280 Meteorological Journal at Marietta, Ohio, for 1843. 



cold spring, as the blooming of flowers. The hot weather of early 

 summer brings them forward rapidly, as it accelerates the progress 

 of vegetation in a high northern latitude, where corn is ripened 

 in six weeks from the time of the melting of the last of the snow. 

 July and August were very dry months ; there falling but a little 

 more than three inches of rain. The excessive drought and 

 scorching heat of the sun, at a time when the Indian corn is set- 

 ting its ears and perfecting the seed, nearly ruined the crop in all 

 the hilly region of this portion of the state. Potatoes also suffer- 

 ed in the same manner ; the product being very small in amount 

 and very poor in quality. The sweet potatoe, which in common 

 years is very productive and finely flavored, was a complete fail- 

 ure, many fields producing but little more than the amount of seed 

 planted. Wheat, the staple crop of the uplands, was very poor. 

 The open character of the winter, with the alternate state of 

 freezing and thawing the ground, detached many of the roots 

 from the soil, and the plants perished. Much that survived the 

 winter, was blighted by rust and mildew, or destroyed by the fly. 

 A steady cold winter, with a good depth of snow, agrees the best 

 with this valuable grain. The crop of peaches was very fine and 

 abundant ; the hot dry weather of August ripening this delicious 

 fruit in great perfection. Apples were abundant and of an excel- 

 lent quality. Melons and grapes both ripened well, and could 

 not complain of a lack of summer heat. 



The mean temperature of the autumnal months was 41°-08, be- 

 ing just ten degrees below that of the preceding year. This dif- 

 ference may be explained by the unusual amount of rain, and the 

 prevalence of northerly and westerly winds. For eight or ten 

 weeks the sun did not shine more than a fourth part of the time. 

 The amount of rain in autumn was 16-31 inches; of this quan- 

 tity there fell in September 9 25 inches. The excessive wet 

 condition of the earth made it very difficult for the farmers to dig 

 their potatoes, gather their corn, or plow their land for the seeding 

 of wheat. Much Indian corn was lost by mould and dampness, 

 there not being sufficient sunshine to dry it. In addition to the 

 other calamities which befell us, especially the smaller farmers, 

 the gray squirrels commenced their depredations on the corn as 

 soon as it was fairly in the milk, and continued them till it was 

 gathered. They were most numerous in September and Octo- 

 ber, migrating from the woods in the interior in countless hosts ; 



