Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-11-30
WHAT THE GOOSE BONE SAYS.
AN ELABORATE STUDY S lows
THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE
A HARD WINTER.

AN ELABORATE STUDY S lows
THAT THERE IS GOING 70 BE
A HARD WINTER.
From the Louisville Times.
The loreshadOwlng Of the APP
preaching winter, As 1t is read from
The dots and the lines on the goose
tone. is not a cheerful story. The
promise given forth OF sleeI, snow,
and cold Is "A gloomy picture for
the poor to look upon, and the
many whose short purses will not
permit them to lay in bOuntiful
supply of fuel will shiver at the
thought of the kind of weather that
the little bone fOretells for the next
fonr months. There will be more
cold aud wet weather than the PEG.
pie ofthis latitude haye experienced
for many winter, and the cold
spells will be longer and more Sc
we're than usual. The bone is dark
at both ends, which indicates a
long winter. Winter weather we
will have in November, and the ice
and snow will be familiar sights
faraloug into March.
The goose from whose bone ills
study WAS taken was hatched IN
Anil and killed after the ides OF
September. The bone Ia wonder
fully marked, the dots and breyes
and lines mlngle all along the keel,
thus indicating very changeaOle
weather, but the breyes mostly
turn down and are heavy, showing
that the general character OF the
winter will be falling, cold weather.
The danger period is longer for
November than any other month,
running from the 10th to the end,
with the most severe weather fall
ing between the 20th and 10Th, and
at any time within this period
clustering suows and unseasonably
cold weather may be looked Tor.
The inst danger period III Deem
her extends from the LIST to the 9th,
after which there will probably be
fe9 days Of sunshiDy weather.
The heaviest storm period OF the
month ceuters in the Christmas
holidays, beginning on The 18th
and passing to the 9th. At the
opening of the holidays we will
have very foul and probably some
Of the coolest weathed of the sea
son, and tbese cold lines run along
the bone until about the middle OF
January. Watch this period, but
above all prepare for it. 1t is more
than probable that the earth will
be covered with snow when Christ
mas dawns aud that cold north
wind will be blowing, so that Christ.
mas fires will have to be bright and
big for comfort. The Oath and 10Th
of December will be the darkest
storm days OF the month. On the
bone all the indications Of wet, cold
and stormy weather meet about
that time. It is curious cluster
inc of bad signs, such as is seldom
seen ON the bone, and a mixture Of
weather may be looked for, with
wet and cold predOminating.
During this long spell OF bad
weather some of the dots Oh the
bone are very dark, which means
very cold, and we need not look to
see the mercury far away from re.
70 during the holiday week.
The new year will come in cold
and clear, with the first danger
period commencing on the 4th.
There are three storm periods In
this month the second cOmmenc-
inc about the 14th and the last one
about the 23d OF the month. The
dots that appear on the bone up to
the middle of the month are heavy
from about the 10th to the 18th
especially so,and during this period
very cold weather may be looked
for. Daring December and Jan
uary the mercury will frequently
be below zero, probably remaining
there for days, and if there should
be a low stage OF water in the river
there will be danger of a freeze
oyer.
For February short storm periods
run all along the bone, and the
general character of the month
will be stormy and clustering, with
some very cold days at the first OF
the month and again at tue close.
These severe spells and continued
cold weather will keep the ice and
the snow in the mountains, and the
first spring month will be as hOary
as old winter. AS the bone ends
very dark, it is very probable that
March will be Il repetition Of No.
yember. In that case the farmers
will find it very difficult to break
ground, and all kinds of vegetation
will be very late in getting a start.
It will not be safe to put things in
the ground too soon, as such win
ter will likely be followed by kill
ing frosts far into April. The
writer remembers to have seen on
" one other bone to compare with
the one this year, and that season
there were frosts as late as May.
Every Indication, from the reading
of the bone, points to a backward
spring, and the gardeners who have
tier richest harvest in early yege.