The Florida agriculturist., 1885-05-06
926
Foretelling the Weather.

The science Of meteorology, in relation
to the future weather, is in it's infancy
and necessarily imperfect and like all
other scientific theories that the public
has not been able to grasp understand
ingly, it has had many false prophets
There have been weather prophets"
and weatherless prophets" term gem
orally adopted by-and very applicable,
too-parties who have no theory or sys-
tenn upon which to make calculations,
but who simply write up the weather for
year to come, according to the changes
that are likely to take place during the
four seasons, and sign themselves
Prophet, which is very inappropri-
ate term for any one who makes any
pretense to scientific attainments and is
able to show a reasonable cause for GER
tain effects.
Humboldt declared that meteorology
had not taken step in advance since
the time of Aristotle, and to make it a
useful and practical science it was nee
essary to find a physical basis upon
which to make calculations for foretell-
ing the future weather.
1t would be of interest to every one to
know the kind of weather to expect dur
ing the coming week month or year, but
W lAOhC 81 oo W bllC VIII
can only make calculations for good
crop if they have favorable year; in
fact, they go it blind, whereas, if the
farmers knew when frosts would occur,
when to look for storms or drouths or
severe cold winters, they could and
would make their calculations to suit
the weather, that is, they would work
intelligently and make the best of what
they could not change, and have nothing
to charge up to a bad season at the end
of the year. They would know when to
plow, to sow, to reap, to NOV, without
risk OF frost, storms, winds, or floods,
and could estimate what they could
raise during a future twelve months with
as much accuracy as a manufacturer can
of the product of his manufactory for a
given time.
The weather prophets of the past few
years have attracted but little of our at
tention, with one exception, and that is
the late Prof. Tice, and he did not ac-
cept the term prophet" for he had
wrought out a scientific theory with an
undoubted sound physical basis, after
near fifty years study and observation.
There is no doubt but that he was on the
right track, for the electrical condition
OF the atmosphere has verified his calcu-
latlons numerous times. His observa-
tons led him to attribute not only the
changes of weather but earthquakes also
to the electrical conditions caused by the
planets in passing certain disturbing
points on their orbits; that is, when
several of the nearer planets were in a
certain position they caused abnormal
electrical conditions of the atmosphere.
Ills work has been taken up where he
lett 1T, by his son-in-law, Mr.. G.. II. Lii
1ngston, OF this city, who madecalcula-
tons according to his system and theory
in regard to the weather for the year
1885: published by Lillingston 4 Pierce,
st. Louis. His forecasts for January
and February have been remarkably
correct, and certainly ought to interest
every farmer in the country. The knowl-
edge that has been gained up to the pres
ent time enables the meteorologist, by
this system, to tell when it is going to
be generally stormy, when storm centers
will cross the continent, sudden changes
OF temperature, frosts, and when to ex-
pect earthquakes. The verifcations Of
the forecasts by the weather certainly
prove that the weather can be forecast
in general way for any time to come.
Meteorologists who have made study
of this system say that the weather can
be forecast for any locality for few days
to week in advance, as soon as they
get better understanding of the laws
governing the same, and are furnished
reports daily of the position or course of
the high and low barometers throughout
the continent.-Midland Farmer.