Common Sense About Thermometers

There is sornething exasperating to a sensible person in seeing a useful scientific instrmnent hke a thennometer dressed up in frivolous fashion, and mounted in such a variety of preposteróos ways on plush easels, tin or bronze plates, in every conceivable manner that will make an ostentatious show. The sinipler manner in which snch an instrument can be mounted the better. The ugly black tin case that surrounds the ordinary thermometer is no addition to it. The best way to buy thermometers is by the dozen or half dozen unmounted. Each instrument consists merely of the plate containing the degrees and the mounted tubes. By keeping a half dozen together and noticing the unifonnity or want of uniformity of their register defective ones may be rejected. Pnrchased in this way trustworthy instruments do not cost over ten cents apiece. Once in a while in testing them a defective one will be found, but it is rare. It is an excellent plan to keep one of these thermometers in every room, hanging it on the edge of the door frame, where it is not exposed to a special current of cold or hot air, is not likely to be hit and injured, and does not obtiude itfelf upon your gaze, but keeps in its place like an obedient servant. It would be an excellent plan to have a place for a thermometer sunk in the wood of ,the