The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1867-05-31
farm and atunsehuld.


baoEm ShBhhts uuhimk hhhNSst
The following plaR to aid in preventing
Injury 10 grain and hay crops from storms
during harvest is offered for the considera
tion Of farmers, county officials, tclegral b
companies, the press and the public gen.
srally;
II is estimated that one third Of the grain
and hay crops are on All average injured
annually by storms in harvest tune. Large
quantities are cut down, aud then storm
comes on suddenly, or as settled rain, aud
they get wet to degree that they ave
damaged materially the labor Of u yoar
being lost by q single heavy rain.
II farmers had ,odrRiRg Of these approach.
ing storms in time to get their grain, or huy
under cover, or in a situation to shut out
the rain, much Of this Injury would be
prevented. by adopting tho following
general plan it is believed that this may
be Effected
When q storm commences in any part
of the country and is DIR fling in certain
direction. the first telegraph station over
which Il passes IL to send the news imme-
diately 10 all tue telegraph stations at coun-
ty.seats, hundreds Of miles in advance, n
the direction that tho storm is travelling.
At each oou ty-seat a cannon IL To be Kept
10 ldy by the Officials at the courthouse,
aud as tho news is received of coming
storm, il is to be fred three times, at utter.
walls OF one minute il tornado is approach.
ing at intervals of three minutes II tho
storm 10 travelling rapidly, aud at intervals
nf six minutes il It is travelling slowly.
And even a fourth gun might DO fired, the
interval from the last in seconds giving the
ekat ia MI Inr
miles.) IL a county scat has no telegraph
Il may fire by sound from some other.
Asa good sized cannon can he heard
distinctly from fifteen to twenty miles in
all directions, or over a space of from thirty
to forty miles square, by firing one ut each
unti.s at, the farmers for hundreds oi
miles over the country would be warned
IN time to got their grain or hay under
c1ver or in n situation To- shut out the rain.
A1d this warning would not only aid nato
rally in preventing injury to hay, wheat
rye, oats, barley, buckwheat, peas, be n
and many other products, but it would
Alsb be useful in curing or drying fodder
tobacco, and cotton, and in drying brick,
in many other produtt' an manufactures
too numerous to men ion. IL would al o
he usef Il on our extended coasts, and par
ticularly on our numerous bays, rivers aud
lakes, and especially in severe storms and
hurricanes by warning vessels to seek
places Of safety or prepare for the coming
storm. And, finally, it would be useful to-
every business, city aud country, and to
every individual in the entire community.
IL may be remarked that this plan s in
direct imitation of nature Rs exhibited iu
storms during summer, the thunder being
often heard long before the clouds arc oven
seen. The telegraph represents the light
ming, and tho cannon tho thunder, but
nature is vastly surpassed in time and ex.
tel.t, as the fash will be understood and
the roar will be heard over vast exteats ol
country, hundreds Of miles in advance Of
the real lightning and thunder.
The cost Of this plan will be tr1ing com
pared to tho advantage gained. Many
county seats own cannon, which can be
fred by some Of the officials or employees
rr ,uni the court house. The actual ex.
pense will only be the cost of a short tel,
gram from the next county.seat about once
a week for three or four months during
summer, and the additional cost Of u few
kegs of powder. The VIII ,lo coat to eacl,
county.seat will not be mere than fifty dol
lars yearly, while from this tritiing outlay
tens Of thousands will DO saved to eacl
county, millions Of dollars to each Of the
larger grass and grain.growing Statcs, and
perhaps one hundred millions of dollars an
nually TO the whole United States.
As every county.seat does not own 1
cannon suitable for storm gun, and as Il {
State and national arsenals have grca
abundance Of any size desired, all def
cicn ~ may Le supplied from these soulc IS
and thus these cannon aud these deStruc
tive engines o. war will be converted iut'
implements of husbandry by being used tC
initiate thunder to give earning of ap
preaching storms many hours in advance
Of the real thunder or tho rain.
II this plan shoull meet with genera
approval, immediate arrangements shoul,
be IN ,de to carry il into operation in Tim
fOr the coming harvest, not only in on
own country, but throughout Canada an,
Europe. In the county tuoh arrangement
may he made between the county official
aud telegraph company, or some telegraph
company may make arrangement by circu
lar with the county officials in several O
the States. Their, If all tho newspapei
would publish the storm signals, to |
posted in every house in the whole count,
the plan would ba comrllte, and in a shol
time the storm guns would commence {
roar, giving warning Of approaching storm
and hurricanes, over vast extents of cou'
try. hundreds Of miles in advance of tn
actual thunder or the storm
Newspapers in favor of this plan shoul
publish it. and every farmer should e.
anime it thoroughly and IL approved o
lie should write TO the county clork,
other county official OF his county, in i
favor. 4 sufficient number Of such i
dorsements will secure its adoption in tin
for the coming harvest.