Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1861-02-14
What's the Use Of Snow ?

So inquiries the Broadway exquisite, as
one OF these clustering moangs he picks z
his way along the street in paeut feathers
What in the world is il good lor And such
inquiries are made, now aid ihen, BY almost
everybody. There are many pleasant things T
connected with the revolution OF the seasons
and vet. when rude Wiater's turn comes we
can hardly meet it without ieeliugsof regret.
The invalid and the aged, how the cold |
nincbes them The tourist tlpds little pleas
nre amid dpe scenery, it meanwhile he is
frost bitten. The laudscapc-painler must
iold no hi. sketches with benumbed-hngers,
and hurry to his warm studio in tean; the
botanist-vherc are the flowers be loved so
well?-tac geologst, cntomologist' and III
deed Tie student il almost every department
~ natural science finds hi, sphere Of obser-
walton reduced 10 marrow bounds the gar
deucr must stop his pleasant labors and the
farmer can no ouger SOW ana reap and gath
er into barns, but must witness for many
months an exhausting drain upon his stores
without any repleuishing streams. !,
Now for the bright side Of the picture II
we can find it, The old proyeTb that !" sno"
. l., ,., nm, r = Aaz n. hAns q
grain of truth in it. Some chemists tell us
that analysis reveals larger per centage Of
ammonia in snow than in rain. One says
| that water acquires nitrous salts in ireaz-
ing" However that may be, this at least Is
true, that snow is a powerful absorbent, pu'
rifyinp the air and returning those impurities
to the soil.
Melt in clean vessel mass OF snow
/ which has lain a short time on the ground
and the taste will detect foreign substances II
the water This will be most manifest in thu
o ncighborhood OF large towns. The harsh
ness and dryucss produced in the mouth b,
IS drinking snow. water, and the unpleasant Ct
i fects on the skin by washing in it, are ascrl
a bed to the impurities it contains. The dis
ease called goitre, causing monstrous swell
II inc Of the neck, which prevails in A pine L
J. gions, is also attributed by some to the US
u Of snow water. The absorbent power {
snow has been illustrated thus 4" take
IN lump of snow, (erust answers well,) Of thr(
v or four inches in length, aud hold it in IL
n. flame OF lamp moi drop Of water WI
ID fall from the snow, but the water as fast {
formed will be drawn up into the snow
0 capillary attraction, 1t is by virtue oil tn
power that it purifcs the atmosphere by a
j; sorbiug aud retaining its noxious and noison
as gases and odors,'
h Furthermore it prevents civilizations fro
n the earth, and having absorbed them, r
nd turns their tertilizmg properties TO the SOIL
ly Hence, marshes and siagnant pools becou
inodorous in Winter, and the UNIV holsome
he Auyia of vegetable matter everywhere deca
he Ing while unlrozen, is retained, and with t
i'll melting of the snow in Spring, is taken up
X the soil. Now, il no more than this can
ire made out of for, /" the poor mans manure
re it is yet better than some of the patent io
IRE tilizers of our day.
Us. Snow helps the springs and mill streams
ty, Winter. Were the ground naked from /;
of to Spring, and frozen meanwhile several f
me deep, the springs would give out, and wat,
do wheels OF all sorts would have TO stand SIT
md As it is, however, the snow prevents the ir,
ing from penetrating to great depth-.speeia
the in the wooded hills, which are the iounta
ted heads OF springs aud stream-aud by graz
ad. al melting keeps up supply oil water
man and beast.
and Snow is an excellent protector Of teal
iul, vegetation. Even in northern ATTITUDES, tn
the is multitude oil halt.tcnder indigeni
,irit plants which require more or less cover
ion, in Winter. Nature provides Tor them N
ex. wisely. She hangs over them the branc
and of ncighboring trees and bushes, gath
uai. about their roots many-lolded blanket
$ is dry leaves, and last oil all, spreads over ii
and a hcecy mantle Of snow. With this Co
R. ing, they pass through tho severest VIII