Evening journal., 1911-11-21
HARD WINTER
AHEAD, MAYBE
Farmers Say All SiCAS Fore
tell Much Snow and
Cold
APPLES HAVE THICKER
SKIN THAN USUAL THIS YEAR

Local weather prophets predict a
long and cold winter this year. They
base their prognostications upon signs
which they say never fail and which
have for many years past. been the
"tell-tales" of weather conditions.
Weather is the one topic of CONVEX
sation that never grows out of date.
We are almost as nearly at the mercy
Of the sunshine, the rain and the snow
storm as we were a century ago
Therefore, we always scan the sky
when we get up in the morning. Il is
almost instructive, even with the city
dweler. No farmer fails to take a
long look at the sky when he first
rises, for on the weather will depend
his activities for the day.
The country dweller has a thousand
weather signs that the city man never
knows. A red sunrise means very little
TO the man in the street, but to the
man among the lanes it indicates rain
and bad weather. Smoke that rises
straight into the air. is another of the
signs that a farmer notices and fore
tells clear weather. Circles about the
moon and the sun, streaks of greasy
clouds and the peculiar actions of
birds and domestic animals are all in
dications of some change in the
weather to the man whose eye has
been trained 10 recognize them.
Some people carry a sort of weather
indicator around with them. Their
hair will curl and kink before a spell
of failing weather." as the ruralist
puts il. On dry days, when there is no
rain within "a hours the hair will re-
main crisp and dry. The near ap-
proach of rain or great humidity will
soften the hair and cause It to curl.
Aided by well-developed case of
rheumatism, such as individual has
but little trouble making for himself
a reputation as a rain prophet.
The oldest inhabitant is always the
local authority on the weather. If he
happens to be a sufferer from rheum-
atism he is all the better qualified to
prognosiicate. Then his twinges and
pain will foretell falling barometors,
rain storms, hail. thunder and light
ming. What he says will have lot OF
weight If he is able TO back 1t up with
tale Of how his aiiiiction kept him
awake nearly all night with its twing-
es and mutterings.
Late in the fall the prophet with his
rheumatism is in his best form. The
cool, drizzly days of November stir up
his rheumatism and he is predicting
all sorts of fire weather manifesto
tions for weeks at a stretch. In the
spring again. along about grounding
day. he is filed with painful twinges
which bespeak weird weather later
ON. He never neglects 10 give as
many of the community as will listen
the benefits of his predictions.
The corn husk' prophet is busy
p t0o- lie has been out in the fields ant
examined the thinckness of the corr
shuck He has found that it is heav'
Ter this fall than IL has been for years
past In the rural regions this Is
looked upon as an infallihle indication
Of the coming Of a very cold winter
They assert, these farmers. that ma
ture is trying to prepare the grain sc
that the winds and sleet storms may
not destroy it before spring comes
again.
Even the apples have a thicker peel
than usual this year, according to the
rural prophets who have a reputation
of being 'weatherwise." The Red jon
athans, ordinarily thin skinned, are
wearing thick coat for their protec-
tion this winter The Russetts and
the Roman Beauties, winter apples o.
the more rugged type. are also better
protected this year than usual. Ma
fure, according to the prophets, il
trying TO protect the fruits and grains
against the ravages of harsh winter
Persons who have been out nuttinl
say the hickory trees had plenty o
nuts, apparently OF a larger size thar
usual. When tho green nuts wer
split open they were found to be o
the usual size, but the hulls We're o
tremendous thickness. Nature wa
busy again trying to protect the life
germ in the nut from the stings o
frost and the chills Of long coli
spell.
All the nuts that grow in the Nortl
are showing the same peculiarites
The goosebone prophet looks upon thi
as backing up his claims that this i
to be a real winter-"one of them oil
fashioned kind when the snow wa
three feet deep on level ground an
the drifts in the roads were so hig
and hard that you could drive righ
over the five-rail fences at the side O
tn highway
Other prophets are putting thei
faith in the coming of a cold winter o.
the fact that all animals on the farr
arc beginning to show indication
that their coats will be eXtremel
heavy this winter. Horses, cattle
sheep and others that dread the col
are growing rougher and heayie
coats thus early in the season.