BAR 



BAR 



the air at the time, is information to 

 be collected, and a continuance of the 

 same, or a sudden cliange of the 

 weather, to be foreseen. 



Lastly, observe always, the higher 

 the mercury shall stand in the scale 

 in each instance, and the more regu- 

 larly progressive its motion shall be, 

 the stronger will be the indication ; 

 likewise, the more the wind inclines 

 towards the north or east points, the 

 greater will be the disposition in the 

 air for fair weather. The indications 

 of rainy weather will obviously be 

 the direct reverse of those rules which 

 predict fair weather. Frost is indi- 

 cated in winter by the same rules 

 that indicate fair weather; the wind 

 being in or about the north or east 

 points, and the thermometer sinking 

 towards 30. A fall of snow seldom 

 comes without a previous frost of 

 some duration, and is indicated by 

 the sinking of the barometer, espe- 

 cially if the mercury be below change- 

 able, and the thermometer at or near 

 the freezing point. When the tem- 

 perature of the air is about 35, snow 

 and rain sometimes fall together ; at 

 a warmer temperature than 35 it sel- 

 dom snows, or rains at a colder tem- 

 perature. Thunder is presaged by 

 the same rules which indicate rain, 

 accompanied by sultry heat, the ther- 

 mometer being up to 75. Storms, 

 hurricanes, and high winds, are indi- 

 cated by the barometer falling sud- 

 denly, or sinking considerably below 

 much rain. The barometer is known 

 to be rising or sinking by the mercu- 

 ry having either a convex or concave 

 surface, or by the perceptible rise or 

 descent of the mercury, if at the time 

 of observation the barometer be gen- 

 tly rapped. If at any time the weath- 

 er should differ widely from the in- 

 dications of the barometer, it may be 

 presumed, as it is sometimes known 

 to happen, that a particular spot is 

 affected by local circumstances. x\f- 

 ter a long-continued series of wet 

 weather, we may, when the weather 

 becomes fine, expect an uninterrupt- 

 ed continuance of dry weather. If, 

 after a long series of wet weather, 

 the barometer rise above changeable, 

 70 



and the wind veer steady to the north 

 or east points, a continued duration of 

 fair weather may be expected. Slow 

 and progressive variations in the 

 barometer, with a fixed and steady 

 state of the wind, indicate permanen- 

 cy with the change. The barometer 

 standing at or above fair, denotes 

 generally fair weather, although the 

 atmosphere wear at the time an un- 

 favourable aspect. 



The greater coincidence there is of 

 the circumstances enumerated in the 

 rules above mentioned, the stronger 

 may our confidence be in the expec- 

 tation of fair weather ; and in the 

 continuance of it when present, by 

 the barometer, while high, remaining 

 stationary, or varying but little, and 

 the state of the atmosphere and di- 

 rection of the wind disposed to be set- 

 tled. In this variable climate there is 

 no reliance to be placed on any rules 

 beyond those above mentioned, for in- 

 dicating the weather for any length of 

 time together, or for any distant pe- 

 riod. Combined with a careful exam- 

 ination of the direction of the wind, 

 and the amount of vapour in the air, 

 barometrical observations become a 

 valuable means of forming an opinion 

 on the state of the weather a iew 

 hours in advance. 



BARRAS. The resin which flows 

 from the bark of fir-trees. 



BARREL. An English beer meas- 

 ure of thirty-four gallons. In the 

 Southern States, a measure of corn 

 equal in the ear to ten bushels, or five 

 bushels shelled. A barrel of flour con- 

 tains 196 pounds. 



BARREN FLOWERS. Those 

 which contain stamens only ; they 

 are easily known by the absence of 

 the swelling under the (ovarium) flow- 

 er. By high cultivation flowers be- 

 come barren, and contain no stamens : 

 when these bear fruit, it is without 

 seeds ; hence the well-known seedless 

 varieties of orange, grape, &c. 



BARREN LAND. In agriculture, 

 land in which the plants general- 

 ly cultivated do not prosper or arrive 

 at maturity. This barrenness may 

 arise from various causes. The tex- 

 ture of the soil may be such that the 



