The record-union., 1893-01-18

know this is dangerous ground to step
on. The influence of the moon upon
plants and animals and the weather IS a
legend so old that it has become a sacred
piece of tradition, and some of my read
,ers NAV not feel friendly toward me II l
try to show its iallacy. l know persons
of considerable intelligence and good edu-
cation, who are reasonably free from the
taint of superstition, who laugh at the
Idea that radishes must beplanted IN the
decline of the moon in order TO make
them produce good roots, yet who would
not wean a colt, or a lamb, or a caA-or q
baby either-except just when the sign
is right" The belief in the influence OF
the moon is yet too firmly rooted IN the
minds of the average farmer to be easily
.eradicated. Experience is the best
teacher; the professional market gardener
has seen this thing tried, and he knows
there is nothing in it. He plants raulshes'
for instance, almost every week IN the
year. He is obliged to plant them during
Leverv phase Of the moon, and ne mas
learned that he can grow just as good rad
ishes at one time as another, PROVIDED
EOther conditions are the same. 30 IL IS
with peas, carrots and other vegetables.
A, a, CrOzier, in Popular Errors
About Plants" just published by the
Rural Publishing Company names among
Others the following instance of alleged
moon influence: Pork killed IN the new
or increase of the moon will not shrink
in the pot as it will if killed in the old OF
gthe moon. Calves or other animals porn
Sin the new of the moon may be expected
to live and thrive, while, II born IN the
old of the moon, the chances are all
against them. A rail fence oullt IN the
old of the moon will soon sink into the
ground. while if built at any other time
Il will not sink. Shingles nailed upon
roof in the new OF the moon VIII soon
throw out the nails. Sheep sheared at
that time will yield heavier heeces than II
sheared at other periods"
Many farmers, however, who are not
believers IN these superstltlous notions,
are vet fully convinced that the cn&nge
OF the moon' brings change OF weather.
Then we hear OF a wet moon" ana a
s'dry moon" according to the angle at
which the moons horns make their ap-
'7learance with reference to the horizon.
If the crescent holds water like bowl,
then look out tor dry times; but II the
crescent dips, so as to let the water out,
look out Tor rain and flood.
Another widespread belief regarding
the moon is its supposed influence on the
rise and fall of the sap in trees. The
forest laws of France at one time, if they
do not now, prohibit the cutting of tim
Der during the increase of the moon.
German foresters also thought that the
increase of the moon causes the sap to
ascend in the timber, and on the other
hand that its decrease causes the sap to
descend. Timber, therefore, which is
cut in the decrease Of the moon will con-
tain less sap, and hence will keep longer
than if cut in the increase of the moon.
hplinUpl oTId
lived up to in practice in regard to the
moon influence, is that those plants which
bear their edible influence above ground
should be planted in the new Of the
moon, while those whose edible part is
below ground should be planted in the
old or decrease Of the moon. number
OF practical experiments have been made
at various times to test this belief, and
they, of course, showed that there is no
foundation Tor it. / understand full well
how hard it is for average persons to
force themselves from precOnceiVed or
inbred notions and superstitions. The
teachings of early youth, whether in
keeping with common sense or not, will
stick to the majority of people until
death.
Some Of these erroneous beliefs may be
harmless. But the notion that we must
plant just in certain phase of the moon
is mischievous, and may often result dis
astrousiy TO the planter, simply because
he often allows the best time for the work
to pass by. MANY gardener has lost
good chance for sowing his onion seeds
by thinking that when he has failed to
tget them sowed in the old of the moon in
March, he must wait until the old of the
moon in April" Thus R7ith potatoes.
We almost invariably hav6the best sue
cess when planting early. When the
weather and soil conditions are Just right.
shortly after new moon in April or May,
it would be risky and folly to delay
planting two or three weeks in order to
plant after full moon.
l like to put this whole question on a
common-sense basis. Every result is
and must be the natural consequence Of a
cause, and there should be at least a pos
sibilitY of connecting cause and effect.
But now, please, in what possible way
could the moon changes be connected
with the meat in the pot, or the compara-
tive growth of top and root, or the move
ment Of the sap, etc. Undoubtedly there
is some influence Of the moon on plants
the influence Of light, which produces
chemical changes. But this influence.
compared with the light of the sun, is so
Insignificant that we can well afford to
leave it out of our consideration.-Corre
spondent Farm and Fireside.
THE ART OF PRUNING.
To be a good pruner requires imagina-
tiOn-the same faculty that IS needed to
make an artist. The pruner must be able
not only to see the tree as it is, but as it
will be twenty years afterward On
little tree, four or five years old, branches
two or three inches apart no not seem too
near. But how. when these little half
1uch branches become each three or four
inches in diameter? 1t is plain that they
would have all run together in a mass.
with rotten bark and rOtting wood be-
tween. The good pruner, therefore,
must be able to picture in his mind the
future tree, so as to allow proper SPACE
for its development. 1t is much better To
have the head of a young tree appear too
thin than 10 allow ii TO become crowded.
Trees growing freely tend to put forth
& branch from every bud. In order to
1orestsll this propensity, disbudding must
he resorted TO. The best time to practice
this is in the spring, while the buds are
starting. While a tree is quite Young.
the disbudding may be freely done, since
10 fruit spurs Will be formed there. But
later, when a good-sized trunk. with a
duly proportional head, has been
formed, many buds viii start which will
not try to become branches, but will
merely grow TO spurs, bearing fruit. If
all the trees had the same or similar hab-
its OF growth, 1t would be much easier to
teach pruning in fruit than it is. An ex-
perienced orchardist can take a bright
young person through his orchard, show
The pupil all the various habits OF growth
peculiar to species and varieties, and
illustrate good practice with the reasons
for it. ocularly demonstrable 10 the pllDiI
In would take a long, long time to teach
these things in print. 1t could not, in
deed. be well done except by liberal
illustration.
"You are cutting that tree all to pieces"
is an anxious expression l have heard
when l have been solicited to prune a