of wind and rain 

 from the S. W. The greatest elevation took place on the 22d of 

 December, rising to 30 inches, wind N. W. This is higher than I 

 have before seen it, by a few hundredths of an inch, making the ex- 

 treme range one inch and thirty five hundredths for the year. Snow 

 fell to the depth of four inches on the 16th of December, but melted 

 away in a few days. The Ohio river has been partially covered 

 with floating ice since the last of November, and for a iev^ days in 

 December was frozen across at particular bends, with open spaces 

 between. It is now open, but crowded with floating ice. 



Disease amongst shell fish. — One of the most curious phenomena 

 of the year has been the fatal effect of an epidemic disease amongst 

 the molluscous animals or shell fish of the Muskingum river. It 

 commenced in April and continued until June, destroying millions 



Vol. XXXII.— No. 1. 13 



