TO PATRONS AND CORRESPONDENTS. To our readers and friends we present the " Old Farmer's Almanack" for the year 1900. It will be observed that there is an addition to its number of pages, and a consequent re-arrangement of subjects. To enable one to promptly find any desired information we have inserted below a list of contents. We trust that our readers will find this number of solid value, and that they will realize in full measure all the benefits from the material herein furnished which it is our earnest desire to bestow. "It is by our works and not by our words we would be judged: these we hope will sustain us in the humble though proud station we have so long held. nomas." INCREASE OF DEER IN N.E. POST OFFICE REGULATIONS SMTWThF SSMTW Th F S S M T W Th F S S M T W Th F S 4 5 6 7 11 12 13 14 18 19 20 21 25 26 27 28 1 123 2 3 4 5 678 8 9 10 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 28 29 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 134567 2 3 4 5 6 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 EXPLANATIONS FOR CALENDAR PAGES. The Calculations are made in Standard Time (i.e., the time of the 75th meridian West from Greenwich), 16 min. behind Boston time, for the longitude and latitude of Boston, and for general purposes are sufficiently accurate for all parts of New England. If, however, greater accuracy is desired, the following precepts can be regarded. The Table given below contains corrections for the principal cities of the New England States; and any other place in New England can use the correction of the place in the Table which is nearest in longitude to itself. For Sun Fast, subtract tabular quantity if longitude from Boston is West, but add it if East. For Moon Souths add tabular quantity if longitude is West, but subtract it if East. For the Rising and Setting of the Sun, Moon, and Planets add tabular quantity if longitude from Boston is West, but subtract if East; and this will give the correct value when the place is in or near the same latitude as Boston. When the place differs considerably in latitude from that of Boston, the correction will also be right when the celestial body is on or near the equator, and when it is remote from the equator this corrected result will still be approximately right. The inferior planets are Evening Stars from superior to inferior conjunction, and Morning Stars from inferior to superior conjunction. The superior planets are Evening Stars from opposition to conjunction, and Morning Stars from conjunction to opposition. JULIAN PERIOD. The Julian Period is a cycle of 7980 years, and is used by astronomers and chronologists as a convenient method of reckoning the interval between dates, and also as a means of expressing chronological eras. The present period began at noon of Jan. 1, 4713 B.C. so that over 1300 years must still elapse before it is ended, and then another period will begin. TIDE TABLE. The tides in the Calendar pages are for the port of Boston, in Standard Time. The following table contains the approximate difference between the time of High Water at Boston and places named. The reader is warned that this table will not always give the exact time of the tide, as the difference varies from day to day. It is hoped, however, it will be near enough to be useful. The difference, if preceded by +, is to be added to, or if preceded by. tracted from, the time as given in the Calendar pages. -, sub h.m. .-006 -0 16 Savan'h, Ga., Dry D'k-3 16 Stonington, Conn.. - 3 58 Viney'd Haven, Mass. +0 14 Navy Yard 2.06 St. Augustine, Fla. 3 44 New Rochelle, N.Y. 0 07 3 22 2 16 +8 41 + 2 15 West Point, N. Y. .-0 27 STANDARD TIME IN CUBA, PORTO RICO, AND THE PHILIPPINES. By order of the War Department standard time has been established in the territory under government by the military forces of the United States, and all departments under such military government have been directed to officially observe the time furnished by the United States Signal Service as standard time as follows: For Cuba, 75th meridian (West Longitude) time; For Porto Rico, 60th meridian (West Longitude) time; For the islands of the Philippine Archipelago, 120th meridian (East Longitude)| time. Therefore, according to the standard time prescribed as above, when it is six o'clock a.m. in Boston it will be, Six o'clock a.m. in Cuba. Seven o'clock a.m. in Porto Rico. Seven o'clock p.m. in the Philippines. ECLIPSES FOR THE YEAR 1900. There will be three eclipses this year, two of the SUN and one of the MOON. I. A TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, May 28; visible in New England as a Partial Eclipse. The path of totality passes through Virginia and the south eastern part of the United States, while the northern limit of the eclipse is about the North Pole and the southern limit in the northern part of South America. Begins, 7h. 53.0m. A.M. Middle, 9h. 7.4m. A.M. Ends 10h. 29.8m. A.M. II. A PARTIAL ECLIPSE OF THE MOON, June 12; visible in New England. Begins, 10h. 24.4m. P.M. Middle, 10h. 28.1m. P.M. Ends, 10h. 31.7m. P.M. III. AN ANNULAR ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, Nov. 21 and 22; invisible in New England, but visible as an Annular Eclipse in the southern part of Africa and the western part of Australia D. h. m. FEBRUARY. Apr. 13 Whit-Sunday, 66 PLANETS 1900. MAY. D. h. m. 24 sets 4 10 46 P.M. ♂ rises 12 3 26 A.M. rises 18 7 36 P.M. hrises 25 9 11 m. SEPTEMBER. " 10 Dec. 2 Qrises 5 1 31 A.M. rises 12 0 20 A.M. 2 sets 18 8 51 P.M. P.M. sets 25 9 57 P.M. JUNE. OCTOBER. D. h. D. h. m. sets 4 7 53 P.M. sets 4 10 7 P.M.9 rises 5 1 55 P.M. rises 12 6 36 A.M. rises 12 2 22 A.M. rises 11 11 51 P.M. rises 19 1 35 A.M. 24 sets 19 2 49 A.M.2 sets 18 7 10 P.M. hrises 26 2 59 A.M. h sets 26 4 12 A.M.h sets 25 8 6 P.M. JULY. Venus will be Evening Star till July 8, then Morning Star the rest of the year. Mars will be Evening Star till Jan. 15, then Morning Star the rest of the year. Jupiter will be Morning Star till May 27, Evening Star till Dec. 14, then Morning Star the rest of the year. Saturn will be Morning Star till June 23, Evening Star till Dec. 29, then Morning Star the rest of the year. Names and Characters of the Principal Planets. Opposition, or 180 degrees. Dragon's Head, or Ascending Node. Names and Characters of the Signs of the Zodiac. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. Chief of Weather Bureau, Willis L. Moore, Washington, D. C. Local Forecast Official and Director for New England Section, John W. Smith, Post Office Building, Boston. Stations and Officials in Charge in the New England Section; Boston, Mass., John W. Smith, Local Fore- Block Island, R. I.. Walter L. Day, Observer; New Haven, Conn., Leonard M. Tarr, Ob server; Northfield, Vt., William A. Shaw, Observer; server; Woods Hole, Mass., Albert J. Davis, Ob server. Officials in charge of stations will, in answer to inquiry by mail, telegraph or telephone, state weather conditions and prospects; any expenses attending the transmission of messages to be paid by the person making inquiry. WEATHER SIGNALS. Fair Weather, Rain or Snow, and Temperature Signals. No. 1. A square white flag alone, indicates fair weather, stationary temperature. No. 2. A square blue flag alone, indicates rain or snow, stationary temperature. No. 3. A square white and blue flag (parallel bars of white and blue, the white above the blue) alone, indicates local rain or snow, stationary temperature. No. 4. A black triangular flag placed above flag No. 1, indicates fair weather, warmer; placed below No. 1, indicates fair weather, colder; placed above No. 2, indicates rain or snow, warmer; placed below No. 2, indicates rain or snow, colder; placed above No. 3, indicates local rain or snow, warmer; placed below No. 3, indicates local rain or snow, colder. No. 5. A white flag with a black square in the centre indicates a cold wave. The signals described in this paragraph are not displayed at the Boston station. Storm Signal. A red flag with a black centre indicates that a storm of marked violence is expected. The pennants displayed with the flags indicate the direction of the wind; red, easterly (from northeast to south); white, westerly (from southwest to north). The pennant above the flag indicates that the wind is expected to blow from the northerly quadrants; below, from the southerly quadrants. By night a red light indicates easterly winds, and a white light above a red light, westerly winds. Information Signal. (Red or white pennant displayed alone.) When displayed at stations on the Great Lakes indicates that winds are expected which may prove dangerous to tows and smaller classes of vessels, the red pennant indicating easterly and the white pennant westerly winds. When displayed at stations on the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts, indicates that the local observer has received information from the central office of a storm covering a limited area, dangerous only for vessels about to sail to certain points, and serves as a notification to shipmasters that information will be given them upon application to the local observer. Only the red pennant is displayed on the coasts. Hurricane Signal. Two red flags with black centres, displayed one above the other, indicate the expected approach of tropical hurricanes, and also of those extremely severe and dangerous storms which occasionally move across the Lakes and northern Atlantic coast. No night information or hurricane signals are displayed. HOLIDAYS IN NEW ENGLAND. The following days, in respect to the payment of notes, are legal holidays. On most of them courts, banks, etc., are closed. If the day falls on Sunday, the day following is usually kept as a holiday. Thanksgiving and Fast are appointed by state or national authority. Maine. Jan. 1, Feb. 22, May 30, July 4, 1st Mo. Sept., Christmas, Fast and Thanksgiving. New Hampshire. Feb. 22, May 30, July 4, 1st Mon. Sept., Nov. 6 (Election Day), Christmas, Fast and Thanksgiving. Vermont. Jan. 1, Feb. 22, May 30, July 4, Aug. 16 (Bennington Battle Day), 1st Mon. Sept., Christmas and Thanksgiving. Massachusetts. Feb. 22, Apr. 19, May 30, July 4, 1st Mon. Sept., Christmas and Thanksgiving. Rhode Island. Jan. 1, Feb. 22, 2d Fri. May (Arbor Day), May 30, July 4, 1st Mon. Sept., Christmas, Thanksgiving and Election Days. Connecticut. Jan. 1, Feb. 12 (Lincoln Day) 22, May 30, July 4, 1st Mon. Sept., Christmas, Fast and Thanksgiving. THE YEAR 1900 NOT A LEAP YEAR. According to the Gregorian calendar, which is the one in use, all years whose number is divisible by four without a remainder, are leap years, unless they are century years. Century years are only leap years when their number is divisible by four hundred without a remainder. Consequently the year 1900 is not a leap year, but 1904 will be. |