Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-03-24
March.

March, the third month Of the year,
was called so after Mar, or Mars, the god
Of war among the ancient Romans. Our
Anglo-Sayon ancestors called it Lenct, or
LeaytA Monat (now contracted into Lent
month"; because the days now began to
lengthen OR become longer than the
nights. March is the windiest, stormest,
chiliiest, and roughest month of the whole
year, both under foot and overhead, and
hence exceedingly severe and trying both
to our bodily health and Our various
winter crops. The winds from the north
and from the south, and from all other
directions, seem now to be at fierce war
with each othcr each furiously contend
ing for the mastery, and hence the rough
and very unsettled weather usually prevail.
ent in this month. Our own poet Bry-
ant has given us most beautiful, as well
as philosophically correct view of this
month when he says:
sThe stormy March has m, at last,
With wind and cloud and changing skies
hear the rustling of the blast
That thr, ugh the snowy valley flies
"Ah! passing few are they who speak,
Wil1 stormy month, in raise of thee;
Yet though thy winds are loud and bleak
Thou art welcome month to me.
sFor thou to Northcra lands again
The glad and glorious sun doth bring,
And thou hast joined the gentle train
And wea est the gsutle name Of sprirg.
"And in thy reign of blost and storm
Smiles many long, bright, sunny day,
han ho ocba al nd snft md
Aud heaven (sky) puts on the blue of May"
This war of the winds is evidently oc-
casioned by the change of seasons now
about taking place in the suns crossing
the line dividing summer from winter
The, winds Of March generally Blow from
the west or northwest. March weather,
however, is by no means regular, as it
begins roughly AMI ends very mildly, and
rice re' sa-lnd hence the British saying,
"Whcn March comes in like lion, it
will 60 out like lamb" and uice re,sa.
In fact, March combines within itself
many Of the features of winter and
Of our balmy spring mouths of April and
May, all so strangely intcrminglcd, too.
as to produce within US and on us, and
that in :he course of a day or even few
hours, all the sensations peculiar to each
of these seasons. March is the season
when the birds Of passage begin to re.
rurn from the "sunny South" to thVp
former places Of retreat in the North. -
And FIRST of all aud very conspic lous
among these are the blue-bird pewit, and
then the robin, pigeon, crow, swallow,
wild goose, aud wild duck. About the
middle of March the snow Gf the ground
has winter covering Of snow begins
to melt and disappear, in consequence OF
the south a1d southeast winds, which now
set in northward with their warm currents
of air from tho Gulf Stream, as it flows
along our Atlantic coasts from the Cult
of Mexico northward, thawins and melt
ing the snowy and icy coverings Of the
earth. March is called our i,St spring
mouth, as the buds Of cur various trees
now begin to spring open, an! expand,
more or less, into open leaf, and the birds
to.appear and sing--wAile the husband
man prepares his ground for seeding, and
if tho weather is favorable, sows his oats
and tho like. The ancient british were
of opinion ary March was the most fa-
yo.able MARCIA Weather for the husband