New-York tribune., 1902-05-04
Study OF WEATHER SIGNS.
A WORK OF NECESSITY IN FARMING
COMAIUNITIES-FAMIL ONES
ELUCIDATED.

| caIly and inteIIigentIy observed Hence it is in
farming communities that many individuals
to be found in whom personal observations and
traditional lore have combined to produce surpris-
| ingIy accurate weather prOgnosticators-
! Coming events cast their shadows before IS
| trite and oft quoted saying that Is emphatically
applicable the realm of meteorology. Indications
| are abundant in natures doman-the country
| which need but to be rightly interpreted TO con-
| stitute unerring weather chart In the Ian
| guage OF the rural savant, Mature does nothing
| unheralded" A city whose attention was dt-
rected to the subject while in the country says on
| this subject:
On perfect July day when the sky was vas, deep
west barely sufdcient to rustic the foliage. sat
/ in the shadow Of wide spreading maple. with a
/ ing their midforenoon luncheon OF a sudden the
/ farmer jumped up. seized fork and shouted to
wen quit qwing and work like , 6saysFs ga S,to to
10 pitch in lively or the hayH get & Wet cssor,r
his Employers Judgment was loath to accept this
summary prognOstication; judging from conditions
rain for the next twelve hours at least, and
| ventured TO intimate as much to my agricultural
That's because you're not posted on the signs OF
were a betting man. I'd not hesitate to risk an X
that well have smart shower Tore ma past
And I'd not hesitate to win it from you" con-
/ fdently retorted Then 1 questioned him as 70
| what the signs were upon which he relied so
wei. they're plenty enough all around In the
first place. while were eating luncheon, no.
ground it evaporated in a minute. Then took
notice that the leaves on the maple turned their
up sudden and set the hustling was green
sign that never fails. even in drouth when all
signs are SAID 10 ran; those SNAKES never SNOW
plenty OF other signs il needed anything more,
know ems Wen. l'j just take look at that dos
You notice he doesn't lie still in one f spot moIe9
snin, and now he lies down gets up and turns
| Now Just cast your eye out over the pond See
/ sky; see those mares tails?"
hitherto fair eSpsnse Of blue was streaksd with
!ong fqzzy Streamers OF cloud or vaPor so AsnI
h cobalt blue furnished % dark Rackgr3a5d @ was
S SseI Tfs bs sff1 s a 9nq % STd could not 9Tng W 70
| / said as much and was assured that I'd be con-
their employers injunction to work like beavers
The slisht breeze OF The early day had died away
seemed fairly shrve in the quivering atmosphere
| while there rose in lavish waste that most subtle
mowh it hay" think il operatad Ss G9o Soporias
] upon me. for, in my comfortable retreat beneath
somnoIency from which was suddenly aroused BY
the verv earth 10 Trembie Siibo1etteJ against the
| far western horizon were masses Of blue-bIack
| these pushed their. Jagged pinnacIes higher and
the hay field. II seemed as though even the horses
on the hay rakes and the oxen on the wains ap-
rush and rattle the GRUMPY masses OF hay were
speed to the oarn the last load having Just passed
It's portals as shaft OF ELECTRIC fluid shot athwart
ing. roaring deluge Of rain and an earsPlittng
You see. It's worth something to be able read
s5s nv Sg rsn sgnS I sh m aa95 5 Down ewes fSo I9 5 S @ o
OF hay and stood with me watching the war OF
Becsase sISeP read 4 the sg8s rgh5y and heeded
~ dHS saved couple OF og Iqa6s as OF tne OTs 80 T5 @
than $s5, he continued. and. now thorough con-
After dinner, We sat upon the farmhouse
cjo,Is seSre SI 81 III rI,-ifi trcosbrs NJ | Ia
my farmer host into further consideration ot
subject was one Of much interest to him and one
which ne had studied with a view TO its practical
Many may say most. OF the signs which We
handed down by our fathers who. in their turn.
received them from their fathers, and 50 on back
observation. at least I've not heard them mentioned
are dogs the only animals that manifest uneasness
on the approach OF a storm; nearly all domsSIic
instead OF lying iazily around the house. will walk
places 10 try and take nap. Why I've known
our old cat 70 jump up on 20 the bureau and even
shed never think Of goins then to2. she'll go 10
saw the dog do this morning Hens too. are sure
Prosnos'ieat9Ts OF storm @ II hid1 {9frfS storm a
bunch, instead Of scattering all over the farm. as
same way. In pleasant weather. when there's no
storm in the works. they'll go OF on long tTamps.
see EN- hang around the barnyarI anJ stay in a
huddle, YOU may safely cal'ulate I IL [ain forc n
days over. Whel the rain is close at hand you'll
see all kinds o. fowls standing around ohlnS their
wings and feathers
This remark caused me laugh.
why. didn't you n hen oil herself2
l confessed negatively and intimated that 1 had
come 10 a consideration Of the subject with a
BLESS your heart. my dear mani" was the ear
the topic. OF course, you've seen a cat 'waShlnS
her face they call it, Well. have YOU never
seen a hen going through pretty much the same
wasn't washing her face but she was I re-
marked before. oilng herself against the COminE OF
q ratnstorm. The next time YOU nave a chlcSen
sent home from the market just take notice or a
little nipple like pimple, on the back OF the
chicken. right on top or what Is called the pope
nose That plmple is nothing less than
a Of oil. which the fowl rubs its BILL get
ting II all covered. then she ruhS her bill
her feathers making them waterproof. Hens. tur-
keys and wild birds well always give themselves
oil dressing just before rain Ducks. geese
and other water fowl perform the same operation
before going into the water, so that they are
worthless as sign birds.
COINS rain, while at other times they will
der far away When spiders spin freely and their
shrub. YOU may rest assured that there will be
rain for the next twenty-four hours Living Great
although accurate forecasts may be made from
iuanimate things Take the common plautain. for
there will be fair weather. on the other hand.
when its leaves curl u3 the edges. the shape
upon having rain within twelve hours. The same
may be said of many floral plants though some ot
closes up for fair and opens for stormy weather.
There also signs to be observed among the ele-
you have heard the old doggereI handed down
through generations:
d" Evening red and morning srav
VIII set the traveller his way.
But evening gray and morning red.
49, WIN bring down rain upon his head
.ssr,