Show indian weather prophet this is bound to be a dry year scarcely any rath Is to fall during the next twelvemonth twelve month at least that is what the old man of the mountain says bays and the indians say that he never fails as a weather prophet the old man of the mountain is a species of sagebrush so called on account of the soft gray top that forms on it in the tap tall fall of the year in some parts of ue state it is simply called old man and in others maidenhair maiden hair sage its scientific name is artemesia Arte california for countless moons many of the indian tribes of this state have looked upon this plant as the greatest weather prophet that ever existed will the season be wet or dry ask the old man an this is easy to do but you must know a little of his language before you can tell what he says the old man speaks with his roots when there Is to be plenty of rain his roots are short and when there is to be little rain his roots are long the old man knows there will be no water from above so he goes below tor for it how does a senseless plant know there is to be no rain by the same unknown force that causes seed pods to be thick bebern a long cold winter while they are thin when the winter is to be mild all over the hillsides hill sides of marion county can be found specimens of old man and its roots are larger now than they have ever been known to be before at the beginning of a rainy season the roots of a plant twelve inches high are about six inches long iong this year the same plant will be found to have roots as much as eighteen inches long san francisco call |