APPLE-GRAFTS IN OHIO. 137 



would accommodate themselves to the country, and take on the form and charac- 

 teristics of the Canadian horse. But a truce to speculation. Let us give, from 

 Mr. Evans's book, the 



MEANS OF PROGNOSTICATING THE WEATHER. 



By means of the barometer, vvc are enabled to regain, in some doj^ree at least, that fore- 

 knowledge of the weather which th(! ancients did possess. ('ha[)tal considers that (he value 

 of the barometer, a.s an iiidicutor of the ai)proacliing weather, is greater than llie human 

 knowledge of the most experienced countiyinan, and indeed of all other means put together. 



Tile rising of the mercury presages, in general, fou" weather ; imd its falling, foul weather, 

 as rain and snow, high winds and storms. 



The sudden falling of the mercury foretells thunder, in veiy hot weather, especially if the 

 wind is south. The rising in winter indicates frost ; and in frosty weather, if the mercuiy 

 falls three or four divisions, there will follow a thaw; but if it lisesiii a continued frost, snow 

 may be e.xpected. 



When foul weather happens soon after the falling of the mercury, it will not be of long 

 duration ; nor are we to expect a continuance of tiiir weather, when it soon .succeeds the ris- 

 ing of the quicksilver. If, in foid weather, the raercuiy rises considerably, and continues 

 ri.sing for three or fou)- days before tlie foul weather is over, a continuance of fair weather 

 may be expected to follow. 



In fair weather, when the mercury falls much, and low, and continues falling two or three 

 days before rain comes, much wet must be expected, and probably high wuids. 



The unsetded motion of the mercury indicates changeable weather. 



Toward the end of March, or more generally in the beginning of April, the barometer 

 sinks very low with bad weather, after which it seldom falls lower than 29 degrees .5 min- 

 utes, till the latter end of September or October, when the quicksilver falls again low witli 

 stomiy wind, for then the winter constitution of the air takes place. From October to April, 

 the great falls of the barometer m-e from 29 degrees 5 minutes to 28 degrees 5 minutes, and 

 sometimes lower ; whereas, during the summer constitution of the air, the quicksilver sel- 

 dom falls lower than 29 degi'ees .5 minutes. It therefoi-e follows th:\t the fall of one-tenth of 

 an inch, during the sunmier, is as sure an indication of rain as a fall of between two and 

 three-tenths is in the winter. 



Oil of vitriol is found to gi'ow^ lighter or heavier in proportion to the less or gi-eater quan- 

 tity of moisture it imbibes from the air. The attraction is so gi-eat that it has been known to 

 change its weight from three drachms to nine. 



If a line be made of good well-dried whijicord, and a j)lummet be fixed to the end of It 

 and the whole be hung against a wainscot, and a line be drav.ni under it, exactly where the 

 plummet reaches, in very moderate weather it will be foimd to rise above such line, and to 

 sink below it, when the weather is likely to become fair. 



A liirmer who will accustom himself to observe tlie rising and settuig sun, througliout the 

 year, may be able to make a veiy accurate estimate of the weather. If the sun set clear, 

 and no clouds intervene, wben disappearuig below the horizon, the succeeding day will gen- 

 erally be fine; and, on the conti-ary, if the sun sets cloudy, or is intercepted from the view 

 by clouds at the momiMit of disappeaiing below the horizon, rain will generally fall within 

 the succeeding twenty -four hours. Winds and stonns will be indicated by the appearance 

 of the atmosphere before they occva-. In tact, Providence has afforded many signs whereby 

 the attentive and industrious fanner may be in a great degi-ee guarded agaList any sudden 

 changes in the weather, which would be injurious to him^ and in observing constantly the 

 rising and setting sun, he is amply reiiaid for his attention by the opportunity it gives him of 

 seeing the most glorious picUire Nature offers to our view. If some seasons are less pmpi- 

 tious to us than others, from long continued drouth or moisture, we should rejoice and be 

 thankful that they are not of frequent recurrence, and are generally occasioned by natmal 

 causes, which are pardy explained ui the foregoing pages. 



APPLE-GRAFTS IN OHIO.— Israel Putnam, Esq. according to Mr. Bateman (excel- 

 lent authority), Editor of the Ohio Cultivator, is entitled to the honor— and such we con.sider 

 it — of having obtained the first grafts of apples introduced in Ohio. They were brought 

 fixjm the orchai-d of his grandfaUier, Gen. Israel Putnam (of wolf-killing memory), and were 

 "put into tlie hands of William Rufus Putnam, for him to distribute, and graft a nursery of 

 seedling stocks for hhnself and brother. This pioneer nurseiyman is still living, in the en- 

 joyment of sound health, and has in his possession the original list of tlicse grafts." 

 (281) 



