224 EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT ON THE STATE CABINET. 



TABLE yil. 



Year 



Last half of June. 



Month of July. 



First half of August. 



1837 



77°. 88° 



77°. 



91° 



79°. 3 91° 



8 



74.7 87 



81.7 



93 



80.3 88 



9 



69.7 81 



78.3 



90 



69.7 78 



1840 



74.7 86 



81.7 



94 



73.0 82 



1 



81.3 91 



82.3 



96 



74.0 89 



2 



74.0 83 



78.6 



92 



71.3 82 



3 



77.7 89 



81.0 



91 



76.6 89 



4 



76.3 88 



76.7 



90 



74.3 86 



5 



72.3 82 



83.3 



102 



76 3 90 



6 



77.0 88 



83.3 



94 



82.7 96 



7 



78.7 91 



84.3 



96 



76.7 84 



8 



82.0 98 



77-7 



92 



80.7 92 



9 



81.0 94 



84.0 



95 



75.0 90 



1850 



82.3 94 



82.3 



95 



78.0 89 



1 



81.3 92 



78.3 



92 



75.7 82 



2 



80.0 88 



85.3 



97 



74.7 86 



3 



84.3 92 



77.0 



92 



84.3 98 



4 



80.0 90 



84.0 



96 



82.7 88 



5 



85.0 95 



84.7 



95 



77.7 86 



6 



84.3 93 



85.7 



95 



79.0 87 



7 



77.0 86 



82.3 



93 



78.0 87 



8 



83 . 93 



83.3 



94 



76.7 86 



9 



82.3 91 



83 7 



96 



79.7 91 



1860 



76.0 88 



77.3 



88 



81.0 93 



1 



73.3 82 



82.3 



91 



80.0 88 



2 



77.3 90 



82.0 



92 



80.7 90 



3 



78.0 88 



79.3 



91 



80.3 90 



1864 



83.7 93 



81.3 



93 



83.3 92 



Mean 78.72 



Mean 81.38 



Mean 77.92 



The drouth of June and July was extensive and severe in this section : 

 only 3.23 inches of water fell here in the wholte of these two months. The 

 drouth became injurious in the last half of June, and continued to the first 

 day of August. Our rain began August 1 at 11 p.m.; and on the 4th, more 

 than 2.00 inches of water had fallen. The effect of the drouth on grass and 

 oats and potatos was destructive : of the first, the crop was greatly dimi- 

 nished ; on the secimd, the effect was still more ruinous ; and of the third, 

 the early potato crop was almost an entire failure. 



As August began with a heavy rain and poured down upon us 5 . 5 inches 

 of water in the month, all vegetation seemed endued with unusual energy : 

 the Indian corn had advanced under the heat and drouth ; the other crops 

 at once improved, and that of autumnal potatos was abundant beyond all 

 anticipation. Grrass, for the fall feeding of cattle, came on plentifully. Of 

 fruits, the peach crop was not large, but of excellent quality ; that of ap- 

 ples, pears, berries, etc. exceeded the hopes of the people. So the Divine 

 Providence wisely varies the course of the seasons, leads man thereby to 

 feel his dependence, and finally crowns the year with his loving kindness 

 and tender mercy. Who shall withhold gratitude, and praise, and worship ! 



The drouth was severe in England also, a little earlier in the season. 



Aurora borealis of August 24. This beautiful light appeared every 

 month in 1864, but in this one instance only was it very remarkable in our 

 latitude. A brief notice is all that is necessary. 



A thunder-shower had passed north of Rochester over Lake Ontario, and 

 exhibited a blaze of lightning from 7 to 8 p.m. ; and at 9 p.m. another 

 thunder-shower showed its glories south and southeast of us, but the sky 

 cleared again by 9J p.m. A little later, a beautiful white band, or belt of 

 aurora borealis appeared, lying across the heavens a little north of the 



