The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-06-09
LUNAR INFLUENCES.
Letter from Major Francis A. Wolff and Inter
esting R ply of Professor Spencer F, Baird,
10 Certain Intero gatories Regarding the In
huence of the Moon.
WALNUT STATION,
TIPFAH COUNTY. MISSISSIPPI,
May IS, 1881.

| EDITORS CLARION: At quite an earl,
day my attention was called to the common
! expression among the farmers that they
were going to plant on the dark Of the moon
and deaden beech trees on the dark of the
moon in August. The women avered that
pork when boiled on the Increase of the
moon retained its plumpness and on the de
cline shrauk from parting with its oil; even
the yearlings and pigs were handled ut GER
tain period, indicated by the changes of the
moon. The old men were unanimous in
opinion that the changes of the moon affect
ed the entire animal and vegetable kingdom.
In an early investigation Of the subject
was daunted in learning that astronomers
regarded these practices superstition
aud a popular deIusion." Among the first
reports Of the : nithsonian Institute, Pro
lessor Joseph Henry gives table aud the
formula for ascertaing the age Of the moon
for any day for fifty years back and fifty
wears in the future. He incidentally re-
f-rred to the fact. that the French govern
ment III order to dlspel the popular errors"
relating to the phrases and effects of the
moon, intrustei the whole subject to NJ
twenty wears, finally reported that he had
failed to reach any satisfactory results.
Ia a paper | sent to the Smithsonian In
stitute in the early part of 1872 on Geo
logical observations in Texas" and inciden-
tally ON lunar influences, Professor Henry, in
q kind reply OF March ~, 1872, wound up with
a complimentary remark that 1t would be
read with great interest, and that was the
last lever heard from 1t. In communicating
ba asst oh
tory, the Superintendt informed me that the
Government had mounted compass in the
Observatory. In an essay TO the American
journal of Science and Arts" I got most
decentlv snubbed did not deign to
publish my Lunar Influences and in de
Ginning. gave no satisfactory reasons. / must
not omit to take this occasion to say am no
Astronomer; nor am | GeologiSt. | am
only building upon my early readings of ele
mentarv works on Science. | here append
an interesting letter from Professor Spencer
f. Baird, uperntendento fthe Smithsonian
Institute, IN answer to certain interrogato-
res OF mine from which | derive that | in
augurated the subject of the Lunar Wave
which have heretofore contended, superln-
duced to some extent, the eruption of vol
canoes aud the throeS ofearthq uakes. am
clearly of the opluion, that the dIurnal va
ration of the magnetic needle travels pdrt
DuSsU with the changes of the moon. In cal
culatious, the earth and moon must be re-
garded as one body aud that the center Of
motion is not in the center of the earth-it
l. movable. | now part with this subject
and surrender it to ADLER hands In full view
| shall enter more inviting greener fields in
the broad domain of Science and Art.
In speaking Of myself, it must be remem-
bered, that there Is a new code of maxims
In the recent excavations of Herculaneupl,
some Archeologist has thrown out manu-
script, which Is interpreted "AIan, blow
thine own horn. If thee bloweth not thine
own horn nobody boweth it for thee.
Very truly yours,
FRANCIS \. WOLFE