Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1852-01-07
From the Pennsylvania Farm Journal
influence of the Moon.

cases Q worse enemy to Science tnan lgno-
rance; and as the Journal justly claims to
be an advocate of Truth and knowledge,
you will indulge me in a few brief hits at
one of the most obrious popular delusions
of the times. There is no error too absurd
to be combatted, nor too insignificant to be-
overthrown.
1t was once almost universally believed
and still credited by many, that the Moon,
not content with her proper and pre-ordercd
functions, keeps watch upon the Earth for
the purpose Of regulating the growth of
cabbage and other matter of equal or even
greater importance. These things she is
supposed to effect by her changes.
As mere sciolists, standing at the thres-
hold of the Temple, let US humbly inquire
what these changes are. 1t is taught by
the vast science of Astronomy, that since
the first dawn Of creation, the Noon has
nerer changed that she has looked down
on the transient and varying fortunes of
mankind, with the same Implying face
since the morning stars first sang togeth-
er for JOY" No man ever has seen, and
no man ever shall see, but one half Of her
surface-and that for ever the same half
Thus she rolls on, in her boundless path
way, equi-distant, undiminished and un-
changeable.
But she does change, says the un.utorcd
observer Of the heavens. Sometimes she
is full, sometimes half, sometimes quarter,
and sometimes not at aN No, Sir. She
is always, and ever shall be, till the
Power that created, shall uncreate. Though
the Noon presents always the same face to
the Earth, she permits the Sun to shine
on every side of her, by turns. And as
the Sun can illumine but one half at
time, it follows that we do not always be-
hold the lighted" portion of her, or the
whole of it. This makes the apparent
difference in her surface. Yet she is all
there, and for ever fill, to him who could
choose the poin. of his observations.
We hear men Of sense, and occasionally
learned men, speak Of the next change of
Noon, and prophecy "a spell Of weather"
or something else as consequence. When
does 1t chanye' Il allude to its apparent
mutations.) Does it jump suddenly from
one quarter to another? Or does it vary
as much one instant as another, gradually,
constantly, and eternaHy.P Most undoubt-
edly the latter. Then how can its varia-
tions affect the weather, the garden-truck,
tic fence-rails, the shingles on the roof,
the manure on the grass, the apples in the
cellar, the dinner IN tic pot, and multifa-
rious other little things, more yesterday
than tomorrow?
A believer in "signs" is always salts
fed, if they hold good once in two or three
times; whereas, there should be no varia-
tons, if they be, in reality, laws of Ma
turs. For laws of Nature are imperative
and inevitable, and whosoever outrages
any one of them shall suffer the penalty
pre-ordered by the Great Creator. Yet
these laws Of moonshine are verified or
fail, alternately. They could not reason
ably be expected te fail oftencr
But says the man of "signs,' the Noon
Affects the tides, and therefore it must in
auencc lhe cooking of my pork and sour
,rout. This is the sort Of logic, that
over meat-tubs, crout-barrels, and cream
pots. Because DR.. QuacL- -Donkey's Magi-
cal Pain Extractor will draw bile to a
head, it does not necessarily follow that it
can draw load of wood, equal to yoke
Of oxep-Jet the one sequence is about
,s rational as the other. BY great ma
.ural law, called gravitation, the Moon and
Sun attract the waters of the earth in a
lferent degree, according to their posi-
ions, with certainty that would admit
perhaps of mathematical calculation for
Millions of ages into the Future. And
With equal certainty and precision, would
very other real influence be left.
Two years ago, hired man to gather
pples. lie very gravely assured me they
Fould rot in a short time, if taken then,
it was the wrong sign. requested
i'm to proceed with bis work as diligent-
y as possible, that the apples might al be .
icked, before the sign came right. In
pite of my skeptical audacity, they lasted .
niger and better than l ever knew them
, last before What most incontroverti-
te proof of the "sign," if somebody else
ad gathered their apples at the same time,
nd lost them!
IF certain quarter must produce rain o.
Snow, or clear weather, as unavoidable ~
suit, why does not one sort of weather a,
,rvade the whole earth at the same time ? ,e
or certainly, at the same instant, sign :,
the Moon will prevail equally in Terra +,
! Fueoo. and in Kamschatka. in Green