New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-05-03
Lie on tho 1Ioou.

been supposed to be vast iifaIess DESERT Astr0n-
omers have abused the moon id every possible
way. They have said there was no heat In nleen-
shine. They have denied the neon an atmosphere,
and consequently water and organic life. They
have made us believe that residence N the moon
would be exceedingly undesirable. The old faith
in scientific CIRCLES ana he fascinatona n moon
AB But this IS iii chansed Knox and MeIloni hase
shown, BY very exact observations that there y
heat in the moons rays. ZantedeSchi has disc0E-
cred that this heat produces sensible effect upon
the mimosa. An English philosopher has found
that the earth i colder during the first quarter Of
the moon than it is In the second. F
Upon the growth of plants the moon exercises
remarkable influence. The chemical action of
light ia necessary to their principal work tie alb
sorption Of carbon from the carbonic acid gas Of
the atmosphere. This work all plants carry on
during the day, and in the night they sleepexcept
when the moon shines. She makes them and sets
them at work. So the farmers who plant only Just
before the full moon are right, and the sco1Iers
who call them superstitious are themselves the
| foolish ones. For, il sown before or near new
moon, the young plants get above ground iuAt at
| the full when the tender things need Sleep But
| if sown just before the full, they come up shout
i new moon, pass their babyhaod under The soothing
| influences Of dark nights and when the full MooR
comes are sturdy urchins, able to work night and
/ day.
i fhe moon-worshippers are right, also, in regard
/ to the influence of the moon upon the weather.
/ Herschel, Arago and WheweH recognized that the
moon uhu SUiHt 6lEHb pUWtI III uiHpcfhIuS =tuC
i clouds. The sailors 90 further, and say that the
i moon eats up the clouds. AT the last meeting OF
/ the British Association it was shown that the
weather through long series q years depended
moon and now Quetelet, the Director Of the Brus-
sells Observatory, has shown that between the first
and last quarters Of the moon more, and not less
rain falls than during the remainder of the time.
However, fine weather and greater rainfall may go
| together. Hsa
Finally, Webb, after careful comparison of the
present appearance of the moon with the very
/ precise maps made by Nader some twenty years
ago, has shown that there have been considerable
changes. Some Of the small craters, in particular,
have notably different form from what they had
i when Nader observed them. These changes show
the existence of water and an atmosphere. Father
Secchi, Director of the Roman Observatory, after
much observation, has come to the conclusion that
the peaks of the highest mountains on the moon
are covered with snow. And, to make MS still
more at home ON the moon, De Ia Rive, the owner
4 Of the observatory at Crawford, near London,
gives it as his opinion, that what were at first
marked down as seas, and afterwards supposed to
be barren plains, are in fact extensive forests. In
support Of this comes up great astross0rnie an-
thority Schwabe, the discoverer of the periodic
times of the SUMS spots
Besides these great smooth plains, which were
called seas, there are number Of burrows or
wrinkles, nearly hundred, the nature Of which
was entirely unknown. Their length varies from
three to thrtyfye miles, and their greatest breadth
Ii about five thousand feet most Of them are Con-
siderably narrower. Their sides are parallel and
| smooth some run in straight lines, and some are
gently curved. Ordinarily they are separate, but
Sometimes they each other; often they cross
craters but occasionally they seem to be cut off
by them. They are found all over the moon, ex-
, cept the highest mountain chain.
or these burrows Schawbe has made careful
study at various times. He found them to consist
of very fine parallel dark lines, separated by clear
spaces. few months later, the lines or streaks
had disappeared, but after d while they returned,
again to disappear.
| In this periodic change he thinks that he finds
proof that these lines rows of trees, and the
clear streaks between them are the bare ground
seen when the trees are leafes. When the trees
are in full leaf the ground is covered as TO pro-
duce uniform shade, and the lines disappear.
!, Nothing is more natural than to suppose that
the dark spots on the moon forests but how
shall we account for the growth of these trees IN
right lines This hypothesis We must for the pres
ent consider TO be only hypothesis. With the aii
of photography, which will secure for us accurate
pictures of the moon from time to time, We may
hope that the question will be solved, and that We
may really find out what is going on upon the sur
face of our satellite. 80