163 
On Evaporation. 
Month. 
Mean Rain. 
I Mean 
I Evaporalion 
ifrom Ground. 
Mean 
EvaporaUon 
from Water. 
January,. . . 
February,. . 
March, .... 
April, 
May 
June, 
July 
August,. .. . 
September,. 
October,. .. 
November, . 
December,. 
46 
80 
90 
72 
18 
4S 
15 
!• 
4- 
2- 
4- 
3-55 
3-28 
2-90 
2-93 
3-20 
1, 
01 
53 
62 
49 
69 
18 
09 
38 
95 
■67 
•05 
33-55 I 25-14 
50 
03 
50 
50 
96 
■49 
■63 
■06 
•90 
•35 
-04 
-50 
44-43 
From this table it appears, that the evaporation from a surface 
of water was nearly twice as much as from green ground j also, 
that about eight or nine inches of rain are left for the supply of 
springs and rivers. The climate of that part of England where 
these experiments were made, is no doubt moister than most 
parts of this country; hence the evaporation here would leave less 
water to supply springs and rivers than in England. I have par- 
ticularly observed, too, that in the climate about the lakes, our 
summer months are very subject to droughts, so that vegetation 
frequently suifers from its blighting effects. The proportional 
absence of vapor in the atmosphere, and the little rain that falls 
on those occasions, has a tendency to deprive vegetation of its 
vigor, and to change it to a russet color; hence fields in the month 
of August and September, frequently look as sere and lifeless as 
in the month of March. The past year was one of this descrip- 
tion. During the three spring months in the neighborhood of the 
Seneca Lake, there fell but 3-93 inches of rain; hence, when the 
summer months commenced, with their accumulating heat, the 
ground was dry and unprepared to withstand a scarcity of rain 
during the coming warm months; but instead of a proportional 
increase of rain during that season, there was an increase of only 
1-84 inches; and only 5-57 inches falling during the whole sum- 
mer; the effects, of course, on some of the crops were very injuri- 
ous. Corn and potatoes suffered much ; oats also, in some situa- 
tions, suffered severely; and although its influence, on other crops, 
was not so marked, yet it had its effect. The preceding year, viz. 
1846, was however an exception, and one of great fruitfulness; 
crops of all kinds grew with much luxuriance, and yielded an 
abundance, even extending to the various orchard and forest trees. 
In that year, there fell in the month of February 3-28 inches of 
water. In the three following spring months, 4-29 inches of rain; 
