The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-31
Lunar observations.

EFF yuh want yuh lettus to do well you'd
bettah wait a couple o. days befo yuh
SOW yuh seed'' said an old colored man
few days ago. Asked why, he replied:
cause it's de dahk O. de moon now and
Iettus grows above groun'. Whatevah
blooms or grows above groun' must be
planted in de light O. de moon, and what
evan grows under groun like petatahs and
SIGH must be planted in de dahk O. de
moon" This was the old colored mans
way of formulating belief that is almost
universal among ignorant people and very
prevalent among intelligent ones. Whether
it has any foundation whatever is dis
puted question, and likely to continue so.
Scientists and natural philosophers say it
has not while a majority of practical gar
deners and farmers insist that it has,
The amount of lunar superstition that ex-
lists, and its wide prevalence. amounting al
most to universally, curious phases of
folk lore. These superstieions take many
forms and prevail in all countries They,
doubtless, owe their origin to the fact that
the moon is al once so familiar and so
mysterious an object A constant attendant
of the earth and visible during the greater
part of the time, it comes to be regarded
as a part of our natural environment. and
yet it is so completely detached from all
terrestrial influences, so near and yet so
far, that men are at liberty to invest 1T
with almost any qualities they please. The
result is great mass of lunar superstitions
and fallacies some of which are. probably,
as old as the human race. The words
lunacy and lunatic, describing the kind OF
intermittent insanity formerly supposed to
be subject to the changes OF the moon,
show how one of these superstitions has
Embedded itself in the language. There is
Just as much reason to believe that the
changes of the moon affect the conditions
of insanity as there is to suppose that they
have any material effect on the weather
In other words, there is none at all. Liter
allure abounds with illusions to or recogni-
tons of other superstitions about the
moon, some pathetic some tragic, some
sentimental, but all more or less absurd.
The moon is SO faithful attendant of
the earth and her services in some inn
portant WAYS are so valuable that she ought
not to be misunderstood and rnisjudged as
she is by these superstitions. As tide
maker she does for mankind work of in
estimable sanitary value, cleansing the
shores of seas and rivers, besides perform
ing an incalcuable amount of mechanical
work In floating vessels and transporting
merchandise up and down tide-water
streams The earth would not be habitable
without the tides. Another service of in
estimable value is done by the moon in en-
abling navigators to find the longitude at
sea and, as a timekeeper for the chronolo-
gfst and historian in counting periods too
vast for accurate reckoning by other means.
These and other services OF the moon, not
to mention her ennobling influence on young
lovers and spring poets. are sufficiently val
liable without imputing to her qualities
which she does not possess.
outside of superstition and folk lore there
is no reason to believe that the moon has
any direct or appreciate influence on the
weather or on the termination or growth
of plants or vegetables. She may ssuse cur
rents in the air corresponding somewhat to
the tides in the ocean. though. in the nature
of things they could not be 50 pronounced.
but as for causing rains or drouths. or in
fuencing vegetation It Is impossible. No
astronomer or scientist admits that there is
or can be any connection between changes
IL the moon and changes Of the weather.
II is true theirs a. rexuiar periodicity n