The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-01-03
MEASURING RAINFALL
ON THE FARM
CAREFUL RECORDS OF THIS CHARACTER VIII BE FOUND INTER-
EsI1NG, AND THEIR VALUE INCREASED AS FACTS THUS
a GATHERED ACCUMULATE.

UE1lI1IxtID
From seed time to harvest the tilier
of the soil is continually dependent upon
the weather. There is little use OF
sowing the seed unless the soil Is IN
the right state as regards warmth ana
moisture to start the process OF germ
ination. as the germ in the seed VIII
decay if the ground is too wet and cola,
or will dry up and die under the Ell
fects of a parching sn-
After the growth has begun, the de-
velopment of the plant is largely a
matter Of adequate water supply
heat. granted that the soil is fertile
and properly cultivated. Careful ex-
periments have shown that a water
supply of about 500 ponds is reqlred
for the PREDICTION of one pound or corn.
This amount of water must be carried
up through the roots of the more plant
distributed through it's cell structure,
and e~vaporated throgh its surface OF
stalk and leaves, IN order that one
pound of corr may grow n ropen.
With but half the required water
supply needed for complete develop
ment, the plant will reach only half
its normal size and weight. IF the
weather is cold and cloudy, a plant
cannot grow normally. It is true that
some forms of vegetation survive the
temperature Of the frigid zone, but It
is equally we'll known that the growth
mere Is SJunIeO ana SiChIv, OH1pdAc
with that found in temperate n
tropical regions.
Decided benefits may be derived at
times if, through the aid of proper In
strumentS, weather changes can be
fOrseen, and a properly exposed rain
guage is the best indicator of the
amount of rain that falls at any time.
Keeping a rainfall record is one Of
the most interesting tasks that a far
mer or gardener car undertake. BY
adding the depth of each rainfall to
hi combined depths Of those preced-
ing, he may find exactly what the
seasons supply has been, and by not
time to time he may be able to form
an idea as to how it has been affected
by the moisture received. Furthe~-
more, the preservation of these records
will enable him to compare the rain
fail and crop conditions for any sea-
son with those of other seasons.
Any cylindrical vessel exposed in an
open pace, where surrounding trees
or buildings are far enough away not
to stop the rain, will indicate the
amount of rainfall An ordinary tin
can with stra i sides will serve the
purpose, if the top be entirely re-
moved.
It is obvious that the depth of water
collected in q vessel having flaring
sides would not represent the actual
RAINFALL, and 1t IS also evident that
the correct catch would not be OBJ
tanned, even with a good guage if it
were placed nder the caves of a
building or near a wall or tree which
would shelter it.
The rainfall is measured regularly,
morning and evening, by inserting a
rule and observing how high the rule
is wetted. The ordinary rule, marked
off in eighths and sixteenths Of an
inch, may be used; but in order to
the results with the records
Of the Weather Bureau, it is we'll to
use a rule marked of in tenth Of an
inch.
Such a simple rain gauge has this
objection: that the rainfall in any one
day is frequently SO small that it can
not be measured with much accuracy
To obviate this difficulty, the receiving
vessel may be made with a funnel
shaped bottom, to which is attached,
below, a tube with an opening whose
area is one-tenth of the receiving yes
sci. A rainfall which would measure
one inch in the upper vessel will then
measure ten inche in the measuring
tube; the readings therefore can be
more accurately made. The readings
taken from the measuring tube must,
of course. be divided by 10, in order
to get the actual rainfall. An illustra-
ton of Such a guage is herewith
shown. In the standard rain guage
the upper cylinder has an inside di-
ameter Of the measuring tube is 2.53
inches.