News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-03-13
THERMOMETER RECORD.
MOrrisviIle Man Has Taken "ObservatiOns"
During the Past Ten Years.

During Lne PdSL zen IedFS'
G. A. Sanders of Morrisvile kindly
furnishes this paper with an article
upon the weather, including ther-
mometer record taken every February
during the past ten years, as follows:
Morrisvile, VT, March 4, 1901.
Editor News AND CITIZEN:
These words of Confucius were
very good: LET us all live in peace
as brothers" But, when we meet
people, at the present degree of pro-
gress, who stills adhere to the old
superstitions maintained by people
in the days of Confucus, we feel like
disputing their over credulity. Many
people believe that when the Sun
crosses the line, whichever direction
the wind may be, will be the prevail
ing wind the next following several
months. The last time, the wind was
East and South, during three days,
and all the time during the crossing.
The prevailing wind, ever since, has
been Northwest, and largely South.
| have kept a dairy the last thirty
five years, and for several recent years
have made observations which en-
ables me to dispute all superstitious
sayings, such as "the woodchuck on
Candlemas Day." christmas for
each following month of the year,"
1.-THE position of the new moon" and
others, and particularly the goose
bone" sign.
Some people when looking at new
moon term it wet or a dry moon.
Science claims the form of a crescent
has no connection with the weather.
You will notice the horns oftbe moon
always point from the Sun. When
the new moon is in the same degree
of latitude with the Sun it will lay
fat, and when the moon journeys
Southwark, at every degree of lati-
tude it will become more perDendicu-
lar, or what some people call a
wet moon. | am able to prove
from observations that the moon
has nothing to do with wet or
dry weather. 1t may sometimes
rain when the moon is in either posi-
ton. The moon running high" or
low" is another very superstitous
idea in regard to cold or warm wealth
er. My record shows when the moon
runs lowest, declinatior South, the
coolest spells of weather; and when
running high, the warmest. The
most ridiculous of all superstitious
beliefs is planting in the old or new
moon. The best time to plant is
when the soil is right. The year 1900
was exceptional for it's sudden and
potent changes of weather on record.
Scientific study reveals the planets
grouped on the same side of the Sun,
except Neptune, an event which has
had no au hentic record in past time,
and, it is said that the same may not
happen for a long time again. Some
of these changes may be interesting
to remember. September IS, 1900,
everything looked fine, vegetation
progressed fairly we'll, but did not
mature. That night the thermome-
ter went below freezing, vegetatives
were badly damaged; another sudden
change October 16; wind South in
the morning | went out and picked
nearly pint OF nice red raspberries,
at noon Thermometer go; in less
than two hours the wind was North
west, thermometer 460, and the fol
lowing morning snow on the hills,
the ground frozen. October % was
the warmest day in 20 years in cores
ponding months, thermometer went
up to 800. The severe changes con-
tinued until January 20, 1901, when
the thermometer went down to 81
below zero, and in just twenty-four
hours temperature had changed sixty
degrees warmer. The wind, in the
month of January 1901, was North
west % days and February 81 days.
Some weather prophets said we were
to have short and open winter, and
an early spring. Snow came on the
25 OF November last, since which
time good sleighing has been enjoyed.
Plenty of snow to-day. February
1901, was severe cold month, wind
in the North day and night little
more than twenty-six DAYS. The only
days up to freezing mark we're Feb.
10. $50; Feb. 25, 800 and Feb. &c,
400. Lowest thermometer 1So below
zero. -
Below is a record of the February
average of the Thermometer the last