The Purpose Of the Almanac is to tell the readers when a biological event will probobly take place. Some events last a day or two. Some several weeks. Some occur over the entire region within a period of 2 - 3 days. Others take several weeks to proced from south to the north or from the north to the south.
Each week provides a syroptic record of weather - giving an idea of what can be expcted farily often (one year out of two) or less frequently (one out of ten). The meterologic data comes fromm the U.S. Dept Comm. publication Climatological Data.
The usual Agricultural practices for the region are summarized from the U.S. Deparment Agriculture Hard publication U.S. Crop Reporting service.
The list of plants that are expected to be in flower or fruit are based on several source: Chiefly records for Iowa County 1958 - 1973 Hanson and for Dane and Sauk County 1935 - 1945 Leopold.
The list of animal activities; migration, breeding, and Hiberation are based on Brent's Life Histories of North American Birds, notes of the Wisconsin Ornithological Society. Jackson's Mammals of Wisconsin and other publications and Thesis. The ecological classification is adapted from Curtis' Vegetation of Wisconsin.
Sometimes timely suggestions are provided: the time to hunt mrorals, to pick wild greens, to avoid tree pollens, to make jelly and to gather winter bouquets.
No Plant or animals is included unless it is considered to be fairly common in the area. Species names whenever used are precededby a number that gives the position in the index (Back of the Almanac). Plants are arranged in alphabetical order by genea. [ Genus. Species, comman name ]. Birds are arranged in natual order as given by the American Genenological Union[ comman name Genus Species ] Other animals, also, are in natural order or according to appropreate authorties. Birds are 1 - 190, mammals 200 - 245, Reptiles 250 -295 and invertabrates 300 -625.
Weeks of the Almanac following phenological customs ave seven day periods the first which begains on the first day of the year in 1967 the Almance week and the calender week coinceded, This will be true again in 1978.