How do you transport a stick barometer?

Carrying one requires care. Always angle it at forty-five degrees to stop air bubbles entering the mercury tube. Keep the top end elevated. Sudden movements might snap the glass.

I have an old family barometer that has a little sliding scale next to the glass tube and I wonder what it actually measures?

That sliding section is the Vernier scale. It lets you read the pressure much more accurately than relying on the main engraved numbers alone. You line it up with the top of the mercury column. Read the number where a line on the sliding scale exactly matches a line on the fixed scale.

Why is the wood split here?

Solid oak responds to changes in humidity. Over decades of central heating, the timber dries out and naturally parts along the grain. This shrinkage is standard. Most buyers accept minor splits provided they leave the main trunk stable.

My grandfather left me a heavy carved wooden barometer which has fluid inside but it doesn't seem to point to rain when it rains outside.

Barometers measure atmospheric pressure rather than current weather. High pressure often brings clear skies, while low pressure suggests wind and rain. The words on the dial aren't strict rules. A rapid drop indicates approaching bad weather much better than where the hand currently sits on the face.

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Antique Oak Barometers from the 19th Century

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Antique oak barometers are wall-hung or freestanding instruments built to measure atmospheric pressure, typically housed in sturdy carved or plain wooden cases with a brass dial or exposed glass tube.