Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-30
WEATHER SIGNS.

Prognostics Collected by the weather
Bureau.
Studying the weather is an occupation
Of which mankind never tires; and though
1t is proved in the folk lore Of all nations
that the subject is old, still it possesses
eternal freshness, and, like the Indian
and the Tartar, civilized man must first
settle the question of the weather before
he undertakes his affairs. In the spring
She Importance OF knOwingwhatt the wealth
er may bring forth is Of serious interest,
saws the Boston Journal. The weather IS
the farmers stock in trade He estimates
1t carefully and invests IN as fun supply
or prognostics as his shrewdness can pro
vide. He plants and sOws with an an
xious look at the clouds rolling by; he
plows with an eye upon the weather sig
mails. and he takes his chances with frost
as speculators do with reports Of a Euro
pean war Frequently the farmer who
has rinned his hopes on a certain phase of
the weather becomes alarmed, and I'M
mediately the whole country is sgitated
because the peach buds are frozen, the
young wheat is killed by the drOuth or
the crops have all been blighted by
combination of all sorts OF weather II is
OF no use for the farmer TO try to change
the subject OF the weather, because be
has hitched his wagon to a cloud. And II
is almost as dificult for less interested
men to keep their minds on the weather
in a variable climate. Before the age Of
q scientific study OF the weather, all men
were more or less eeers and prophets OF
the cloud changes, but since the establish
ment Of weather bureaus the majority
have become supine. dependent upon the
- vso.Hs. h for inf "a A
even lcok upon the old-tasbOned weather
saws as relics Of superstition, and listen
impatently TO the old rhymes. Sclentlho
men have far different opinion OF the
ancient prOgnostics. BY Analysing and
comparing the opinions OF the until
tOred weather prophets with the sclentlnc
charts, they have found that prognostlcs
will never be superseded at sea and
other solitary places. and that they can
be combined usefully with charts IN
synOpuc fOrecasting, especially In GER
tain classes OF showers and thunder
storms.
A review of some of the weather
proverbs prepared under the direction of
the Weather Bureau Is useful prepare
ton for spring and sumner. Application
in the city NAV be difficult, but there is
no more interesting method OF under
standing nature than by studying her
capricious moods in the signs OF the
weather The simplest manner Of fore
casting the weather is by observing the
clouds esW hen the atmosphere and the
hemisphere come t0gther," says Fields
Village DOgmatist, sit causes the earth
TO sweat. and thereby produces rain"
This description is more graphic than
scientific, though it is well known that
when two opposing currents OF clouds
meet, rain results. The most reliable OF
the clouds proverbs Is the old
Mackerel scales aud mares tails
Make lofty ships carry low sails.
lfwhen looking at the soft cirrocumulus
clouds you
See clouds look as If scratched by hen
Get ready to reef your topsail then.
These common proverbs are to be de-
pended upon:
Red clouds atsunrise indicate storm.
If long strips Of clouds drive at a slow
rate high in the air, aud gradually become
larger. the sky having been previously
clear. expect rain.
Ifyou see clouds going cross wind, there
Is a storm in the air.
when the wind is in the south
1t is IN the rams mouth.
The proverbs that signify rain are natur-
ally more numerous than those which
mean pleasant weather, because they are
warnings and suggest preparations. as
il going TO ramp is always an anxious
question, and especially in the spring
when the clouds are more caprictous. AL
though
When the wind is in the east
IT'S neither good for man nor beast,
rain clouds are by no means unwelcomed.
Ii is good for man and the earth to receive
the water from the clouds frequently, and
rainy day in four Is the American sup
vnlr which naQllnVVa nanfq nd
makes him less sharp. But when one
wishes TO start on an excursion or on
travels, the fair weather may be studied
from the clouds.
II the wind follows SUMS course expect
fair weather.
This .'veering with the sun" is often
obvious and scientifically explained ''in
anticYclones. local currents of air, prob
ably due 10 unequal heating Of sea and
land, can override the general circulation
Of the atmosphere In this country"
Ifwoollen neeces spread the heavenly way
Be sure no rain disturDs the summer day.
Is a POLITICALLY expressed sign of the
weather.
II the sky beyond the clouds il blue,
Be glad, there is picnic for you.
When there is enough clear sky to patch
3 Dutchman's breaches, expect fair
weather.
very common sign IS;
Evening red and morning gray
Will set the traveller on hisWay.
Clouds in the East, obscuring the sun,
Indicate fair weather.
Soft. Underlined and feathery clouds in
dicate fair weather.
The proverbs on wind may by regarded
as a corrOllarY 10 the cloud proverbs. and
there are many energetic sayings from all
sources, making choice difficult.
II the wind is northeast three days without
rain,
Eight days viii PASS before south wind again.
The sharper the blast
The sooner It's past,
gives consolation and hope 10 the sufferers
In q squail.
North and south the sign o drouth,
East and west the sign o. blast.
II the wind be hushed with sudden heat
expect heavy rain, is OF similar import
with the prOverb which IL often applied to
affairs OF men: Always n calm before a
storm.
do business with men when the wind
is In the northwest contains fund of
earthly wisdom, because mems tempers
are supposed 10 be best on clear day un-
less the number of clear days has become