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- This article is about The Old Farmer's Almanac; for a similarly titled publication, see Farmer's Almanac.
Editor in Chief Editor | Judson D. Hale Sr. Janice Stillman | |
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Categories |
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Frequency | ISSN 0078-4516 | |
The Old Farmer's Almanac features
Released the second Tuesday in September of the year prior to the year printed on its cover, The Old Farmer's Almanac has been published every year since 1792, making it North America's oldest continuously published periodical.[1]
Early History (1792-1850)
The first Old Farmer’s Almanac (then known as The Farmer’s Almanac) was edited by Robert B. Thomas, the publication's founder.[2]
There were many competing almanacs in the 18th century, but Thomas's upstart was a success.[2] In its second year, distribution tripled to 9,000.[1] The cost of the book was sixpence (about nine cents).[3]
To calculate the Almanac's weather predictions, Thomas studied solar activity,
Thomas served as editor until his death on May 19, 1846. As its editor for more than 50 years, Thomas established The Old Farmer's Almanac as America's "most enduring" almanac by outlasting the competition.[5]
Becoming "Old"
In 1832, having outlasted the competition, Thomas inserted the word "Old" in the title of his Farmer's Almanac,[1] but dropped it from the book's title in the 1836 edition. After Thomas's death, John Henry Jenks was appointed editor and, in 1848, the book's name was permanently and officially revised to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
19th and 20th Centuries
In 1851, Jenks made another change to the Almanac when he featured a "four seasons" drawing on the cover by Boston artist Hammatt Billings, engraved by Henry Nichols. Jenks dropped the new cover for three years, and then reinstated it permanently in 1855. This trademarked design is still in use today.
In
Robert Ware took over as the book's sixth editor in 1877 and served for 13 years before his brother, Horace, was named to the position in 1900. During Horace Everett Ware's 19 years as editor, he began to orient the book toward a more general audience by replacing the scientific agricultural articles with general features on nature and modern life.[6]
The eighth and ninth editors, Frank B. Newton and Col. Carroll J. Swan, kept the Almanac tradition alive through wartime and the Depression.[6]
Roger Scaife was appointed editor in 1936.[1] His term coincided with the only time in the history of the Almanac that its distribution declined and the book's financial stability fell into question. The 1938 edition had a circulation of less than 89,000, compared with 225,000 in 1863.[6]
During his tenure, Scaife also committed the greatest of all blunders in Almanac history: In the 1938 edition, he dropped the weather forecasts.[1] In their place, he substituted temperature and precipitation averages.[7] The public outcry was so great that he reinstated the forecasts in the next year's edition,[1] but the decision had already destroyed his reputation.[6]
A New Beginning
In
A Halt in Publication (Almost)
During World War II, a German spy was apprehended in New York with a copy of the 1942 Almanac in his pocket.[1]
From 1943 through 1945, to comply with the U.S. Office of Censorship's voluntary Code of Wartime Practices for press and radio, the Almanac featured weather indications rather than forecasts.[10][11][12] This allowed the Almanac to maintain its perfect record of continuous publication.
Recent History
Sagendorph served as the Almanac's editor until his death in 1970. His nephew, Judson D. Hale, Sr., took over and kept the Almanac true to the vision of his uncle. In 2000, the editorial reins were passed to Janice Stillman, the first woman in the Almanac's history to hold the position. Hale still acts as the publication's editor-in-chief.
In 1992, the Almanac's distribution passed the four million mark.[1] It is still headquartered in Dublin, New Hampshire.
Editions
The Old Farmer's Almanac publishes four editions per year. The only difference between the three U.S. editions is the city by which astronomical information is calculated and how tide times are presented. The National edition is fitted for Boston and the New England states;[13] the Southern edition is fitted for Atlanta and the southern states;[14] and the Western edition is fitted for San Francisco and the western states.[15] Each edition contains calculations to answer for all the United States.[13][14][15]
In
How the Almanac Predicts the Weather
While The Old Farmer's Almanac has always looked to Thomas's original formula to help with predictions, its forecasting methods have been refined over the years. Today, they also employ state-of-the-art technology and the use of three scientific disciplines:
Forecasts emphasize temperature and precipitation deviations from averages. These are based on 30-year statistical averages prepared by the
Forecasts are prepared as much as 18 months in advance[4] and presented in each edition by region. There are 16 regions for the U.S.[19] and five for Canada[20] in their respective country editions. Four additional regions are available on the Almanac's Web site, Almanac.com. These include Hawaii and Alaska for the U.S. and the Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories for Canada.[21]
In its bicentennial edition, the Almanac stated, "neither we nor anyone else has as yet gained sufficient insight into the mysteries of the universe to predict weather with anything resembling total accuracy."[1] The Almanac claims that its famous long-range weather forecasts are 80% accurate.[22] One disputing analysis concluded that these forecasts are at most 2% more accurate than random guesses.[23]
Related Publications and Entities
Under The Old Farmer's Almanac brand, Yankee Publishing also produces The All-Seasons Garden Guide, an annual gardening resource,[24] and The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids, an Almanac-inspired book designed for children ages 8 and up.[25] The latter is published every other year.
In addition to annual and biannual books, the Almanac has inspired a line of themed calendars including Gardening, Weather Watcher's, and Country (all for wall display); Every Day (with advice, folklore, and quotes in a page-a-day format); and a spiral-bound Engagement calendar.
Over the years, the Almanac has published several cookbooks, food-related magazines, and a guide for homeowners.
The Old Farmer's Almanac has also inspired a chain of retail locations called The Old Farmer's Almanac General Store. In early 2007, store locations included
Online Presence
In 1996, The Old Farmer's Almanac launched Almanac.com.[27] This online presence features the same kind of information found in the print edition, including weather forecasts, astronomy, folklore, recipes, gardening advice, history, and trivia.
In 2003, The Old Farmer's Almanac distributed a 32-page Almanac Just For Kids.[28] The positive response[28] led to the release of The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids in 2005, and the Almanac launched Almanac4kids.com.[29] This site is dedicated to content for younger readers, their parents, and teachers, featuring interactive activities and exclusive articles that further explore topics found in the book.[28]
Trivia
- The Old Farmer's Almanac is the oldest continuously published periodical in North America.[1]
- Only 13 people have held the title of editor of The Old Farmer's Almanac since it was first published in 1792.[30]
- In 1858, William ("Duff") Armstrong, who was on trial for murder in Beardstown, Illinois.[31] Lincoln used the book to refute the testimony of Charles Allen, an eyewitness who claimed he had seen the crime by the light of the moon[32]on August 29, 1857. The Almanac stated that not only was the Moon in the first quarter, but it was riding "low" on the horizon, about to set (see image at right).
- The Old Farmer's Almanac has been featured on TV in episodes of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
- Films that have featured The Old Farmer's Almanac include Desk Set (1957), In the Gloaming (1997), Love Letters (1998), State and Main (2000), Elizabethtown (2005), and The Dukes of Hazzard (2005).
See also
- Farmer's Almanac
References
- ^ )
- ^ a b "Thomas, Robert Bailey". The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press. January 2004. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
- ^ a b Lamb, David (1993-02-01). "Almanac begins third century of know-and-tell". Los Angeles Times. p. 5.
- ^ )
- ^ "almanac". The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press. January 2004. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
- ^ a b c d e Almanac.com (2007-02-22). "History of The Old Farmer's Almanac". Retrieved 2007-02-22.
- ^ a b c d Sagendorph, Robb (January 1965), "My Life with the Old Farmer's Almanac", The American Legion Magazine, pp. 24–26, 50–52
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ New Hampshire Secretary of State - Corporation Division (1935-08-05). "Corporation Filings". Retrieved 2007-02-25.
- The Old Farmer's Almanac(XXXVII). Richardson and Lord: 1.
- ^ "To Patrons and Correspondents". The Old Farmer's Almanac (151): 2. 1943.
- ^ "To Patrons and Correspondents". The Old Farmer's Almanac (152): 2. 1944.
- ^ "To Patrons and Correspondents". The Old Farmer's Almanac (153): 2. 1945.
- ^ a b "Title Page". The Old Farmer's Almanac - National Edition (215): 1. 2007.
- ^ a b "Title Page". The Old Farmer's Almanac - Southern Edition (215): 1. 2007.
- ^ a b "Title Page". The Old Farmer's Almanac - Western Edition (215): 1. 2007.
- ^ Almanac.com (2007). "The Old Farmer's Almanac - Writer's Guidelines". Retrieved 2007-02-26.
- ^ "Title Page". The Old Farmer's Almanac - Canadian Edition (215): 1. 2007.
- NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce (2007). "U.S. Normals". Retrieved 2007-02-24.)
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ "Table of Contents". The Old Farmer's Almanac - National Edition (215): 2. 2007.
- ^ "Table of Contents". The Old Farmer's Almanac - Canadian Edition (215): 2. 2007.
- ^ Almanac.com (2007). "7-Day Weather Forecast Locations in USA and Canada". Retrieved 2007-02-24.
- ^ The Weather Notebook (2003). "The Almanac Defends". Retrieved 2007-03-11.
- ^ MacNeil/Lehrer Productions (1996-02-02). "Online NewsHour: Online Forum with Weatherman Ed O'Lenic". Retrieved 2006-09-12.
- ^ Almanac.com (2007). "The Old Farmer's Almanac All-Seasons Garden Guide". Retrieved 2007-02-24.
- ^ Almanac.com (2005). "Web Store Item Detail Page". Retrieved 2007-03-11.
- ^ Almanac.com (2007). "Old Farmer's Almanac General Stores". Retrieved 2007-03-11.
- ^ The Internet Archive (1996-12-19). "1996 version of Almanac.com". Retrieved 2007-02-22.
- ^ a b c Almanac4Kids.com (2007). "Old Farmer's Almanac For Kids - About Us". Retrieved 2007-02-24.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ The Internet Archive (2005-11-19). "2005 version of Almanac4Kids.com". Retrieved 2007-02-22.
- ^ Almanac.com (2007). "The Old Farmer's Almanac - Our Editors". Retrieved 2007-03-24.
- ^ Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (2007). "The Papers of Abraham Lincoln". Retrieved 2007-03-24.
- ^ University of Illinois Library (2007). "Lincoln Room - Lincoln Collections". Retrieved 2007-03-24.