The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-11-16
Ladies' Department.
THE GOOSE. BONE.
A Hard Winter Prophesled by an
Old Farmwlfe's Omen.

A Hard Winter Prophesied by an
Old Farmwlfe's Omen.
The foreshadowing of the approach
ing winter, as it is read from the
dots and the lines on the goose. bone,
is not q cheerful story. The bone is
dark at both ends, which indicates a
long winter. The goose, from whose
bone this study was taken, was hatch
ed in April and killed after the ides
of September. The bone is wonder
fully marked. The dots and breves
and lines nlngle all along the keel,
thus indicating very changeable
weather, but the breves most turn
down and are heavy, showing that
the general character of the winter
will be falling, cold weather. AS
will be seen by the table, the danger
period is longer for November than
any other month, running from the
10th to the end, with the most severe
weather falling between the goth and
goth, and at any time within this
period clustering SHOWS and unsea-
sonably cold weather may be looked
for.
The first danger period in Deem
Der extends from the let TO the 5th,
after which there will probably be
few daya of sunshiny weather. The
heavi.s. storm period OF the month
centers 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, wealth.
er OF the season, and these 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
wien Christmas dawns. and that a
cold north windawiIl be blowing. so
that Christmas fires will have to be
bright and big for comfort. The
Oath and goth of December will be
the darkest storm days of the month.
On the bone all indications of wet,
cold and stormy weather meet about
that time. It is curious clustering
of bad signs, such as seldom seen on
the bone, and a mixture of weather
may be looked for, with wet and cold
prcdominating.
The new year will lome in cod
and clear, with the first danger per-
iod commencing on the 4th. There
are three storm periods in this month
the second comms ncing about the
l4th and the last one about the 23d
of the month. During December and
January the mercury will frequently
be below zero. probably remaining
there for days. and il there should be
a low stage of water in the river,
there will be danger of freeze over
For February short storm periods
run all along the bone, and the gen
eral character of the month will be
stormy and clustering, with some
very cold days at the first of the
month and again at the close. These
severe spells and continued cold
weather will keep the ice and snow
in the mountains, and the first spring
month will be as hoary as old Writer.
AS the bone ends very dark, it is
very probable that March will be q
repetition of November. Ia that
case the farmers will find it very
difficult to break ground, and all
kinds of veget alton will be very late
in getting start. 1t will not be
safe to put things in the ground too
soon. as such winter will be likely
to be followed by killidg frosts far
into April. The writer remembers
to have seen only one other bone to
compare with the one this year, and
that season there were frosts as late
as May.-LouisuiHe Times.
--S<0\$
naliOato Wnmnw