The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-12-26
fFrom the Rural New Yorker.(
AaRTCULTURAL BENEFITS OF

4t11 Win some FEELINGS OF regret and
dutomfort, that farmers, as well as 9TH
q men, regard the approach of winter.
That during several months, there must
continue IN exhausfing drain upon the
accumulations Of the year, without any
rsplenishing streams to counterballance
It's effects, fact not pleasant to contem-
plate especially if an individual hap
pens to be straitenedin supply. Hence,
when . storm efsnoW occurs early in the
season, as q did in this locality, on the
tnenty-6fth ult., the inquiry naturally
arises Of what benefit is snow? We see
its evil effects In the wretched state
an which it places our roads; in the
strained and broken manner il leaves
our trees, especially fit comes, as in
this instance, before they have been de-
foiiated by the wind and frost ; in the
dovncast and sorry look it gives to all
animated nature, man included.
II l. not nj purpose to assert the val
-1e Of an untimely snow, any more than
tint of an uptimely frost. Any one of
>the ~phenomens ofnature may be attend
ed with evil consequences, however ben
ehcial and necessary in a general way.
Too much rain, or too little; too back
ward . season, or too forward and a
~thousand things generally beneficial,
smay be specially injurious. Nature
works by general laws, and in their i'm
partial administration, does not stop to
inquire whether or not this mans seed is
3own, or that mans harvest is secure.
Snow in latitudes where the tem pc "a
sure IS sufficiently low for il to fall, is o.
Rr1oI Tnnnorknnno - - Efo Tee
peculiarly porous structure renders it
i ~ exceeding bad conductor of calorie
and hence, when covering anything eth
or warm or cold. and greatly differing
IN temperature from the snow itself, or
from surrounding objects, it requires a
long period Of time for the equilibrium
10 be restored.
1.-THE earth becomes early covered
with snow, and before the ground is free
sen, twill remain above freezing point
the entire winter, even though the at
mospheric temperature should go down
many degrees below zero. So decided
is its protection, that if the soil be PEN
etrated with frost to the depth of sever
al inches before the fall of snow comes
on, the caloric of subsoil will remove the
frost, notwithstanding the atmosphere
kee not At any time risen much above
freesing pint The ground had been
frozen like = stone before the SNOW fell
upon II, the weather continuing many
weeks below freezing point; and yet af-
forwards, on removing the snow, the
ground was found thaWed ont aud easily
lifted with q sto1eL Ofcourse, . boys
reason Al given for this circumstance,
viz. that the snow was warm, and had
thaWed out the ground. instead of the
true one, that its non-conducting proper
tses had Intercepted the radiation of the
the heat from the lower strata If the
soil, and this. acting upon the upper
stratum, had removed the frost.
Alpine plants, that outliYe the sever
eat winter of mountain districts, because
protected by snow, have persisted in the
comparatively warm climate of England
for want Of such protection. We had a
good Illustration Of the genial influences
Of now In our country last winter. The
went down to q point un-
~precedented in our history, being noless
tan twenty-five degrees below zero.
That was . point of depression indicated
for the first time In a record of sixty
seven years, aud for how long a period
previously it is impossible to tell. Of
course, the peach crop was utterly ruin
ed, and orchards, which we're wont TO
yield hundreds of bushels Of splendid
fruit produced this year nothing but
At our horticultural show, how
ever, there were exhibited several mag
ni6cent specimens of peaches, which, up
on inquiry, we're found in every instance
to have been produced upon limbs that
had, By q fortunate accident, been bent
down uncovered with q snow-drift.
The temperature in their position did
not probably fall to zero, and if they
could have laid upon the ground, would
have reached freezing point. The
earth At this severe period was mantled
with . heavy fall, and we tremble at the
probable consequences which might have
in case the ground had been ex-
posed and dennded- Ash was, the frost
did not penetrate to an unusual depth,
md the uheat fields and the meadows
,ame ont IN the spring, fresh and green
rom their long winter slumbers.
Snow has been called the poor mans
manure but We are not aware that an-
Ilybi1 shows IL TO possess any fr~uctifying |
not contained in rain water. I
rhe gradual manner Ct its melting away
the soil 70 absorb a greater por- /
ion, and thus become thoroughly satu- {
ated 81 khajezeeon when speb > result {