The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-03-09
Ladies Department.
when Does spring BeginP

Get q hat piece oil WOOu ABOUT Two
inches wide and eight inches long,
also ten.penny nail. Drive the Dall
into the wood close to one end and
half way between the sides. Drivs
it only far enOngh to make it stand
upright in The wood on a level win +
ow seat at south window. This
piece of weed and nail are just as
much piece of scientific apparatus
as any in your school cabinet. By
its aid you can make series of
scientific experiments and become a
real student of nature.
Pace the wood with the nail to-
wards the sun in such position that
it's shadow falls on the center o.. the
beard. Thenmakca pencil mark on
the wood showing just how long the
SHADOW is at precisely twelve o'clock
The next day or tho next sunny day
at precisely the same time try il
again. placing the wood exactly in
the same place as before Here is a
discovery. The shadow is i little
longer or a little shorter than
before. Repeat this observation once
a week fer,a msnth, and the change
in The shadow will be very plain. II
the observations are made once q
week through December and Janu-
airy curious fact will be noted The
shadow will grow longer and longer
till Just before Christmas when it
will begin to gro " shorter and short
er. This change in the direction in
which the shndOw grows from week
to week marks the beginning of
Spring inthe United States.
In New England we call it mid
Winter. 1t is wintery out Of doors
yet the season has really turned and
Spring has ser out GU her travels Ov-
er the land 10 abeutga week after
Christmas She will land on the tip
END of Florida and the coast OF Tex
as, way aew1 by the Rio Grande.
The precise date at which the change
comes is the twenty-first Of Decemb.
err. After that day it is Spring. It
may he cold weather all ovel the
country east of the Rocky Mountains
There may be snow as far down
south as Charleston or Memphis.
while the mountains round Chatta-
nooga are white almost dewn to the
low valleys. Still farther south the
ground may be wet, cold, the ali
chilly For all that it is really
Spring.. 40
The big star on which we live has
begun to change its position. It,
loeks toward that great star we call
the sun in q different direction Ev-
cry shadow in the union Crews short
er at noon, day by day. The LAY $
grow slowly hanger and the sun sets
eyerynight a little more TO the right
as you face the sunset. In-spite Of
stormy wind and snow like wool and
boar frost scattered like morsels, the
average temperature slowly rises.
The. first buds begin to swell way
down. in Florida, the first green
grass soon appears on the coast Of
Texas. The fringe of green grows
wider and wider The first birds ar
rive on the coast aiobg the Cult Of
Mexico. Then more arrive, and
finding the coast filed w with nests
they fly over and settle little back
from the water Then more Nv over
the first part and begin TO build
nests further up from the South.
The green waye OF grass spreads up
the Mississippi and along the coast
Of Georgia. The snow may stretch
down. like white cape, between
Georgia and Carslinas and Tenness-
ee, along the mountains, yet it be-
gins to melt at the lower end and
grows shorter. week by week.
Of@hat help IS it to us to know
this? Tn the North'it is Winter out
of daors; ill April. Down cellar by
the furnace you find a potato rest
ing perhaps near damp spot. on
the. Aeor, The potato kaows it is
Spring. and even in the dark esens
It's eyes and begins to grow White
shoots appear. as if stretching ont
paie finger to- clasp The hand OF
Spring. It has felt the Spring.
though the snow flies out of doors.
This brings us to hint of the truth.
The spring really begins soon after
Christmas, and all pants and ami
mails know it. Any plant or seed
protected from the cold will begin
to grow if it can get little water
Here is the point. After the sea-
son turns. Spring begins in every
sunl;y window. Every plant will
now grow, while before Christmas it
only seemed to stand still or barely
keep.alixe. Now you can bring up
the plants stored in the cellar and
they will soon turn green, They
know it is Spring, and, if thereon
is warm will surely grow. The days
are growing longer there is more
sunshine aud more heat. As the
plant grows sitsueeds more and more
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