Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-05-27
GENTLE SPRING.
ETHEREAL MILDNESS IN MAY TIME

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Apple Blossoms Overhead and Foot Of
Snow, or Less, for n Carpet.
TO write, on the 26th of May, with the
mercury at summer heat, of an all-day
snow storm only five days ago. and snow
covering the ground to depth of from
two inches to two feet, seems paradoxcal.
But it is verify nevertheless, which the
"infinite variety of our New England eli
mate permits us to write about this week.
Last Fridays snow storm, which filled the
air for two hours, and whitened Wantasti-
quet and the Marlboro hills, was soon over,
and attracted little more than passing
thought, but on Saturday came an all-day
snow storm in sober earnest. Here on the
Connecticut river the snow melted nearly
as fast as it fell, and accumulated but a lit
tie, though generous patches were still left
on Sunday morning i'm door-yards and on
the common. On the hills it was differ
ent, and at all elevated points i'm this vi
entity within a few miles of Brattleboro
the accumulation was from three to six
inches. In the north and west part of the
county 1t was much more than in the
south. In Marlboro the snow was about
six inches deep The depth gradually in
creased on the higher lands, until, on the
height between West Dover and Somerset
it was a plump 10 inches deep Saturday
night. In the southeast corner of STRAIT
ton there was a solid II inches. One ac-
count tells of snow i'm Dover which meas
ured 19t inches. This was experienced by
men who were out looking for their stock
1t is reliably stated that on the higher
lands in Peru the snow lay two feet deep.
| The fact appears to be that the greatest
accumulation was on the ridge and slopes
| of the Green Mountains extending up to
/ the centre of the state New Hampshire
was similarly visited. In the north part
| of Vermont the snowfall seems to have
/ been much less than i'm this vicinity.
The effect was very remarkable, with
/ the grass grown tall enough for the first
attack of the lawn-mowers, fruit trees and
early shrubs in full bloom, and all vegeta-
/ ton well advanced. We hear of one case
/ in Guilford where the people of a neigh
borhood gathered Saturday night for an
evenings coasting, under apple trees COW
cred simultaneously with snow and with
fruit blooms. 1t is the general opinion
that fruit was not seriously injured, the
thermometer not having touched the
freezing point. The destruction of bird
oles, scarlet tanagers, and many other va
rleties were among the sufferers. Stock
which had been turned out in distant pas
lures went hungry for day or two, its
main subsistence being on browse i'm the
woods. In many cases hay was carried in
to the pastures. The storm was cruelty
destructive to sheep which had been shear
ed and turned out to pasture. The poor
creatures became quickly chilled and many
died from the exposure. Wherever posi-
bic owners brought their flOcks back to the
barns.
While this May snow storm is unusual ii
is by no means unprecedented. No longer
ago than the morning of the 10Th day OF
May. 1882, just 10 years ago, the snow lay
three inches deep on the ground in MARI
boro, and other recent instances could
probably be cited. Our Halifax CORE
Spondent quotes from a diary of 1884 an
account of snow on several days, and lei
cles Is inches long, from the 18th to the
10Th of May.
James ii. Capen, the veteran printer
and telegraph operator, has in his posses
sion copy of the vermont Inteligencer
and Bellows Falls Advertiser" dated Mon
day. May 20, 1870, in which this item OF
news appears, and it is the only item OF
local news which the sheet contains:
Remarkable Sno,C Storm On Friday. the 26tl
. inst, considerable fall Of snow occurred in thi,
place II commenced between / and , O'Clock
p. n, and continued between two and three hours
/ ON the lOwlands near Connecticut river the snow
, soon disappeared. but 1t was visible ON the neigh
boring hills on the morning of the 27th inst"
The early settlers of Orleans county, in
the north part of this state, used to recall
a fall of snow in June, after corn was well
up, which covered the ground, and buried
young vegetation. The season was cold
and bleak, and dismal forbodings were
caused of an impending famine. The
writer recalls how venerable woman, who
had raised up a large family of children
used to tell of that time and relate how
she had seriously thought of laying away
two or three ears of Indian corn, so that
in future years she might show her chill
dren what it was like.