The New York herald., 1851-08-29

meteor rose up from west'to esst with slow and
stately notion the train preserving nearly its ORR
ginal length as the b ,dy advanced towards the
meridian, and swept onward to the moon.
In its progress the meteor passed above or to the
north OF this luminary, and when it had arrived
on the eastern side, direc lly turned towards the
southeast, and dropping down below the III Jon, a
part ot Its attendant train swept the lunar disc
AS II crossed, the face of the moon was slightly
obs ured, as when t,mmed by the passage OF u
heetng cloud The meteor now gradually descent
ed, aud was watched until it had reached the verge
OF the horizon in the southeast and when last seen,
appeared, together with its train, TO be not n)re
than ei ght nine inches long. Neither explosions
nor scintlllatons were observed IN any part Oh us
course, and it appears to have been Unattended
with any remarkable changes IN form. AS lar as
any judgment could be formed OF the velocity OF
this body, it is believed that the tune occupied IN
moving the length of its train :ould not be
three minutes. The duration of ths visibility OF the
meteor is accurately KNOWN as the observer did
not reer the clock the and end OF the
phenomenon; but he is positive that 1t could net
possibly be less than an hour, and baby was
hour and half. In truth, Mr.. Wells Stood out so
long gazing at the wonderful spe %acle, that his
wife came out to see waat had become-of aim, and
severe cold was the result OF his pTotracted expo
sure regret that my lnforn rnant was unable TO
give the angular measurements OF this meteor and
It's train, if 1T only for the sake OF comparing
its dimensions with those OF Ot4er meteOrs; out IN
one respect this deh,iency IS partially supplied.
The meteor of September 30, 1850, which has
been described by Professor Bond was also observed
by my informant when near the Pleiades. lie con-
sideIs the meteor of October 3D. to have been much
larger than this when these stars, but it
was Of inferior brightness. They probably differed
but little in respect to the duration of their visib
Hty. 1t is remarkable that two meteoTs Of such
extraordinary size, and which continued above the
horizon for so long and unprecedenteda time should
sweep over the same places on the earth within
three days of each other and unless We kne that
their paths different, mignt almost be
tented to imagine that they were bodies circling as
com panions through the fields OF space.
ON METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS OF NEW
YORK FROM lo25 TO lS49.-BY FRANKLIN B.
HoUGH, M D., OF soMERvILLE, ST. LAWRENCE
COUNTY, NEW YORK.
1t is well known that the Regents Of the Univer-
sity Of the State Of New York, following the exam
pie of the federal government, issued instructions
In 1922 to the academies subject to its visitation,
requiring them to axe ar report meteorological
observations after prescribed form, aud with in
struments furnished them for that purpose. These
observations commenced with January 1926 and
were, at the close Of 1919 superseded by the pre-
sent very thorough and eff ,ient system. This
change was made in accordance with the present
demands of science and will doubtless prove of es-
sentia service in advancing this branch OF physical
research.
The reports of observers under the old system
have been published annually by the Regents, and
have been universally acknowledged botn in this
country and Europe, as OF inestimable service to
science, by furnishing data for establishing the
meag temperature and many of the laws of climate
in the state. The fact of their having been COM
pleted and that the results, scattered as they are
through our legislative documents for quarter Of
a century, difficult of access to those persons
most interested these studies, suggested the idea
of compiling and reducing the whole series, with
the view OF obtaining every fact which might pos
sess value to science.
Tuis labor has been nearly half completed, and
the object Of bringing it before the Assoc alton is
to request that it may be laid before the Meteoro
logical Committee for examination, With the hope
that should they deem it worthy, they might memo
rlaze the Legislature OF the State OF New II ork on
the propriety OF publishing the same
Tne observations embraced in these reports have
been made at 62 stations, and form aggregate of
81 years and eight months. The records consisted
Of three daily observations on the thermometer,
and two the direction of the wind and aspect of
the sky, with the depth of rain, number of rainy
ard snowy days, records Of the aurora, haoes, me-
teors, ard the progress of vegetl alton.
Upon motion of Lieutenant Hunt, this paper was
referred te the Standing Committee, by whom it was
laid before the meteorological section and discus
sed in detail. The nmiItee consisting of Protes-
sor Henry, Professor Caswell, Professor LOOMS,
DR.. Reck, Professor Guyot, Captain LEROY, of the
Toronto Observatory, and othors, having disguised
the several points connected with this SUBJECT pass.
ed series OF resolutions expressing their appro-
baton to the publication of the tables referred to-
and appointed sub committee, consisting of DR..
Beck, and Professors LOOMS and Guyot, who were
directed TO digest plan for the proposed reduc-
tioDs, and select the stations most desir able.
ANALYSIS OF SOILS OF PIKE COUNTY, sciorA VAL
LEY, oHo-BY d. A. WELLS, CAMBRIDGE.
From the best bottom land, opposite the mouth
Of Sunfsh creek, about one hundred yards east of
the SciCta- This ground occasionally overtlo Sed,
and has been cleared and cultivated about eighteen
years. suecessivey, in corn, and yields, with ordi-
nary culture, from seventy TO eighty bushels per
acre The average crop has not sensibly dimi-
nished since it was fret cleared. Tne timber
growth, originally, on this ground, when cleared,
was honey locust. black walnut, pawpaw, box,
elder, white ash, elm, mulberry, ind buckeye
Nohanioal Ana!ysis.- Color, when dry, dark
brown, or black; OF an extraordinary degree OF
fnen.ss; Of 100 parts, only parts; consisting in
great part of vegetable and organic matter; re-
fused to pass through sieve the messes OF which
did not exceed ltOth of an inch in diameter; en-
tirely free from stones or pebbles; absorptve AM
Ieten i've character for moisture; 4l10 grammes,
dried at 2I2 deg Fahrenheit; absorbed up to point
of saturaton, J230 grammes Of water, making
the whole weight, soil AID water, ii 300 grammes.
The above quantity OF satur Ated soil exposed Il
hours, thermometer 90 deg to the open, dry
atmosphere, lost 35i5 granmes OF mois ure. Con-
ginuea posure, until weight ceased ~ vary, under
the same circumstances, whole loss, 2i5l, Tho.
roughly dried, ut 2l2 deg Fahrenheit additional
loss, 0 Z7lJ-whOle loss, 523O.
Chsmitm Anaiysis.
Water, bygrometri; and combined. O3.bD
Waxy ana resinous matter extracted
by alcohol. go. ........ ....... .OOoO
Way and resinous matter extracted
by ether r...................s...s. .VJZJ
Total otalextract............... .OO55
Per centage Of the whole amount. OJ.Olsi
Constituents soluble in pure water.
Extract Of earth, alkaline, chlOrldes,
WITH traces lime .......... .OpO
Organic matter, cienic acid ......... .O2O5
Silica, iron, lime, with traces OF sui
Iburic acid.... ..s.'''...s's. 'Vo1z
Total water extract. ............... .l020
4 Otal per ctbtege. .............-.... UJJJD
ConstI, ,uents soluble in dilute acd..
Iron, aiumiLa, and traces of manga
nese .... ss.ss..s.sss z=Vl V'p
Organic matter In combination with
iivn and alumina &;............. lUOl
SiIbco soluble = O.GiD
Phosthofic acid O.Oil
potai, "a and soda................... = O.l6l
Lime e....................... = i.Ol5
Alaguesia ......... ................... 2j6