The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-08-07
FARM NOTES.
THE MOON AND WHAT 1T HAS TO DO
WITH AGRICULTURE.
Several Subjects of Great Importance
to Farmers Pointedly Dis
cussed.

|
| tons should be addressed.l
To the Editor AUSTIN STATESMAN:
I never knew until l saw it in THE
STATESMAN of June 26 that the moon
had anything tc do with the growth
of cotton. "Old Cotton Raiser" in
that issue informs us that cotton
planted in the light of the moon
grows "spindly" and does not amount
to much.
My idea has always been that the
moon has but little to do with vegeta-
ton or the weather. When we con-
slider that the moon is always the
same, and that in fact it undergoes no
changes at all from one end of the
year to the other, it is not difficult to
come to the conclusion that it does
not affect vegetation. 1t undergoes
no more changes than does an old
washpot. It's and our relative posi-
ton to the sun makes all the changes
there are about it. When we have
what we call "new moon" we observe
that we see only bright rim on the
side next to the sun, because having
no light of its own we see only
that portion that the sun shines on
except that we can see the dim out
lines of the balance of it. AS it re.
cedes towards the zenith it shows
more and more of the surface upon
which the sun shines until it reaches
its first quarter, as it is called, when
we can see one.half of the side
next to us. Being round
and on the halfway ground
as it were, between the east and west,
the sun shines on the side rext to it
up to the center, and being perfectly
Opaque we see only that portion. 1t
shows more and more of the bright
surface after the quarter until it be-
comes what we call "full," and the
reason it appears to be full is simply
because the sun is in the west, the
moon in the east and we, occupying a
position right between them, see the
full face of the moon as the sun shines
upon it, and as evidence that there is
no actual change in the moon we OBJ
serve that the bright portion shifts
around to the opposite side from where
it was before the full, because after the
full the sun shines on it from the I'M
der or opposite side of the earth.
There is not day in the year but
what there is q new moon to some
body on earth. For instance, we may
have a new moon tonight and few
thousand miles east of us there will be
new moon to the people there, and
so on every night in the year as the
moon revolves around the earth.
Hence there is q full moon, new moon
and first and last quarter to somebody
every night.
"Moonologists" do not agree among
themselves. One will tell you that
anything which grows under the
ground should be planted in the dark
of the moon, aud another will say that
which fruits above the ground, as cot
ton, should be planted in the light of
the moon.
"Old Cotton Raiser" says if you
plant cotton in the dark of the moon
and have a season you will raise cot
ton. All! there's the rub. If we can
have the season we can raise cotton
or corn either without reference to
the phases of the moon when planted.
Some people look to the moon for
rain, when, in fact, it has nothing
whatever to do with it. One will say,
1--WE will have rain in two or three
day s, because the moon will change"
Well, that is a good guess, because
there is not day in the year but
what there is rain somewhere in the
United States, to say nothing of the
balance of the world. If the moon
had anything to do with it the rain
fall ought to be uniform, whereas, we
know that it rains all the time nearly
in some places, while in other places
it rarely ever rains, owing to the top
ography of the country, or some other
cause.
We often observe the moon Giles on
its back" or "hangs on its corner" as
it is called. The reason is obvious. If
it is on Il line between us and the sun
it is on its back, and if to either side
of the line it hangs on its point,
simply because we see the sunshine on
it, and OF course, if it is to one side OF
the line between us and the sun twill
appear to us as hanging on its point
o. H. CULLEN.
COTTON WORMS.
Reports reach me from various parts
of the county that the cotton or army
worm has put in an appearance
This is serious news for this time OF
season, and coming on the heels Of an
eight weeks dry spell, it means a
further shortening of our cotton crop
4 l.