Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-03-03
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The Barometer in Agriculture.


Some ten years since the agricultural press
Of the country published several articles com
mendng the usefulness Of the barometer for
foretcling the weather. People became in
tercstod III the subject inquiries were made
for instruments, and in few months the
country swarmcd with travelling agents, sell.
ing barometers Most Of the instruments so
distributed were very inaccurate, and compa-
ratively worthless and as but few of the
purchasers had any experience in making OBJ
seryations, they soon found them to be of no
practical use, aud became thoroughly disgust
ed with them
The best barometer for the farmer is the
straight glass tube, closed at the top, filled
with quicksilver, dipping into a capacious els
tern. BY using a large cistern, the rise Of
mercury therein, when the barometer falls, is
greatly diminished, and thus the apparent and
real rise aud fall are nearly co-equal. 1t
should be placed in a room not subject to ex-
IRENE changes Of temperature since heat ex-
pands the mercury to such an extent that, for
accurate scientific purposes, correction for
difference in temperature is necessary TO show
the height caused by atmospheric pressure
high or low, neither indicates fair weather
nor foul it is only by successive observations,
compared with each other, that the weather
may be predicted. Several years since, an
English observer laid down this general rule
which subsequent experience has confirmed :
After continuance Of dry weather. if the
barometer begins to fall slowly and steadily
rain will ensue but if the fine weather has
been of long duration, the mercury may fall
two three days before change may take
place, aud the longer the time which eapses
before the rain comes, the longer the wet
weather is likely to last. Again, in a time
Of continuous raiu, if the barometer gradually
rises, fair weather is certain to follow, al
though it may continue to rain one or two
days before the change will take place
OF eighty-six storms of snow ard rain in
1868, fity-six were preceded by a fall of the
barometer, extending from six to twenty four
hours fourteen, by from twenty-lour to for
ty-eight hours ten succeeded to rise, last
ing from twelve TO twenty-four hours, imme-
diately after previous depression two sue
ceeded rise extending torty-eight hours, and
four were unattended by any disturbance OF
atmospheric pressure.
1t will be seen from the results above meu-
toned, that, by watching the barometer care
fully, the future weather may be predicted
with probable degree of accuracy. Its val
ne, therefore, TO the farmer, when cutting
grass and grain eau hardly be over-estimated
| will relate single instance. One morning
early in July, a neighborng farmer came in
to town, and said that he had ten acres OF
grass down, and should cut ten acres more
that day, as the weather was fine, and had ev-
every appearance of continuing SO. told
him that the barometer had been falling lor
two days advised him to 60 home aud Sc
cure the hay already cut as it would certain.
ly rain within twenty-four hours. lie fol.
lowed my advice the next day it commenced
raining, and continued three days From
that time his confidence in the barometer was
firmly established