d
experience crown him with, will tell how much colder it was in such and
such a year, until we wish this little spell had sealed his memory and
mouth, for we do all take a great pride in living in a time that excels
all other times, albeit, if it be only in a storm or a freeze. But in
these things the early times of the Old Settler can never be excelled,
no matter in what century he flourishes. He is always master of the
situation. His experiences are like those of no other settler that ever
lived and died. With him, imagination has gradually usurped the place of
experience and its isothermal dips and dodges carry him through hotter
and through colder seasons than are marked down in any Standard Time
PRAIRIE FARMER, or any other map or chart in existence. But for this
weather business I should like to live next door to the Old Settler, for
he is generally truthful, good, kind, full of practical knowledge and
common sense.

LETTER FROM CHAMPAIGN.

We are having some very sharp winter weather, and sleighing as
uninterruptedly good since the 20th of December as I ever remember. This
morning, January 5th, the mercury reported 28 degrees below zero at 5:30
A.M., and 20 degrees below at 10 o'clock. This is the coldest since
January 29th, 1873, when 36 degrees below was recorded at the Industrial
University here, and 42 degrees below by the spirit thermometer at one
of the Jacksonville institutions. But the wind was west at that date,
and it is so to-day, showing our coldest weather comes from that
direction rather than from the northwest or north. The explanation I
suppose to be, those great fountains of cold storage, the Colorado
mountains, lie west and southwest of us, and are several hundred miles
nearer than the lower peaks and ranges northwest.

* * * * *

It is an interesting and important truth to know at this time that an
unexpected source for seed corn has been discovered here at home. It has
been ascertained by experiment and investigation that the early frosted
corn, which has been allowed to stand in the field, has a sound germ,
and though shrunken, will make fairly good seed, whereas corn which was
not frosted till late in October, and ripened in most respects, save
drying out, is wholly unfit for seed, having had the cells of the
kernels ruptured by the freezings it has been subjected to. This rupture
of cells the grain of the frosted corn escaped, having parted with t