Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-05-08
The Moon and the Seasons.



Home and Farm.
"And God said let there be lights in
the armament of the heaven todivide
the day from the night, and let them
be for signs, and seasons, and for days,
and years. Gen. 4, II.
Every error and superstition has a
corresponding truth, or rather, it is
the shadow of some truth, for which
it is often taken by the ignorant or
substituted by the malicious.
We have often heard of the old
time notion of planting in the
moon," and heard the old refutation
of it by the thrilling and astonishing
assertion of the unbeliever in moon
ology that he "planted his truck in
the ground" and that "the moon was
further than the old woman wanted
to walk to pick a mess of green's"
Yet there is grand truth at the
bottom and it is grounded so deep in
human belief that the world will
never be rid of it..
/ do not believe in the direct infu-
ence Of the moon upon any plant, or
that one plant does better planted in
the light Or dark Of the moon. | do
believe that the weather is governed
and controlled by the moon, and
that hence its influence on vegetable
life is indirect rather than direct.
For many years the moon has been
under constant observation, and but
one rule has been found to work con-
stantly, unerringly, and without fail
ure, winter or summer, and it is only
an approximation. | will give the
rule in a few words, 50 that it may
be easily remembered and readily
quoted, and then | will give few
applications Of it.
The weather always takes it shape
in the seven days between the first
quarter and the new moon, and
whatever it is in that time, that it
will be the next three quarters, or
until the last quarter of the next
moon, when the weather will hold
its own or change. | will now apply
the rule. Get your almanac for 1886
and turn to February, last quarter
February 18th. new moon March 9TH,
last quarter March 9th. Now, what
ever the general state Of the weather
is from February 18th to March 9Th,
that it will be until March 9th.
Should it be dry and windy Or wet
and cold, we may look for that all
the way. And then from March 18th
until April 4th will be a sign until
April 26th. Thus it has gone and
, will 90 until the world shall end.
| have several times in life given
valuable advice to my friends, based
upon this grand principle, and it has
brought them great advantage. In
June, 1881, there was as fine a pros
) pect for corn in this country as | ever
5 saw. 1t had been very dry until the
J last quarter entered. Invent through
clear and dry and the new moor
passed without rain. | told severa
friends who were hoping for rain, o
my reasons that there would be none
} They took me at my word, went an(
bought corn at fifty cents bushel
and cut down their corn while it wa
green and nice, and stacked it will
care. There was no corn made tina
r year, and corn went to 81 per bushel
e and the bulk Of the crops that nigh
have been valuable forage dried VI
in the field and was lost.
If hay is ready to cut and the las
quarter is wet, let it alone; if dry, Gu
it. If you do not, in either case vol
G will lose heavily. If wheat or oat
are ready to harvest and the las
quarter is wet, it will pay to hir
several sets of hands to save it. |
d meat is ready to kill and the las
If quarter is warm, do not be deceive
by a little cold snap on the new moo
and kill the hogs, as you stand tn
best change to have it spoil, or, q
least, faint. If you aecutting whea
in the last quarter and it is dry, yo
" had better put in plOws right benin
s the hindCr or Won may mover oct thg