New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-07-16

had been fened between the new and tull moon
contrary TO popular opinion.
SuDD0sed Lunar Influence on Icgcf05ies.-it =
an aphorism received by all gardeners and agricul
t1rsis in Europe that vegetables. plants and trees
which are expected 20 flourish and grow with visor
should be planted. grated and prncd. during the
increase Of the moon. This opinion y altogether
erroneous. The increase or decrease Of the moon
has no apprccable influence on the phenomena OF
yeeeiatOn and the experiments and OD-ers atoms o.
several rench agricuiiurists. and especially oil VI
Duhamcl du Monccau already alluded 10. nave
clearly established this
Montanari has attempted. like NJ. Sauer, to assign
the physical cause for this imaginary effect during
| the dav he saws the solar heat augnenis the guam
tits Of sap which crculaies m plants by increasing
he magnitude Of the tube through which the sap
moves while the cold of the night produces the OPP
nosr. effect bv contracting these tubes Now, at
fhe moment Of sunset II the moon be Increasing, u
will be above the horizon aud the warmth Of H.
light would prolonc the circulation of the sap. but
during is decline. it will not rise for considerable
time after sunset and the plants VIII be- suddenly
exposed 10 the unmiiigated cold Of The night by
which a sudden contraction OF leaves and tubes VIII
be- produced and the circulation Of the sap a. sud
denly Obslrucicd.
II we admit the lunar rays 10 possess any sensi-
bic calOrhc power this reasoning might be- allow
cd but il viii have very little force when It is con
sidercd that tine extreme change Of temperature
which can be- produced by the lunar light, does not
amount 10 the thOusandih parl OF nc5fcc "l inc
thermometer.
II j. a curious circumstance that tins erroneous
prejudice prevails on the American continent. NJ
Augustc de Saint Hiliarc states that in Brazil cul
iiyat0rs plant during the decline OF the moon all
vegetables whose roots are used a. food, and ON the
contrary, they plant during the Increasing moon
tine sugar cane. maize, rice. beans, DC. and those
lp food their stocks and branches
Experiments however were made and reported
bv NJ de ChauvalOn al Martinique, on vegetables
Of both kinds planted at different times in the lunar
month and no apprcciabe difference IN their quail
Ties was discovered.
There are some traces of a principle in the rule
adopted by the South American agrOnomes, accord
ing 10 which they treat The two classes Of plants
DISTINGUISHED bv the production OF fruit on their
roofs or on their branches differently but there are
none in the European aphOrlsms The directions
Of Pinv are still more specific he prescribes the
time Ofthc full moon for sowing beans, and that OF
the new moon for lentils Truly. says VI Araeo,
we have need Of a robust faith 10 admit without
proof that the moon the distance OF 2io0OOmics'
shall in one position act advaniageously upon the
vegetation OF beans and that IN the opposite posi-
ton and al the same distance. she shall be- propiti
Gus To lcnils
Supposed Lunor Influence on GrgiH.-Pliny
states that If we would collect grain for the purpose
Oh immediate SAFE we -nuuil ~ ~ at ti' i"' VI
moon because. during the moons Increase the
Grain pigments remarkably in magnitude but II we
would collect the grain to preserve II. We should
choose the new moon. or the decline OF the moon.
So far az it is consistent with observation that
more rain falls during the Increase OF the moon
than during the decline, there may be some reason
for this maxim but Pliny, or those from whom we
receive the maxim can barely have credit for grounds
so rational besides which. the difference III the
quantity of rain which falls during the two periods
is too insignificant to produce the effects here adj
vcrled 10.
SuDDoscd Lunor Influence on Vine mokug.-
ID j. maxim OF wine growers, that VINE which has
been made in two moons is never of good quality
and cannot be clear Toaldo. the celebrated lial
ian meicoroloest " hose mind appears 10 have been
predsposcd for the reception OF lunar prejudice at
tcmpts 10 Justify this maxim " The vinOus icrmen-
ta,ion" he SAYS " can only be carried on in two
moons when 1t begins Immediately before the new
moon: and. consequently that this being a Tune
when the enlightened side of the moon Is turned
for the most part from the Garth our atmosphere Is
deprived fthe heat of the lunar rays, that there
fore the temperature Of the air is lowered and the
fermentation is less active.
To thswe need only answer. that the moon srays
do not affect the temperature of the AIR To the cN
tent of one thousandih part OF degree OF the Their
momelcr and that the difference OF temperatures OF
any two nciehboring places in which the process OF
making the wine of the same soil and vintage might
be conducted must be- thousand times greater az
any given moment of time. and yet no one ever
imaeines that such q circumstance can affect the
quality of the VINE.
Ii is maxim Of Italian wine merchants. that
wine ought never To be transferred from one vessel
Ia another in the month of January March, unless
in the decline the moon. under penalty OF seeing
il spoiled
Toaldo has no, favored Us with any physical rca-
son for this maxim but it is remarkable that Pliny
on the authority of Hyginus, recommends precisely
the opposite course. We may presume that from
such contrary rules. il may reasonably be inferred
that the moon has no influence whatever in this
case.
Among the maxims of Pliny we find tina, grapes
should be dried by night AT new moon. and 10y day
at full moon
When the moon is new it is below the horizon
during the night and above it during the day and
when il j. full il Is above the horizon during the
night aud below it during the day The maxim OF
Plnv therefore is equivalent 10 a condition rcquir
ing that the grapes should be dried when the moon
is below the horizon. II is evident that the absence
of the moon is no, required in this case in consc
Qucnce of any effect which her light might produce
# she were present for when the moon j. new she
affords no light. even when IN the iirmancui the d.
Eliminated side being turned from the earth. II the
maxim bc founded upon any reason, 1t must there
fore either be on some influence which the Isoon Il
supposed 10 produce when present, independent Of
her light the absence of which influence i desired
or il may be that she may he supposed 10 transmit
some effect through the solid mass of the earth when
on the other side of il which she Is incapable of pro
ducing without It's Intervention The maxim l. pro
baby as absurd and groundlcss the other effects
imputed TO the moon.
Supposed Lunar Influence on me COmplerioR.-
1t is prevalent popular notion in some parts OF En-
rope that the moon light is attended with the effect
ot darkeniuc the rompleXlOn
That ligh, has effect upon the color of material
substances is fact well known in physics and IN the
arts The process OF bleaching by exposure 10 the
sun is an obvious example of this class OF facts.
Vegetables and flowers which grow in a situation
excluded from the light OF the arr different IN
color from those which have been exposed to It's in
hucnce The most striking instance. however. OF
the effect of certain rays of solar light in blackcning
"a hight coorcd substance is afforded by chloride Of
silver. which is white substance. but which imme-
iiaiclv becomes black when acted upon by the rays
near the red extremity of the spectrum This sub
stance. however highly susceptible a. II l. OF hav
ins its color affected by light is nevertheless found
not to be changed in any sensible degree when eN
posed 10 the light OF the moon even when that light
i condensed by the most powerful burning lenses.
Il would seem therefore that as far as any analogy
can be derived from the qualities of this substance
he popular impression of the influence OF the moon
rays IN blac kening the skin receives no support.
Ara.rn "A no generally incliupS To favor rather