The Almanack Man – Dudley Leavitt

PHOTO: 1910 Leavitt’s Farmer’s Almanac.

by Robert Hanaford Smith, Sr.
Weirs Times Contributing Writer

If someone mentions the word “almanac” you might think of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the one published in New Hampshire, or Poor Richard’s Almanack, a publication of the past authored by Benjamin Franklin of Philadelphia. The one that this article emphasizes, however, is another one that was published in New Hampshire, namely, Leavitt’s Farmer’s Almanac.
Leavitt’s was a competitor of The Old Farmer’s Almanac which continues to be published today. The almanac has been an important publication for farmers at the beginning of each new year as they reflect on the past year’s accomplishments and work to improve their production during the new year.
Dudley Leavitt was born in Exeter, New Hampshire and moved to Gilmanton after his marriage to Judith Glidden of that town, and a couple years later the couple moved to Meredith where they bought a farm. He was a farmer, teacher, author, and publisher who became one of the best known men in the state. He is perhaps best remembered for his almanack which he sometimes spelled with the “k’ at the end.
The almanac was published with his name on it for many years after his death in 1851. Leavitt was a dedicated scholar and is also remembered for the private school he ran with himself as the teacher. In that role he appears to have had great influence upon the lives of his students with the knowledge he passed on in many subjects but particularly in mathematics.
Weather statistics and predictions seem to be a major part of farmers’ almanacs and Leavitt’s was no exception.
I don’t get too involved with the detailed explanations that farmer’s almanacs provide about the influence of the planets and the moon upon the weather, but for the farmer of old these facts and predictions were important for planning their work strategies for the year. The more down to earth parts of the publications are the ones that attract more of my attention, but wherever your interests lie, beginning a new year by reading an almanac is a must for the farmer and can be an educational and enjoyable activity for everyone.

The preface for Leavitt’s 1910 almanac cited the improvements that the new year revealed: “the greater facilities for diffusing intelligence, by means of books and papers, by better roads and rapid traveling, by better schools for our youth, the improved social intercourse by the grange, by the telephone in the farm houses – these are sources of a just satisfaction.”
January first was on a Saturday in 1910 and the prediction was for a fair but windy day and a warm month with “snow enough for business.” The 1910 edition of the almanac was the 114th edition with the calculations in the book being made by Dudley’s nephew and student, William B. Leavitt, presumably still using the method developed many years earlier by his uncle. The calculations were made for all of the New England states and the title page claimed that the publication contained “…more than useful Astronomical Calculations, a larger quantity and greater variety than are to be found in any other Almanack.”
As indicated there were numerous weather related facts and predictions in the almanacs of old as in the present. The snowfall for the winter of 1905-6, we are told was a mere 53.6 inches, but the following year of 1906-7 brought 84.6 inches of snow. These were the observations from Concord, New Hampshire, though the almanac was distributed throughout New England.
Under the title of ‘Scientific” the 1910 issue revealed the plans of Danish explorer Captain Roald Amundsen concerning a polar expedition he was about to undertake. He had an innovative idea to use polar bears as draft animals to pull the sledges he planned to use during his expedition. He had ordered twenty 3 year old bears from an animal trainer who promised that they would be successful in carrying out the work. They were to be loaded onto the explorer’s ship for the trip to the polar regions. The trainer had been working with the bears for a month “ and the results attained are said to promise success for them in polar work.”
Dairy farmers were advised to keep records of the production of individual cows. One farmer was said to have discovered that one of his cows was yielding butter fat at the rate of $11.75 a month while another was producing at the rate of $1.57 a month. The writer asked the question, “Who ever heard of a dairy farmer running behind because he knew too much about his cows?”

Did you ever wonder how much land you would need to raise dairy cows? The 1910 standard was that to make a profit the farmer needed an acre of land for each good cow. “Progressive” farmers across the country were adopting the “cow to an acre” plan.
There was concern about the future of sheep, however, with the report that the keeping of sheep numbering flocks of thousands on the western ranges might be nearing its end. The keeping of smaller flocks of sheep by New England farmers was encouraged with the perhaps startling comment: “If New England people would kill off their dogs and go to raising sheep they would find it profitable. This course must be pursued all over the country or sheep will soon become extinct.” My guess is that the writer meant “hogs” instead of “dogs.”
The old almanac took me back to the days when oleomargarine was being sold for a substitute for butter, though I didn’t realize that its use began so many years before my time. I do remember those blocks of white oleomargarine which came with packets of coloring to mix into the margarine to make it look like butter, and kneading the coloring into the block of margarine with my hands. I also remember operating the churn to make real dairy butter.
Well, in 1910 there was a tax on oleomargarine. The law was designed ‘for the double purpose of protecting the dairy butter makers from dishonest competition, and the public at large from having oleomargarine palmed off upon them for good butter.”
The tax in 1910 was a quarter of a cent on a pound of uncolored oleomargarine and ten cents a pound on colored oleomargarine. A uniform tax per pound of two cents was being proposed. The almanac listed Courts of law in the New England states and the dates they were in session along with the names of some judges and clerks.
There was also information about post office service. Regular letters took two cents for postage, but you could send a letter by special delivery for ten cents additional postage with the promise of immediate delivery within one mile of the post office or within its carrier delivery area. A post card would be delivered with a one cent stamp attached.
Why not prepare for the new year by reading an almanac?