The poor man’s weather-glass

Hone printed from Forster’s Perennial Calendar a list of plants that country people read as weather signs. If the chickweed flower opened boldly no rain would come for four hours or more, but if it shut up the traveller should put on his great coat. The trefoils folded their leaves before a storm and were called the husbandman’s barometer, and the scarlet pimpernel, which closed before rain, was the poor man’s weather-glass. The goatsbeard shut so punctually at midday that it was known as go to bed at noon.