The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-12-28
MARCUS WATSON, Printer.
asritultutal.
Agricultural Benefits of Snow.

10 is with some feelings OF ifeStet anu u''
comfort, iha, farmers as well as other men,
regard the approach Of winter. That dur
ing several monihs, there must coniinue an
exhaus,ins drain upon the Accommodations
Of The year without any replenishins streams
10 coun,erbalance iis effects. is fact not
pleasan, 10 contemplate, especially il an in-
dividual happens TO be ssrai.ened in supply
Hence, when storm Of snow occurs early
in the season, as one did in this locality on
the twenty fifth uls., the inquiry naturally
arises OF what benefit, Is snowl We see It's
evil effects in the wre,ched state in which
IL rlacss our roads in the strained and
broken manner j, leaves our streets, espec-
tally If il comes, as in this instance, before
they have been de 'olia,ed BY The wind and
frost in the downcas, and sorry look II
gives TO all animated nature, man included
II is no, our purpose 10 assert the value ol
an untinsly snow, any more than that ol
an un,imely fos,. Any one OF the phe-
nomena Of nature may be attended with
evil consequence, however beneficial and
necessary in general way. Too much
rain or too little; too backward season OF
too forward; and thousand things geneE-
eIally beneficial, may be especially inIur''
Gus. Nature works by general laws, and
in their impartial administration, does not
stop to inquire whether or not this man''
harvest is secure.
Snow, in laii,udes where the temperature
is sufficiently low for il 10 fall, is Of vital
Importance to vegetable life. Its peculiar
ly posou. structure renders i, an exceeding
ly bad conductor Of calOric; and hence.
when covering anything ether warm or
cold. AMI greatly differing in temperature
from the snow itself or from surrounding
objects, /, requires long period Of time for
the equilibrium 10 be restored.
Ir,he earth becomes early covered with
snow, and before the ground is frczen, il
will remain above freezing pOin, during
the entire winter, even though the a,mos-
pheric temperature should go down many
degrees. below roro. So jSo;dsj is iis PTU-
lection, tha, il the soil bo penetrated with
iros, to the depth Of several inches before
the fall Of STOW comes on, the caloric OF the
subsoil will remove the frost, notwilhstand-
ing the atmosphere has no, at any time
risen much above the freezing point, We
were, when boy, much puzzled at this
phenomenon. The ground had been froz-
en- like s:one before the snow fell upon it,
the weather continuing many weeks below
freezing point; and yet afterwards on re.
moving the snow, the ground was thawed
out. and easily lhed with a shovel. OF
course boys reason was given for this
circumstance, viz. that the snow was
warm and thawed on, the ground, instead
Of the true one, that its non-conducting
properties had intercepted the radiation OF
the hea, from the lower strata OF the soil,
and this, acting upon the upper siaium,
had removed the frost.
Alpine plants that outlive the seyerest
winters OF mountain districts because pro-
tected by snow, have perished in the com.
para,iyely warm climate Of England for
wan, Of such protection. We had a good
illustration Of the genial influences OF snow
in our own country last winter. The ,her-
.mometer went down 10 pon, unpreceden,-
ell in our history, being no less than twenty
two dcgrees below zero. Tha, was pOin,
Of depression indicated for the frs, time in
arecord Of siIty-seven years, and for how
long period previously, it was impossible
to tell. or course the peach crop was ut
ierly ruined, and orchards which were won,
to yield hundreds Of bushels Of splendid
fruit, produced this year nothing bu, leaves.
At our horticultural show, however, there
were exhibited several magnificent speci.
mems OF peaches, which, upon inquiry,
were found in every instance to have been
produced upon limbs that had by a for,u-
nate acciden, been bent down and covered
with a snow-drih. The temperature in
their position did no, probably fall to zero,
and il they could have laid upon the ground
would barely have reached freezing point.
The earth a, this period was maniled with
heavy fall, and we tremble at the posi-
BILE consequences which might have en-
sued in case the ground had been exposed
and denuded. As 10 was, the frost did moi
penetrate to an unusual depth, and the
whea, fields and meadows came ouI in the
spring fresh and green from their long win
ter slumbers.
Snow has been called the poor mans
manure; bu, we are no, aware ,ha. analy.
sis shows i, 10 possess any fruciiiying ele-
men,s no, contained in rain waier. The
gradual manoer Of its melting away enables
the soil TO absorb a greater potion, and
thus become thoroughly saturated at the
season when such result is desirable
The absorption Of caloric, which becomes
la,en, in melting snow, prevents sudden
transition fron the chill Of winter 10 the
warmth Of spring. If il were not for this
vegetation would start too early, and oil the
fruits and tender plants would be niPPed
by vernal frosts. As the seasons are now
constituted, the sun mus, a, least cross the
equator, and tho length Of days exceed
,ba, Of tho nights. before the snow
mslts from the hillside, and disappears IN
the vale. II has then performed its mis-
sion, q gsS,le and merciiul one whaie'e'