154 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Dec. 3, 1830. 



l)le object can be comiileted. Europe, in deliver- 

 ing Greece has not finislied its work. Enriched 

 by the arts oF peace, is it not our duty to devote 

 II portion of what they have furnished us to enable 

 our brethren of the east to enjoy its benefits ? — 

 Rev.Encyc. Mars. 1830. 



From tlie Wesleyan Methodist Magazine. 



OBSERVATIONS ON PROGNOSTICATIONS OF THE 

 WEATHER. 



By the Rev. Adam Clarke, L. L. D. F. .1. S. 

 From my earliest childhood I was bred up on 

 a httle farm, which I was tauglit to care for, and 

 cultivate ever since I was able to spring the rattle, 

 use the wliip, manage the sickle, or handle the 

 spade ; and as I found that mucli of our success 

 depended on a proper knowledge and management 

 of the weather, I was led to study it ever since I 

 was eiglit years of age. I believe Meteorology is a 

 natural science, and one of the first that is studied ; 

 and that every child iu the country makes, un- 

 taught, some progress in it: at least so it was with 

 ine. I had actually learned, l)y silent observation, 

 to form good conjectures concerning the coming 

 weather, and, on this head, to teach wisdom among 

 those who were perfect, especially among such 

 as had not been obliged like me to watch earnest- 

 ly, tliat what was so necessary to the family sup- 

 port, should not be spoiled by the weather before 

 it was housed. — Many a time, even in tender 

 youth, have I watched the heavens with an.xiety, 

 e.xamined the difterent appearances of the morn- 

 ing and evening sun, the phases of the moon, the 

 .scintillation of the stars, the course and color of 

 the clouds, the flight of the crov/ and the swallow, 

 the gambols of the colt, the fluttering of the ducks, 

 .iiid the loud screams of the senmew — not forget- 

 ting even the liuc and croaking of the frog. From 

 the little knowledge I had derived from close ob- 

 servation, I often ventured to direct our agricul- 

 tural operations in reference to the coming day.s, 

 and was seldom much mistaken in my reckoning. 

 When I thought I had a pretty good stock of 

 )<nowledge and experience in this way, I ventured 

 to give counsel to my neighbors. For my kind- 

 ness, or perhaps officiousness on this head, I met 

 one day with a mortifying rebuff. I was about 

 ten years of age ; it was harvest titne,''and ' what 

 sort of a day tomorrow would he,' was the sub- 

 ject of conversation. To a very intelligent gen- 

 tleman who was present, I stated in opposition to 

 liis own oi)iuioii, ' Mr P. to morrow will be a. foul 

 da;/.' — To which lie answered, 'Adam, how can 

 you tell ?' I answered, without giving the rxde on 

 which my prognostication was founded, ' O Sir, I 

 know it will be so.' 'You know! how should 

 you know ?' ' Why, Sir,' 1 pleasantly replied, ' he- 

 cause I am weathertvlse.' ' Yes,' said he, ' or 

 otherwise.^ The next day, however, proved that 

 iny augury was well drawn. 



About twenty years ago, a Table, purporting to 

 l/C the work of the late DrHercshel, was various- 

 ly pid)lishcd, professing to form prognostics of 

 the weather, by the times of the change, full and 

 tpiarters of the moon. I have carefully consulted 

 this Table for several years, and was amazed at 

 its general accuracy : — for though long, as you 

 have seen, engaged in the study of the wcatlier, 

 I never thought that any rules ('ould be devised 

 liable to so few exceptions. I have made a little 

 alteration in the arrangements, illustrated it with 

 further observations, and have sent it that you 



may insert it in the Magazine, as it has hitherto 

 been confined generally to a few Almanacs. 



A Table for foretelling the weather through all the 

 Lunations of each year forever. 

 This table and the accompanying remarks, are 

 the result of many years actual observation ; the 

 whole being constructed on a due consideration 

 of the attraction of the sun and moon in their 

 several positions respecting the earth ; and will, 

 by sim|)le inspection, show tlie observer what 

 kind of weather will most probably follow the 

 entrance of the moon into any of its quarters, and 

 that so near the truth as to be seldom or never 

 found to fail. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



1. The nearer the time of the Moon's Change, 

 First Quarter, Full and Last Quarter, are to Mid- 

 night, the fairer will the weather be during the 

 seven days following. 



2. The space for this calculation occupies from 

 ten at night till two next morning. 



3. The nearer to Mid-day, or Noon, the phases 

 of the Moon happen, the more foul or wet weath- 

 er may he expected during the next seven days. 



4. The space for this calculation occupies from 

 ten in the fcrenoon to two in the afternoon. These 

 observations refer ])rincipally to Summer, though 

 they affect Spring and Autumn neatly in the same 

 ratio. 



5. The Moon's Change, — First Quarter, — Full, 

 — and Last Quarter, happening during six of the 

 afternoon hours, i. e. from four to ten, may he fol- 

 lowed by fair weather ; but this is mostly depcn. 

 dent on the wind, as it is noted in the Table. 



6. Though the weather, from a variety of irreg- 

 idar causes, is more uncertain in the latter part 

 of Autumn, the whole of Winter, and the begin 

 ning of Spring; yet, in the main, the above obser- 

 vations will apply to those periods also. 



7. To prognosticate coircctly, especially in 

 those cases where the toinrf is concerned, the obser- 

 ver should be within sight of a good va7ie, where 

 the four cardinal points of the heavens are correct- 

 ly placed. With this precaution he will scarcely 

 ever be deceived in depending on the Table. 



Pre.tervalion of iron from rust. — A mastic or I 

 ering for this ]>urpose proposed by M. Zemi 

 sanctioned by the Societe'd' Encouragement, I 

 follows : eighty parts of pounded brick, piJ 

 through a Silk Sieve, are mixed with 20 pap 

 litharge ; the whole is then rubbed up bjj 

 muller with Unseed oil so as to form a thick 



It is said that the late Dr Datwin, haying made 

 an apjiointment to take a country jaunt with some 

 friends on the ensuing day, but perceiving that the 

 weather would be unfavorable, sent as an excuse 

 for not keeping his promise, a poetical epistle con- 

 taining an cn«mei-a(i07i of mo^f of the signs of ap- 

 proaching ill weather. — 1 have enlarged these by 

 adding several new ones, and remodelling others;; 

 and subjoin it as very useful, and a thing easy tc 

 be remembered. 



SIGNS OF APPROACHING FOUI. WEATHER. 



The hollow winds begin to blow ; 

 The clouds look block, the glass is low ; 

 Tlie soot falls doion, the spaniels sleep ; 

 And spiders from their cobwebs peep. 

 Last night the sun went pale to bed ; 

 The moon in halos hid her head. 

 The boding shepherd heaves a sigh. 

 For see, a rainbow spans the sky. 

 The walls are damp, the ditches smell. 

 Closed is the pink eyed pimpernell. 

 Hark ? how the chairs and tables crack, 

 OldBsTTTi's joints are on the rack: , 



Her corns with shooting pains torment her. 

 And to her bed untimely sent her. 

 Loud quack the ducks, the sea fowl cry. 

 The distant hills are looking nigh. 

 How restless are the snorting swine 1 

 The busy flies disturb the kine. 

 Low o'er the grass the swallow wings. 

 The cricket too, how sharp he sings ■' 

 Puss on the hearth, with velvet paws. 

 Sits wiping o'er her whiskered jaws. 

 The smoke from chimneys right ascends ; 

 Then spreading, back to earth it bends. 

 The wind unsteady veers around, 

 Or settling in the South is found. 

 Through the clear stream the fishes rise. 

 And nimbly catch the incautious ^j'es. 

 The gloiv worms, numerous, clear and bright. 

 Illumed tlie dewy hill last night. 

 At dusk the squahd toad was seen, 

 Like quadruped, stalk o'er the green. 

 The whirling wind the dust obeys. 

 And in the rapid eddy plays. 

 The frog has changed his yellow vest, 

 And in a russet coat is dressed. 

 The sky is green, the air is still ; 

 The mellow blackbird's voice is shrill. 

 The dog, so altered is his taste, 

 Quits mutton bones, on grass to feast. 

 Behold the rooks, how odd their flight. 

 They imitate the gliding kite. 

 And seem precipitate to fall, 

 As if they felt the piercing ball. 

 The tender colts on back do lie. 

 Nor lieed the traveller passing by. 

 Infiery red the sun doth rise, 

 Then wades through clouds to mount the skiesj| 

 'Twill surely rain, we see't with soriow, 

 No workingin the fields tomorrow. 

 Hoping that this paper will be of some use to 

 country readers, I am, dear sir, yours truly, 



AD.\M CLARHiferi 



