proceedings of the farmers' club. 215 



The Barometer for Farmers. 



Mr. Solon Eobinson. — I hold in my hand one of the most interesting, 

 instructive letters about the use of the barometer, that I have ever met 

 with. I will read it directly; but first I wish to present to the Club this 

 very handsome aneroid barometsr, made by Edwin Kendall of Lebanon 

 Springs, N. Y., who gives the following rules, which I will read, because 

 the whole subject of the use of barometers among farmers is just now 

 very interesting. Mr. Kendall says: 



" There is no point at which the barometer must stand to indicate rain 

 or wind. 



" The judgment must be governed by the rising or falling of the baro- 

 meter. 



" The falling of the barometer indicates the approach of a storm, the 

 extent of which will be proportionate to the amount and rapidity of the 

 fall. 



" Showers. The barometer falls previously from four to twelve hun- 

 dredths of an inch, varying in time from one to three hours. The greater 

 and more rapid the fall, the more violent will be the shower, accompanied 

 more or less with wind. 



"Northeasterly storms. The barometer falls previously from four to 

 eight-tenths of an inch, varying in time from one to four hours, and con- 

 tinues falling until the storm arrives at its crisis, when the barometer 

 begins to rise, and continues rising until that part of the storm which 

 comes from the N. W. passes oif. 



" Southerly storms. The barometer falls previously from one to four- 

 tenths of an inch, varying in time from six to twelve hours. These storms 

 generally precede unsettled weather; at such times the barometer con- 

 tinues low, and very slight additional depressions are followed by rain. 



"A southerly storm is perhaps the most diificult to judge of by appear- 

 ances, as appearances change so frequently without any real change in the 

 atmosphere. During this class of storms, the utmost confidence should be 

 placed in the barometer. After the first indication as above, and the baro- 

 meter does not rise, but remains stationary, it is strong indication that the 

 storm has not all passed." 



These are the rules of one who has devoted much attention to the manu- 

 facture of the instruments, and, as you see by this, he makes very good 

 ones. Now I will read the letter of a farmer, and you may judge how far 

 barometers may be useful to farmers, from his experience. It comes from 

 D. Petit, of Salem, N. J., and is dated " 11 mo. 25th, 1862." He says: 



" To the American Farmers^ Club, New York : 



" While reading the proceedings of your last meeting, that part relating 

 to barometers forcibly arrested my attention on account of the views 

 advanced. 



" The question is asked, ' Can we recommend these instruments to 

 farmers as valuable weather indicators V and the answer is given by one 

 of your body J ' According to my experience I should say no; that to any 

 but well educated men, who have leisure to study and compare, a barometer 

 is of no pi'HCtical advantage.' 



