PECULIARITIES OF 
260 
been remarkable for its mildness ; and it is rather curious 
that, in the century following, the winter of 1761 should 
have been equally notable for the mildness of its tem- 
perature. The winter of 1795 seems to have partaken 
of none of the severity usual to the season ; and the 
summer of 1765 was remarkable for its heat and dry- 
ness, and all vegetation being influenced by their 
effects, brought forth fruits and flowers in unusual per- 
fection. 
But perhaps the year 1825, taking all its circum- 
stances, is the most extraordinary to be found in our 
annals. The winter of 1824-5 had been mild and wet; 
the ensuing spring dry, but with keen winds and frosty 
mornings, which greatly injured the fine blossoms that 
appeared on our fruit-trees ; and the continued and 
profuse nightly fall of the honey-dew was quite un- 
usual : the leaves of the oak, the cherry, and the plum, 
were constantly smeared and dropping with this clammy 
liquor, which, falling from the foliage on the ground, 
blackened it as if some dark fluid had been spilled 
upon it : the leaves of most of our stone fruits curled 
up, covered with aphides, and became deciduous ; and 
their young shoots were destroyed by the punctures of 
these insects that clustered on them. This honey-dew 
continued to fall till about the middle of July, affording 
an abundant supply of food to multitudes of bees, moths, 
and other insects which swarmed about the trees. We 
rarely begin cutting our grass before the first week in 
July; but in consequence of the heat of June in this 
year, it was so drawn up, that much hay was made and 
carried by the 20th of June, which commonly is not 
accomplished till August. Our crops on good ground 
were considered as fair, though in general the chilling 
season of May had occasioned a deficiency ; but all our 
clover crops and artificial grasses were harvested in the 
finest order, producing good-sized ricks and mows ; yet 
their bulk was delusive, the provender cutting out 
light and strawy. The heat and drought continued, with 
very partial and slight showers of rain, all June and 
July ; nor had we any thing like serviceable rain till 
the second of August. In consequence our grass lands 
