Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-10-09
A SUMMERLESS YEAR.

ASUMMERLESS YEAR.
Nearly every one has heard of the summer
less year, 1916, and as but few now living re-
collect, it we give the following brief abstract
of the weather during that year:
January was mild, so much so as to render
fires almost needless in rarlors. December pre-
ylous very cold.
February was not very cold; with the excep-
ton OF few days it was mild, like its Irede-
cesSor.
March was cold and bosterous during the
first part OF it; the remainder was mild. A
great freshet 10 the Ohio and Kentucky rivers
caused great los, Of property.
April began warm, but grew colder as the
month advanced, and ended in snow and ice,
with temperature more like winter than
spring.
May was more remarkable for frowns than
smiles. Buds and flowers were frozen, ice was
formed half and inch thick, corn was killed. and
the fields were again and again planted until
deemed too late.
june was the codest ever known in
this latitude Frost, ice and snow were
conmoD Almost every green thing was
killed. Fruit was nearly all destroyed Snow
fell to the uepth Of nearly ten inches in
Vermont, seven in Maine and three in Central
New York, and also in Massachusetts,. Con-
siderable damage was done at New Orleans, 10
consequence of the rapid rise in the river; the
suburbs were covered with water, and the
roads were only passabe in boats.
July was accompanied by frost and ice. On
the 5th. ice was formed of the thicknes of COM
mon window glass throughout New England,
New York aud some parts OF Pennsylvania.
Iudian corn was nearly all destroyed; some tav-
orably situated fields escaped. This was true
of some of the hill tarpls OF Massachusetts.
August was more cheerless if possible than
the summer months already passed. Ice was
frned half an inch thick Indian corn was so
ir.z.n that the greater part was cut down and
dried for fodder Almost every green thing
was destroyed both in this country and Europe.
Papers received from England stated that it
would be remembered by the present genera
tion, that the year 1916 was a year in which
there was 20 summer Very little corn ripen-
ed in New England and the Middle States.
Farmers supplied themselves from corn pro.
duced in 1915, for the seed OF the spring OF
lSl7. 1t sold at from "a to S. per bushel.
September furnished about two weeks of the
mdest weather of the season. Soon after the
middle it became very cold and frosty, and Ice
formed quarter of an inch thick.
October produced more than its share, cold
weather. frost aud ice particularly.
November was cold and clustering. Enough
snow tell to make good Sleighing.
December was quito mild and comfortable:
The above is brief summary of "the cold
summer Of 1916" as it was called 10 order to
distinguish it from the cold season. The win
ter was nd Frost and ice were common 10
every month Of the year. Very little vegeta-
ton matured in the Easern and Middle States.
The sun rays seemed to be destitute of heat
through the summer all nature seemed to be
clad 10 slab hue, and men exhibited no little
anxiety concerning the future of this life.
The average wholesale price of -four during
that wear in the Philadelphia market, was thir-
teen dollars per barrel. The average price OF
wheat in England, was ninety sbllilngs
per quarter.
A SUCCESSFUL FARMER - Fredericksburg
uvrald. -alr. L. C. Bay,op, of Gloucester,
gives the public the benefit OF bis farming on a
snail scale, and we recommend bis example 10
those along the Potomac and elsewhere where
communication is available with our northern
cities % two aud quarter acres in peas and
potatoes, Mr.. Baytop picked 81 barrels OF peas,
which he sold 10 Baltimore for 1866, and to
his neighbors, IS or $40 worth, realizing 1915
in ali for peas. Six barrels of potatoes sent to
Baltimore, at S5 each, realized $50 The ex-
peuses were $24 for three bushels of peas, S24
for six hundred pounds of Peruvian guanoo,
IS IS for nine bushels of salt, bought from pack
ing. houses 10 Baltimore, So for hire of hands
to manure aud prepare the land, -$45 so for
picking 81 barrels of peas, $l8 20 for 81 bar
res, 81 so for thirty barrel covers (guaoo, bags
mosy) S273O for freight on 81 barrels OF
peas, 81 40 Tor freight Cd 6 barrels OF potatoes
say S. for wharfage, and $2S COMMISSIONS 10
Baltimore Gross amount of expenses $l5S 10,
deducted from $405 leaves net proht OF
n .lo o.b oE hp
was planted in Shiply prolific corn, and Mr.
Baytop expects to make 20 barrels on the lot.
Tie paid 81 SO for wedding and 81 for laying
up with hoe, doing his own ploughiog, plant
Ing aud running through with cultlVator,
which was all the work the peas received. pc
sides, he has over two tons Of pea-vlnes, which
make rs good feed or better than the same
weight of hay Additional to all this, he has
now a 6ne growth of black pea vines growing
on the land, which he intends following in be-
lore the frost can burt them. They should be
so~ed by every farmer. They are better tor
hight lands than clover and you receive the
benefit from them much sooner. Pretty GOOD
return on two and quarter acres.
CRANBERRY RAIslNG.-A company was
formed in Massachusetts few years ago to
false cranberries on a certain field OF marsh
iand purchased as adapted to its culture. One
hundred acres we're purchased for s23. About
twenty-five acres including part Of two of
.heSe swamps have been prepared BY ditching,
WFnlug over the turf, and covering 1t about
seven inches deep with gravel, and then set
uog out the vines about a foot apart each way,
1ae pe work being all under the charge of the
Brothers Stockwell Last autumn they gath
sd s'ed irem these twenty-five acres over 400
bushels of cranberries-sold 10 Millbury, Wor-
Jester, and Webster for Sl050 per barrel,
.he uree bushels to the barrel. The yield in some
paees was very large, fifteen bushels being
taI psSed from one square rod, and fifteen square
.o .ous yielded at the rate of $50 bushels per
sei sse A plot of six acres yielded at the rate Of
W. W. bushels per acre. Fifteen or twenty men,