Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-10-04
A Conventional Subject.

The weather is fast becoming serious
matter. II Is not a mere couveutionalism
whif ! prompts the remark, 81 never saw
anything Ike this before = it Is solemn
fact So long period of cold, raw.
Cloudy, rainy weather; with the wind
hanging persistcntly to the north east the
skies heavy with thick gloomy, accum-
ulated heap Of forbidding, cherries, gray !;
the ground damp, and soft. and unhealthy
with killing frosts early in Autumn, and
the unusual spectacle Of grain, weather
beaten and unharyested in the fields, for
the greater part Of the usually delightful
month of September and thus far into
Oetober-this surely Is so far out Of the
ordinary march of the weeks course
throughout our Maine autumnal weather,
that il may well excite seriousness. Even
70 the town business man, TO the shopping
people, to those who buy and sell, to those
who can ride for pleasure, it has become
almost an annoyance which from its
persistancy has quite become a second
nature TO us. To the invalid praying for
the sun, for the smile of nature, and for
that smile to linger where it has passed
along over the landscape, that health and
freshness aud joy may come of it, these
gloomy weeks have brought only despon-
iency and rheumatism. But if
10 those who ordinarily expert
ence so little Inconvenience from
weather, the past weeks have
brought so large share of discontinue
and ill health-what must not the results
be to the farmer who is so dependent upon
kindly weather for the harvesting of crops
which to him mean much OF substance and
comfort, as well as satisfaction to bis farm
stock in which so largely consists his
means. Indeed, it can hardly be meas
ured or estimated. Look at few fact
pertaining to the unusual weather of the
past season.
The summer has been a cold one all
along its trend, if indeed it may not BE-
more correct to say that We have had no
summer. Two or three days, only, ha-
the thermometer been up in the nineties.
Records show that the mean temperature
of August was lower than for any CORE
spending month of the past thirty years.
with, possibly, a single exception. At thu
very first of September there were three
nights of frost, widespread in extent and
killing in severity. To their sorrow, hun
dreds of farmers in Maine know what
this dire stroke has cost them. Wher.
they were expecting to receive hun
dreds of dollars in cash, they have
hardly had scores, in many cases nothing.
These early autumn frosts followed eacl,
other in rapid succession. Blight AM
injury repeated themselves-the farmer,
crops being their target and his dollars.
apparently, their end. With the COO
summer and slow growth of crops in
consequence, farmers were hopeful OF
the eompeusations of genial sunshine ant
mild weather with the autumn days.
They have instead, only brought fresh
disappointment. Sunshine has been eX-
ceedingly rare; these cold, raw, north
east winds, are Accomplishments of late
November rather than the last o.
September and first OF October. Corn
stake whitened and woody il, the frosty
mornings give few ears and no fodder
The grain has been cut and remained out
L pon he ground in scores of instances.
until worthless by reason of sunless days
aud rainy nights ;or,as in other scores of in
stances has become not worth harve sting
for the same reason. Potatoes have rot
tel badly. These things, it is undeniable
are discouragiug; almost disheartening
No, not that. In forty or fifty years OF
past agricultural history of Maine, yeal
after year, decade following decade, our
farmers have had good crops, favorable
seasons, bOunteous harvests, glorious sun
shine The cold season of 1916 has been
almost. And how long the period OF
good fortune and good cheer; the happ,
harvest home gatherings; the abundance.
the competency. the content! Let US not
forget Lnein III SiuSie uula'oiaoic sea
son, while yet we possess our homes, our
herds and flocks, barns full of hay, goo
health and God over all. The sun will |
shine sometime; if winter comes, spring |
has never yet been far behind, and there
are more things to be thankful for, even
now. than we are apt to think. Let Us
try to enumerate them and see how long |
il will fake