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November, 1860. 



ETEOROLOGY ought to bo well understood by the 

 people of this country, seeing that the staple subject 

 of daily greetings is "the weather," Yet how few, 

 even of those whose avocations have to be pursued out- 

 of-doors, make the weather a subject of systematic 

 study, or even of systematic observation. We respect 

 that practical knowledge and power of prediction which 

 we often see exemplified by sailors, shepherds, gardeners, 

 and others who spend the most of their waking hours in 

 the open air ; but we must give greater heed to the knowledge 

 that has a scientific shape, because the first teaching of science 

 is the futility of guessing. That a capability of seeing a little 

 distance into the future, as well as a hahit of observing syste- 

 matically the "signs of the heavens" as they change before us, 

 are essential to gardeners is a mere truism ; but it is not a truism 

 to say that gardeners have neglected meteorology too long, and have 

 paid heavy penalties for their remissness. We have no intention now 

 to go into the subject, but the anticipations of frost and wind which 

 possess us all at this season may render at least one suggestion season- 

 able. In " Recreative Science" it was lately suggested that a distribution 

 of barometers should be made gratuitously to fishermen and coasters, and 

 our suggestion is that barometers and thermometers would be capital 

 things to offer as prizes at local flowei'-shows, instead of cups that are of 

 no use, and half-crowns that none are the richer for. In several places 

 our suggestions for the adoption of prizes Jin kind instead of in money 

 have been carried out with complete success. Implements, vases, books, 

 and useful elegancies have proved much more acceptable to amateurs 

 than small money prizes, which are generally too small to be refused on 

 the score of pride, and rarely large enough to pay the bare expense of 

 sending the winning stand to the exhibition. Barometers and thermo- 

 meters are as necessary to gardeners as forks and wheelbarrows. The 

 barometer will give him twenty-four hours' notice of a coming storm, and 

 vol. nr. — xo. XI. m 



