FARM AND GARDEN RULE-BOOK 



CHAPTER I 

 The Weather 



The fanner lives with the weather. Therefore he should under- 

 stand it ; and he should be able to follow the indications of the weather 

 maps, and should be provided with good thermometers and barometers 

 of his own. 



It is important that the thermometer should indicate the tempera- 

 ture correctly, and for this one must rely on the maker. Most reli- 

 able instrument-makers place the firm name on their instruments as 

 a guarantee of accuracy. When purchasing, it is therefore well to 

 see that the instrument bears the name of the maker. A reUable 

 thermometer of the ordinary pattern costs $1 to $3, depending on 

 the size and style of the case. Probably the most satisfactory instru- 

 ment for farm use is " Six's " pattern of self-registering maximum 

 and minimum thermometers. This instrument is but little larger 

 than the ordinary thermometer, and arranged with two scales, one of 

 which shows the highest and the other the lowest temperature since 

 the instrument was " set." To " set " the thermometer, the small 

 steel index in the tube is pulled down to the end of the column by a 

 magnet that accompanies the instrument. The current temperature 

 is indicated by this instrument in the same way as by the ordinary 

 thermometer. Thermometers that cost from 25 ^ to 50 ^ are usually 

 inaccurate through a part of the scale. 



The same rule as to maker should be observed in the purchase of 

 an aneroid barometer, although there are probably fewer worthless 

 barometers on the market than worthless thermometers. A good 

 aneroid barometer costs S 10 to $ 15, depending on the size and make. 

 As these instruments depend for accuracy on the mechanical con- 

 struction, the cheaper grades are usually unsatisfactory. A pocket 



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