The Old Farmer and His Almanack : Being Some Observations on Life and Manners in New England a Hundred Years Ago. Suggested by Reading the Earlier Numbers of Mr. Robert B. Thomas's Farmer's Almanack. Together with Extracts Curious, Instructive, and Entert

NO T H I N G is more strictly contemporary than analmanac, except, perhaps, a newspaper. It isissued for the time being, and it becomes obso-lete, by a natural and inevitable process, when its successorappears. But this very quality of contemporaneousnesswhich relegates last year's almanac to the dust heap,makes the almanac of a hundred years ago an historicaldocument of some importance. A n author who has his eyeon posterity may distort his own environment in order tostand well with his future readers ; but an almanac-makeris subjected to no such temptation. H e appeals to theimmediate present, and his records have all the value ofincidental testimony. PREFACE CONTENTS THE OLD FARMER AND HIS ALMANACK THE OLD FARMER AND HIS CORRESPONDENTS ASTROLOGY THE MAN OF THE SIGNS ARTISTIC EMBELLISHMENT MURDER WILL OUT WIT AND WISDOM OF THE FARMER'S CALENDAR LAWYERS AND QUACKS THE TOAD AND THE SPIDER SUGAR AND SALT THE FLYING STATIONER FIRE! “DROWNED! DROWNED!” HUSKINGS AND OTHER AMUSEMENTS SMALL ECONOMIES INDIAN SUMMER AND THE COMET ARMY AND NAVY THE SCHOOLMASTER TITLES OF HONOR MUNCHAUSEN THE GREAT MOON HOAX ENTERTAINMENT FOR MAN AND BEAST ON THE ROAD HAVE AN EYE TO THE MOON! WHAT TO READ BARBERRIES AND WHEAT INDIAN TALK MORE INDIAN TALK INDEX Being some observations on life and manners in Vew England a hundred years ago, suggested by reading the earlier numbers of Mr. Robert. B. Thomas's Farmer's almanack, together with extracts curious, instructive, and entertaining, as well as a variety of miscellaneous matter. For the Year of our LORD 7 9 2 y Being BISSEKTILS, or LEAP YEAR, and thè Sîsteentb of the IKDIPEHDENCE of the United State: of America, which commenced tht 4th of July.