Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-08-25
WEATHER WISDOM.

THE SIGNS AND pRoGNosT1cs BY WHICH THE
WEATHER PROPHETS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
FoRETELL THE WEATHER.
The chief signal officer at Washington is
seeking material for a collection Of popular
weather sayings proverbs and prognostics
used throughout the country by all classes aud
races, including Indians, negroes and all for
eigners." The collection made in New Hamp-
shire for his use is as given below. We inn
agino that it will be found to vary but little
from the weather wisdom in vogue in Vermont
and the rest Of New England. The divisions
made by the chief signal officer are % in
number
l. The sun. A halo around the sun indi-
Gates that there will be rain or snow soon. II
the sun rises clear and soon goes into cloud,
it will rain before night. II the sun shines
while il rains, it will rain the next day. A
sun dog, or mock sun, indicates that there
will be stormy weather very soon.
2. The moon. Zone Saturday change is
enough for seven years." as there iB always q
severe storm after it. The nearer the time of
the moons change to midnight, the lairer will
the weather be during the seven days follow
ing. The nearer to midday the phases of the
luOuu uhpDtuf lLb ulOEe IOul OF wet WehllcE
may be expected during the uext seven days.
The space for these calculations is two hours
before and two hours after midnight and
noon. A halo around the moon indicates
coming storm, and the number of stars seen
within the circle shows the number of days
before it will occur. II tho now moon stands
| upright, so that the crescent will not hold wa.
| ter, there must be rain, as the water will all
descend. II the moon is horizontal, so that
| the crescent icW hold water, there will be rain,
as the water collected will bo poured down.
Grain should always be sowed in the new of
the moon, that it may grow with the increase
of the moon. The same rule should be OBJ
served in planting Aower-slips. To kill bushes
they should be cut after the full of the August
moon, when the sign is in the heart. Pigs
and hogs should always be killed during the
| increase of tho moon, or the pork will dimin-
ish in bulk while cooking
3. Stars and meteors. The aurora borealis
always indicates a change of weather, and if
it is very red the weather will be very cold.
II there are no falling stars to be seen on a
bright summer evening, you may look for
| fine weather; il there are many to be seen
you may expect thunder and heavy rain.
| 4. Rainbows. 'If you 20 to the foot of
| the rainbow where it touches the earth, you
will find pot of gold" When there is a
rainbow in the morning there viii be rain
soon. When there is a rainbow at night it
will not rain the next day.
"a rainbow in the morning
| Is the sailors warning;
A rainbow at night
| Is the sailors delight"
.. Mist and fog. A sheet of fog along the
| river in the morning indicates that the day
will be hot one When the fog settles on
the mountain in the morning, it will certainly
rain before night. when the fog goes up
the mountain, you may go hunting; when it
comes down the mountain, you may go fish
ing" In the former case there will be fine
weather in the latter, rain.
6. Dew. When you feel the dew falling
heavily in the evening, you may be sure il
will be fair next day. When in the morning
you see the ground covered with webs with
dew on them, aud no dew on the ground
around, it is a sign of rain before night, for
the spiders are putting up umbrellas. But
others say, "When the spiders put out their
SuRShadeS it will be a very hot day"
7. Clouds II the sky is very red in the
west in the evening" the next day will be fair.
II it is red in the east in the morning, il is q
sign of a storm. II in the evening it is deer
red low down in the west, and black above it.
it is a sign of wind if very black, very high
wind. A mackerel sky ia the west indicates
rain. II there be sheep-sky, or white
clouds driving to the northwest, it will be fine
for some days.
| ''Great clouds like an old mares tail
Make great ships carry low SAIL
8. Frost White frost on three successive
nights indicates a thaw. II the ice cracks
much, you may expect the frost will continue
.. Snow. When there are black clouds in
the north, there will be snow. If on a fai
day in winter a white bank appears low dowI
in the south, it is sure indication Of snow
very soon. If snow falls in large flakes, anC
they increase in size, there will be a thaw.
TO- Rain. II rain commences before day
light, it will stop before A. NJ. II it Begin
about noon, it will continue through the af
ternoon; if not till P NJ, it will rain al
night. II it commences after 9 p. M, it vii
rain the next day. II it clears off in tn,
night it will rain the next day.
"If Il rains before seven
1t will stop before eleven"
II the wind is from the northwest or south
east, the storm will be short; if from tn
northeast it will be a hard one if from tn
northwest a cold one, and from the south
west a warm one. After it has been raining
some time, a blue sky in the southeast ind
Gates that it will clear soon. After it has bee
raining some time, ''if you see enough blu
in the west to make a Dutchman a pair o
breeches, it will soon clear off,"
II. Thunder and lightning. ''If it thun
night" winter thunder is to old folk
death and to young folks plunder." 1t is sal
that persons in consumption have died dul
ing thunder storm.
~ Wind. south wind brings rain,
northeast wind severe storm, a northwei
wind fair weather. If the wind veers roun
with the sun, it will be fair weather. II Ii
wind starts up while it is raining, it will bio
the rain clouds away, and fair weather wi
ensue.
l3. Animals. The following are said to |
signs of rain If bats fly low and come in
the house if cattle lie down in the mornin
and chew the cud if horses toss their head
sniff, and are very uneasy If rats and miC
are restless and squeak If swine are uneas
grunt loudly and squeal If cats and dogs e
grass and sheep spring about more than u
ual. So also the proverbs;
"when the ass begins to bray,
We surely shall have rain that day.
"When the donkey blows his horn,
n 'Tis time to house your hay and corn"
?, When in winter pigs rub against the side
4 their pen, it is a sure sign of a thaw.
p IA. Birds. Before rain cuckoos sing, due
e. aud other fowl pick up and oil their feather
y guinea fowls are noisy, owls boot, peacoc
n- squall quails whistle, crows cav, swallo'
n hy low, aud waterfowl scream and plum
- into the water, If birds flock together
y September, it betokens coming storm.
J. crows are seen flying south in the fall, it is
"a sign of colder weather; if north, it will
3. warmer If wild geese come from the nor
is early in the fall, it signifies an early winte
y when they go north in the spring, it is si
that the winter is broken. The Phoebe bir
or pewee, sings before warm weather.
Is. Fish. Fish bite best before rain.
lG Reptiles. Frogs and tree toads pc
before rain II leech is kept in glass