Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-03-11
Agricultural

SUPERSTITION AMONG FARMERS. 1t
would seem that If any man should have
a correct understanding of the workings
of nature and be able to read all her
varied hapdwritings, that man should
be the farmer, whose occupation leads
him to constant intercourse and COM
munion with her at all seasons of the
year. And this is true when he goes
out free from prejudice and with an
intelligent purpose to read and under
stand her teachings. But, unfortun-
ately. such cases are comparatively so
rare as to give countenance to the charge
that farmers, as a class. are an ignorant
and superstitious set Of people. A large
proportion of farmers believe that the
moon rules and controls this lower
world. They worship it as a kind of
deity that pervades over the vegetable
world. They labor under the impress
sion that the moon is constantly 'chang-
ing" and producing corresponding
changes in the vegetable and animal
kingdoms. They not only hold these
notions theoretically but they are influ-
enced by them in the practical opera
IlOlS VI ALtlI ObC man hAif
plant potatoes, beets, carrots, and other
root-producing plants only when the
moon is waning or "going down, that
the vigor of the plant may go down to
form roots corn, cabbage, and other
top-growing crops must be planted when
the moon is increasing, SO the growth
may be upward the fence must be built
when the moon is increasing, so it Will
not settle into the ground; the house
must be shingled in the dark of the
moon, so the shingles viii not curl up
hogs must be butchered in the increase
of the moon, SO the meat may increase
in the process of cooking; and IN an
hundred other equally absurd forms
does this superstition manifest itself.
As above stated, such persons believe
the moon really undergoes frequent
changes. But this is not the case the
moon does not change at all. Its sppar-
ent changes are produced by achange
in the relative position of ourselves to
it and to the sun, which change is pro-
duced by the diurnal revolution of the
earth and the fact that the revolution
of the moon around the earth does not
exactly coincide with the daily revolu
tion of the earth itself. All the change
there is about it consists in the fact
that this week we stand where we see
the side that is turned toward the sun,
next week we have moved over. so We
see part Of the light side and part of
the dark side, the next week the whole
of the dark side is turned toward us.
How absurd to suppose that the mere
change of relation between us and the
moon should produce such changes In
the material world as are mentioned
above Observation as well as reason
teaches that no such influence is exer-
ted by the moon. Out of more than
one thousand recorded observations of
the moons change, considerable less
than one-h half were followed Immediately
by any change in the weather. In
careful observation of twenty years l
have found all the moon signs governing
the weather have failed oftener than
they been fulfilled. What reliance can
be placed in sign that fails twice out
of every three times that It occurs
Does ii not fail to be sign at all, ex
cept to the sEperstitious? Many people,
otherwise sufficiently deyout and having
strong faith in an over-ruling Provi-
dence, become practical atheists on Fri
day. They seem to think that on that
day of the week the Great Ruler lets
go the reins OF the Universe and permits
the forces of nature to run riot without
any control or hindrance. Hence they
fear to enter upon any enterprise or
begin any new job of work on Friday,
lest they have bad luck. Perhaps a
majority of the farmers OF the country
believe that wheat will turn to ''cheat'
(chess). While such absurd and non
sensical notions exist and prevail among
farmers, 1t is not strange that We are,
as class, branded with ignorance and
superstition. 1t is the work of the agri-
cultural press to dispel this darkness
and shed forth the light of true science.
SHALL WE EAT CHEESE ?-Is cheese a
wholesome article of food? Cheese,
when properly made and cured, is
wholesome and more nutritious, pound
for pound, than beef. The experience
of Englishmen furnishes good evidence
of this. They consume more cheese
per capita than any nation IN the world.
They use 100 per cent more per head
annually than the people of the United
States, and no nation on the globe is
more healthy. II we should use cheese
as freely as the English do We would
lind a home market for all our make
and more too. More cheese would be
consumed if better quality was offered.
Poor cheese is greatly in the way of
consumption. Right where the cheese
is made little good stock is offered.
The poorest is sold at home. In visiting
factories it is rare 10 find good cheese
cut for use of patrons. The manufac-
ture of skim cheese was objected TO as
contributing to the superabundance of
poor cheese. The best cheese to make
Is full cream, close, firm, and well
scalded. This is the safest to handle
and best contributes to an extended use
both at home and among our English
customers. Close texture is of prime
importance, as porous cheese often sells
for three to five cents less per pound
than close.
The number of eggs laid by a duck
depends very much on the breed to
which she belongs. In all poultry the
non-sitters lay more than those that are
concerned in the rising generation.
Thus the Aylesbury will lay greater
number of eggs than any other duck.
The black duck, called the Labrador,
or the East Indian, or Buenos Ayrean,
is good layer. The Rouen is an aver
age layer, and the wild duck lays few
compared to these. An old duck is, as
a rule, better layer than a young one,
but it is impossible to give the average
of any of them. Aylesbury ducks begin
to lay in November and December
Rouens three months later. Both the
time when they begin laying, and the
number of eggs they lay, are influenced
by their keep and by iudicious manage
ment.
LEATHER MAKING. is busi-
ness as complicated as that of dyeing,
or making iron, or gas, and needs the
investment of capital in buildings and
machinery, together with practical
knowledge and skill. The hides are
first put into a lime vat which loosens
@l,a A., i