Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-03-26
THE wsArHHR-OLD AND NEW PROF.
ABILITIES.

rHE wRArHER-OLD AND NEW PROF.
ABILITIES.
The weather is quite a worn and
hackneyed theme, because people
always refer to it when out of any
thing else to talk about. But 1t is
invested with greater interest to us
lust now than the European wal or
any question of home politics or
social gossip. The season has been
phenomenal in this section. We
have had but one slight snow this
winter, and that soon passed
away. Except one or two weeks
rather severe cold, we have
had no wintry weather. Flow
ers have bloomed in the open
air, the grass remains green, and
the sap has been rising in trees ever
since January. Heavy clothing has
not been necessary, except as a pre-
caution, for two months, and fires
have scarcely been made in day
time. The warm winter has not
been confined to the South, but
has been remarked and complained
of at the North. The season for
skating and sleighing was re-
markakly short, and so is
the ice crop, as we will
find out to the tune of two or three
cents a pound before the summer is
over. In the northwest the ground
has been SOVIET and spOngy, instead
Of being frozen over as usual, that
the immense lumber interests OF
that region have been greatly in
iured as we viii find ont practically,
to a considerable extent, in the
price Of lumber before the end Of
the year. What we have saved in
coal this season may have to be paid
out some other way before the sum-
mer is over. What we most have
to dread is a killing frost. Vegeta-
ton Of all kinds is fully a month
ahead Of this time last year. Farm
ers have taken advantage of this
mild, beautiful dry weather, to pre-
pare the ground and put in their
crops. Gardening is ahead of time
and vegetables will soon be ready
for the table. Peach trees bloOmed
early this month, and all kinds Of
fruit is very forward and very
promising. Under these cir
cumstances a spell of cold
weather, followed by frosts, would
be very disastrous to all this
section. The loss would oe almost
incalculable, and the more SO be-
cause so many of our people, not
only near the city, but all over the
country,haye set out orchards within
the last few years, aud are invest
ing much time and money in the
fruit business. To this class and
those dependent upon them, as vel
as to merchants and others, the
probabilities of a frost are discussed
with lively interest and apprehen
sion. We hope to escape the grea
changes which have occurred in tn,
more northern ATTITUDES, but s,
long as the elements are so great.
disturbed we cannot feel altogethe
safe, at least for some days yet. /
is nearly two weeks since a grea
snow storm set in on the line Of tn
Union Pacific railroad away on
West, and blocked the trains 70
several days. The polar wave cam
nearer and nearer us, but fnall
went off in a northeast direction
and we scarcely felt the change. ]
is not all over yet. There was
remarkable fall of temperature yes
terday in the upper Mississippi
valley, lower lake region and Obi
valley. Mr.. McElroy, of the sigma
service station here, reports fall @
30 degrees at Davenport in one day
rs degrees at Keokuk, 80 degree
at Cincinnati, 3s degrees at Pitts
burg, with snow at the two latte
places yesterday afternoon. NJ
McElroy says:
judging from the data Of March al
April during the pAst ak years, Il