Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-10-18

comes in the hottest part Of the year. Ground
squirrels in the West go into the ground in
July and stay there the balance of the sum-
mer months.
An example of how Information is connect
ed in our minds with weather is the ground
hog shadow tradition. The ground hog, OF
Woodchuck, Is supposed to regulate the com.
ing Of spring. The story goes that the ground
hog comes out of his hole on Candlemas day,
February End, and looks around. If he sees
his shadow he returns to his hole, thereby
informing the world that winter is not over.
If the sky is cloudy he ventures out to enjoy
the spring days that are coming.
Don't Trust the Ground Hog
This tradition got its origin through the
January thaw that sets in some years. For
a week or two the weather is pleasant and
melting. Farmers know by experience that
this fine weather does not hold, and that it
is almost invariably followed by a setback.
Spring Is apt to come sooner If there Is no
January thaw, and the temperature rises
gradually little later. The ground hog
comes into the story because he energies from
his winter quarters ebout this time. IT he
comes out and finds the sun shining he is
supposed to know that the warmth is too
unreasonable to last.
The story would be more reasonable If the
fate of the winter rested on the temperature
Of ground hog day rather than the sum- A
day of freezing temperature may be bright
ground hog saw his shadow and winter was
not over.
Tracing the different traditions back, it Is
easy to see how they originated. Today we
merely quote them without considering their
significance or without making allowances
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 wealth
er prophets than human beings would be with
out their instruments and scientific know
ledge.
Those of us who are much in the open
learn to gauge weather conditions a day or
two ahead. Clouds, humidity, and the winds
are reliable signs, though not infallible. The
most threatening looking cloud may not be
quite heavy enough to precipitate its mois-
ture before the wind carries it far away.
Some persons also claim to know when rain
is approaching by special constituencies.
These are short range predictions. Human
beings cannot be relied upon to gauge the
weather more than day or two ahead, so the
meteorologists 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 fig
ures he will need Tor long or short winter.
Unusual activity of bees does not necessarily
mean that they anticipate a long winter
either. In southern California bees collect
honey all year round as busily IL long,
cold winter was about to set in any minute.
More credible is the statement that cattle
are restless just before storm. Human
beings are similarly sensitive to the electric
ity in the air and the unusual wind-either
hot or chilling-which often precedes
storms.
But as far as the coming winter, or any
winter is concerned, one prophet or sign is as
good as another. If you take the advice Of
the Government experts, you won't buy your
coal or your winter overcoat on the strength
of the squirrels antics or the strangely sig
nifcant acorn crop.