The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-29
FARMERS WEATHER SIGNS.
WHAT 4 CITY MAN SAW OF THEIR
 VALUE
In Having Time-AnimaIR Furnish
 Trustworthy Signs.

On a perfect July day when the sky
 was deep blue and eloudless with {
 gentle breeze from the west. barely
 sufficient to rustic the foliage, I sat ir
 the shadow of a wide spreading maple
 with farmer and his band of hay.
 makers, who were eating their mid
 forenoon luncheon. Of a sudden the
 farmer jumped up, seized fork and
 shouted to his men:
 We'll quit moving and work like
 beavers to take care of the hay al-
 ready down, and we'll have to pitch in
 lively or the hay'll get wet"
 The men sobeyed with alacrity, none
 questioning his employers judgment.
 l was loath to accept this summary
 prognostication; judging from condi-
 tions as they appeared to me, there was
 no likelihood of rain for the next thir-
 teen hours at least, and l ventured to
 intimate as much to my agricultural
 friend
 That's because you're not posted on
 the signs of the weather" he good na-
 turedly responded. If I were a bet
 ting man, I'd not hesitate to risk an
 K that we'll have a smart shower
 fore ha' past three this afternoon"
 And I'd not hesitate to win it from
 you" I confidently retorted. Then l
 questioned him as to what the signs"
 were upon which he relied so implicit
 ly. He said:
 Well, they're plenty enough all
 around. In the first place, while we
 bot
 when I threw out little water on the ground it evaporated in a minute.
 Then I took notice that the leaves on the maple turned their wrong sides to the wind; but what made me jump up so sudden and set the men hustlng was a green snake that I saw running over the swath. That is a sign that never fails, even in drouth, when all signs are said to fail those snakes never show themselves but just before rain. There are plenty of other signs, if needed anything more, to convince me that it's going to rain. Want to know 'em? Well, just take a look at that dog. You notice he doesn't lie still in one spot more'n half a minute at time; now see him get up and sniff, and now he lies down, gets up and turns around and tries a new spot; can't get comfortable. Now just cast your eye out over the pond. See those bubbles all over the water? Well, that of itself is a sure sign of rain. Take a look at the sky; see those mares tails?'
 looked as enjoined, and, sure enough, the hitherto fair expanse of blue was streaked with long, fuzzy streamers of cloud or vapor, so light as to be almost indistinguishable, save as the cobalt blue furnished a dark back ground. I was much impressed with what my friend had told me; still was skeptical and could not bring myself to believe that the fair day would be marred by rain. I said as much and was assured that I'd be convinced ere night.
 Meanwhile the men were literally car raying out their employers injunction to work like beavers" The slight breeze of the early day had died away and the heat was terrific. The heavy swaths of hay seemed fairly to shrivel in the quivering atmosphere as soon as they were spread over the stubble, while there rose in lavish waste that | most subtle and fragrant of all per i fumes, the odor fI''new mown hay" l think it operated as soporific upon | me, for in my comfortable retreat be- | meath the naples foliage, l soon lapsed | into state of somnolency from which | I was suddenly aroused by a deep, | roar, which seemed to cause | the very earth to tremble. Silhoutted | against the far western horizon were | masses of blue-black clouds, resembling | distant mountain peaks. As these pushed their jagged pinnacles higher | and higher a wonderfully busy scene was enacted in the hay field. It seemed | as though even the horses on the hay | rakes and the oxen on the wains ap- preciated the necessity for vigorous ac- ton. With a rush and rattle the crumply masses of hay were piled upon the wagon, which rumbled with all speed to the barn, the last load having just passed it's portals as a shaft of electric fluid shot athwart the inky blackness overhead, followed by rum bling, roaring deuge of rain and an detonation.
 You see, it's worth something to be able to read bright the signs that na- .ure gives to us farmers" said my friend as he slid down from the last oad of hay and stood with me watch ng the war of the clements from small, sheltered doorway. Because 1 cad the signs rightly and needed 'em I've saved couple of big loads of the pest kind of hay, worth at the lowest calculation not ess than thirty-five dol ars," he continued, and, now thor ,ugh convert I agreed with him.
 After dinner as we sat upon the farm lnuse porch, enjoying a comfortable moke and the delicious freshness of he purified atmosphere, l led my far ner host into further consideration of igns and their portents He admitted 1 hat the subject was one of much in- crest to him, and one which he had { tudied with view to it's practical uti- ty He said; Many, l may say most of the signs { which we farmers are accustomed to ( bserve have been handed down by our at hers, who, in their turn, received hem from their fathers, and so on ,ack for generations. Some are the re- ult of my own observations at least we not heard them mentioned by oth- rs; especially the actions of the dogs. Tor are dogs the only animals that manifest uneasiness on the approach of
 storm; nearly all domestic animals .s