Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 October 1891 — TIPS FOR THE FARMERS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TIPS FOR THE FARMERS.

SCHEMETO GIVE THEM WEATHER FORECASTS. A Responsible Person to Be Employed in Every Town and Village to YVhom the Indications Will Be Sent—F'ull Explanation oi the System. * To Foretell the Weather. One of tho first discoveries made by Secretary Rusk after he took charge of

the weather of this country was discrimination against the farmers. Ho found that, while city people were getting government forecasts regularly in their morning newspapers and by flags In the big rail-

road stations, their country cousins obtained no information until the weather had come and gone. Tho Secretary sent for Prof, Harrington. Chief of the Weather Bureau, and told him to figure out a scheme to give the country as much and as valuable information as the city receives. Prof. Harrington began work at on"e, and thinks ho has solved the problem.

So, apparently, does Secretary Rusk, for! an official circular! has just been Issued announcing that the* bureau wishes to findl in every town and village a responsible person who will un-| dertake to display! weather flags. When

these persons are employed the forecasts will be telegraphed to them, and the people will know what kind of weather to expect. EXPLANATIONS OF THE FLAG SIGNALS. The flags are to bo made of tin, and their size, shape, and color, will te as follows: No. I—White flag, six feet square, will indicate clear or fair weather. No. 2—Blue flag, six feet square, will indicate rain and snow. No. 3 —Whlto and blue flag, six feet square, will indicate that local rains or

showers will occur and that the rainfall will not bo general. No 4 —Black triangular flag, four feet at the base and (six feot long, always refers to temperature. When p'aced above flags Nos. 1, 2, and 3 it will in-

dicate warmer weather. When placed below the numbers it will indicate colder weather. When it is not displayed the indications are that tho temperature will remain stationary, or that the change in temperature will not vary more than 4 degrees from the temperature of tho same hour of the preceding day from March to October, inclusive, and not more than 0 degrees for the remaining months of the year. No. s—White flag, six feet square, with black square in center, will indi-

cate the approach of a sudden and decided fall in the temperature. This signal will not te disp.ayed unless it is cxp3ctedl that the tempera-1 turo will fa 1 to 42 degrees, or lower,] and will be ordered

displayed at least twenty-four hours in advance ot the cold wave. When No. 5 is displayed. No. 4 is always omitted. When displayed on poles the signa's will be arranged to read downward; when displayed on horizontal supports a small streamer will be attached to indicate the point from which the signals are to be read. INTERPRETATION OF DISPLAYS. No. 1, alone. Fair weather, stationary temperature. No. 2, alone Rain or snow, stationary temperature. No. 3, a'one. Local rain, stationary temperature. No. 1 with No. 4 above it Fair weather, warmer.

No. 1 with No. 4 below it. Fair weather, colder. No 2 with No. 4 above it. Warmer weather, rain or snow. No 2 with No. 4 below it Colder weather, rain or

snow. No. 3 with No. 4 above it. Warmer weather, local rains. Ko. 3 with No. 4 below it. Colder weather, local rains. No 1 with No. 5 above it Fair weather, cold wava No. 2 with No. 5 above it Wet weather, cold wave Prof. Harrington will also make arrangements to have the flag displayed on railroad cars. The starting points of the trains on all the rai roads will be supplied every morning w.th the forecast, and one man on each train will be assigned to the duty of displaying the flags. When the public has mado itself familiar with the code every person can ascertain the forecast by looking at any passing train. THE WHISTLE SIGNALS. The professor has also invented a plan to have locomotives and factories whistle the forecasts for the information of farmers who live too far away to see the flags. Notification will he given in every town and village where there is a steam whistle that at a certain hour every day the whistle will sound the sigpal to indicate the probable weather for the ensuing twenty four hours , Factories will receive the forecast by telegraph, and locomotive engineers will receive it at their starting points. The warning signal to attract attention will be what is called the long blast, la t : ng twenty seconds. After this signal has been sounded blasts of from four to six seconds’ duration will refer to the w ather; short blasts of three seconds each will refer to the temperature; those for the weather to be sounded firs’, like this:

Blasts. Indications. One long Fair wt ather Two long Rain or snow 'J hree long Local rains One short .Lower temperature Two short Higher temperature Three short Cold wave COMBINATION BLAST?. Cnc long, alon —fair w ather, stationary temperature. Two long, alon" —rain or snow; stationary tempo a lure. On • long and one short—fair weather; lower t mpei ature. Two long and two short—rain or snow; high rt mp ratnre. One long and thr e.short—-fair weath er; cold wave.’ Throe long and two shorts—local rains; higher temp ratnre. Eat li combination will be repeated a few tin e , with an interval of ten seconds between. This will avoid the possibility of any error in ascertaining the forecast * Some difficulty may arise with regard to the locomotive whistles. Engineer* have to give railioad signal*, and tie public Kind my become confuted by iTtj n 1 frowwa* f lhtßk>Ul *

NO. 1.

NO. 3.

NO. 5.

NO. 2.

NO. 4.