Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-04-22

1t is probable that some one of "A preced
ing generation has observed condolences of
the same sort once in his life. and with the
h"sty genera ization common to uneducat-
et or half educated people. he had enun-
, clated 1t us a rule, when, perhaps, it never
occurred second time. In this case how
ever. strange to say it came very near being
fulfilled; for although there was no frost
that l9ilfof Nav was unusually and TN
comfortably cold.
The surcst rule know of for foreteH-
ing the weather throughout the year said
Il planter, possessed of at least II semi-col-
i-legiate education, is to note the twelve
days between new Christmas and olu
Christmas-from December 25th 10 Jan
uary 9th. The months of the ensuing year
are apt to he wet or dry, cool or warm, ac-
cor,iing toTthe days corresponding. He
seriously declared that for many years he
had pitched his crop and ordered his
! plantation work under the guidance of this
rule, and found that it served well. No
doubt, for that amount of time in advance
it was as good is any other rule in ordina-
Y use.
There was physician in our town who
obtained great reputation for weather wis
dom. Whether from accident or fore
e,st, some of his predictions were sur
prisingly verified. His good sense. how
ever, was best shown in two sayings, which
came to be used in his name long after
ward as proverbs. On being asked, We'll.
Doctor. are we to have Il rain?' lie re-
piled. L cannot say positively; it will de-
pend Il good deal on the weather. On
another occasion he said: The only infal-
lible sign Of rain | know, especially after
a drought, is one learned from IN Indian :
Dark all around and pouring down in the
middle.
III. declarations of nature are more to
be trusted lh1n all the opinions of men.
however time honored or t t.naciously
retained. Meteorology has decided one
fact in opposition to the opinion of ages
1t had been the unquestioned belief Of al
most the whole world that rainfslls We're
seriously affected by changes of the moon :;
in other words, that rain was more conf
IDENTIFY to be expected at the quarterings
than at any other part of the several luna
tons But BY comparing several thousand
observations made in various quarters of
the earth in the coarse Of the last hundred
years. it has been reported as the result
lhat the amount of rainfall at the quarter
inws is no greater than it is ut points mid
way.
But there is another point of interest TO
cultivators of the soil which does not seem
to have received the same amount of re-
gard from meteor olo@ists; indeed, it is a
point which at certain seasons of the year
is of greater Importance to them than the
pluviometry of the ease, whether changes
of the moon have any connection with
changes of temperature 1t Is the current
belief of intelligent men living north of
latitude }3 deg. that in the month of May
there Is greater liability to frost at the time
Of the full moon than 1T any other part of
the month. Many facts 90 to prove tho
truth of this opinion. but the only sure
test Is meteorological observation Will
not all having tables sufficiently extended
for a safe induction, inform those who have
not, whether the fields, orchards and gar
dens of the lands are more liable 10 injury
from frost 1T the time of full moon in May
than ut any other time of the same month? ?