The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-27
Frederick Haskln's Letter
Especial Correspondence of The Argus
Dope for Weather Prophets.

! one of the signs of apuroachir-
cold. AS a matter of fact. aniD,sf9
do not hibernate so much on a.
count of cold as because of tbair
bodily condition. When a bear has
an inch of fat on his bodv -.
| whatever he needs for the winto-
he feels, we may imagine, much ILL.,
person who has eaten a hearty
meal. So the bear curls up in q
protected place and sleeps.
With some animals this desir.
for sleep comes in the hottest mar,
of the year Ground SQUIRRELS -
| the west go into the ground in Ipjzr
and stay there the balance Of the
| summer months.
An example of how Information 4,
connected in our minds with west5
er is the ground hog shadow tradi-
ton The ground hog, OF wood
chuck, is supposed to regulate tbe
coming of spring. The story goes
! that the ground hog comes out NJ
his hole on Candlemas dav Fab
2. and looks around. If he sees his
shadow he returns to his hole
thereby informing the world thai
winter is not over. If the skv is
cloudy he ventures out to enjoy the
spring days that are coming.
Don't Trust Ground Hog,
This tradition got into origin
through the January thaw that sets
in some years. For a week or two
the weather is pleasant and melt
ing. Farmers know by experience
that this fine weather does not hold
and that it is almost invariably fol-
lowed by a setback. Spring is ant
to come sooner if there is no jam
airy thaw, and the temperature rises
gradually a little later. The ground
hog comes into the story because he
energies from his winter quarters
about this time. If he comes out
and finds the sun shining he is sup
posed to know that the warmth is
too unreasonable to last.
The story would be more reason
able if the fate of the winter rested
on the temperature of ground hog
day rather than the sun. a day of
freezing temperature may be bright
and sunny. Yet the sign would read
that the ground hog saw his shadow
and winter was not over.
Tracing the different traditions
back, it is easy to see how they
them without considering their sig
nificance or without making allow
ances for facts that science has
proved since the old weather lore
was evolved
The conclusion OF scientists is
that lower animals are not better
equipped TO be weather prophets
than human beings would be with
out their instruments and scientific
knowledge.
Those of US who are much in the
open learn to gauge weather condi-
tionS a day or two ahead. Clouds,
humidity, and the winds are reIi-
able signs, though not infallble.
The most threatening looking cloud
may not be quite heavy enough to
precipitate its moisture before the
wind carried it far away. Some
persons also claim to know when
rain is approaching by special SEN
sitiveness.
These are short range predictions.
Human beings cannot be relied up
on to gauge the weather more than
a day or two ahead, SO the meteor
ologists insist And the same is true
of the creatures of the animal
world
The squirrel in the autumn hides
as many nuts as he can find, not as.
many as he figures he VIII need for
a long or short winter. Usual aCtiV-
ity of bees does not necessarily
mean that they anticipate a long
winter either In southern CalifOT-
mia bees collect honey all year
round as busily as if a long, cold
winter was about to set in any min
ute.
More credible is the statement
that cattle are restless Just before
a storm Human beings are SINH
larly sensitive to the electricity in
the air and the unual wind-either
hot or chiIIing-whiCh often pre-
cedes storms.
But as far as the coming wiatef,
or any winter is concerned, one
prophet or sign is as good as an
other. If you take the advice Of
the government experts, You Won't.
buy your coal OF your winter over
coat on the strength Of the SPUR
rels' antics or the strangely signlA-
cant acorn crop.