Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-09-12
Obe Ntws Gleaner.
Notes and Comments.

PoTATO ROT.- This disease--and it makes
US feel sad to announce it's now quite extern
sivey effecting this important vegetable product,
not only in different parts of Vermont, but in
Maine, Western Massachusetts,, and, probably,
to more or less extent, IN all the New England
States. The potato is now is scarcely second to
:" the staff of life" and its loss will be felt in
the country more sensibly than would be the
failure of an hundred banks 1t Is probably the
tcarm and ,Oet that has done it.
THE SEAsoN.-The past Summer has not
been an ordinary one.-The heat, averaged
through the nights and days, which have shown
less difference than usual, must have been seve-
raj degrees greater than that of the Immediately
proceeding seasons for some years. This is
said to be the case both in Europe and America.
In st. Louis, and other places west and south,
the mercury has very often risen to 1000, and in
one instance TO llla, in the shade, while in
France and Spain, it has risen much higher
Indeed, if we can credit the according state
ments Of the French and Spanish Journals, the
mercury in Fahrenheit in the shade, has once
attained, at Seville, the extraordinary height of
l26o!-a degree never found exceeded, we be-
lieve, by travellers in the sands of Africa. The
warmth of the season has also been attended by
an atmosphere deeply charged with electric flu
id, and, as might be expected under the combi-
nation, with an unprecedented fall of rain, and
with more violent and destructive thunder storms
and tempests, in all parts of the country, than
have been experienced, probably, for the last
twenty years. And in most of these storms, the
overcharged clouds have, like batteries, sent
their lightning shafts more directly to the earth
than has often been witnessed. The number of
those who have persisted, in the United States,
the past summer, by that fearful element, can
not be much less than fifty-a number, we ven-
ture to say, never yet reached since the settle
ment of the county.
The CANADA THIsTLE.-It would have taxi
EN- forty priests to shrive us of all the sins we
committed, while farmers boy,in uttering NAL
edctons on Canada thistles, and those who in-
troduced them into this country; and in our
vexaton at the latter, we have an hundred times
prayed for a law by which their mischief. fraught
deeds might be suitably punished. But though
this has not been done, we have lived TO see the
thing next to it wisely accomplished in sister
State, The recent Legislature of Wisconsin
has passed an act making it misdemeanor pun
ishable by fine, not less than one dollar and costs
for any owner of land, in that State to suffer.
knowinglya Canada thistle to go to seed on his
premises
The movers of that law are more deserving of
monumen: than all the military heroes
From Macedona's mailman to the Swede.p
1t is the most sensible Ipiece of Legislation wa
have heard of for years.
A WILD AND RABID Fox.-On Saturday
evening last, at about dusk, as part oftbe
: family of Mr.. Nichols, residing on the bluff.
about mile below the city, were going
up stairs from the dining room, one Of his
little daughters, who preceded the rest was
violently attacked and severely bitten bv
t some animal which had concealed itself in
passage. Her screams brought the rest
a to her aid, when the infuriated animal again