Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-07-12
atliseellanenns &eaait1e.
MOON and THb CROPS.
What Is Their Probable
Relation to Each Other.

One Lifetime Believer In the Moon WAS
Convinced at the End of Hundred
Years that He Had Been q Fool All oi
His Life-Another Close Oberver Has
Established His Belief by Actual Tests.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
What influence, if any, does the
moon have on the seasons? This ls a
long mooted question, and as to how it
will be answered by different people
depends entirely upon circumstances.
For instance, if mans father be-
lieved in the moon before him, then he
is pretty apt to believe in it himself.
If he was raised in ignorance or dis
regard of the traditions respecting the
moon, then he is likely to continue
that way. That is, unless there should
happen, at sometime, some incident
that serves to furnish strong and con-
vincing evidence one way or the other.
am not farmer. I know nothing
about the moon. Until recently, 1 did
not know that the first two quarters of
the new moon were called the slight" /"
and the last two quarters were called
the "dark." All my life I have heard
farmers talking of "planting in the
moon :" but not being able to under
stand how the moon could exercise In.
huence on crops, 1 have been disposed
to dismiss matters relating to the moon
as idle superstition. Recently have
undertaken to investigate the matter,
and while I have not been able to
learn anything that seems to be OF
practical value to anybody, the result
of some of my inquiries have been
somewhat interesting. l know very
little more now, however, than 1 did
before.
Not having at hand any literature
on the subject, my Investigations took
the shape of series of inquiries OF
different people who were supposed to
be more or less versed on the pre-
vailing theories. One of the first men
1 happened to speak to was learned
minister of the gospel. He said,
"Well, 1 really do not know much
about the influence of the moon on
the seasons; but 1 suppose it has some.
For instance, if you will read Deute-
rouomy, xxxiii, IA, where Moses was
Invoking his last blessings on the chill
dren of Islel, you will find this
sAnd for the precious things of the
fruits of the sun and for the precious
things of the growth of the moon
Going on to Psalm civ, 10, you will
find this: He appointed the moon for
seasons.'n
Some people believe that every word
of the Bible is inspired, and that 1t
means Just what it says. l am not
going to discuss that now; but l thank
the good minister for his references.
The quotations at least show that the
belief with regard to the influence OF
the moon on crops is very old one.
1t is not confined entirely to the igno-
rant aud superstitious. Intelligent
people, even if they are unable to give
satisfactory "why," seem to have
very good ground for believing as they
do.
Next, I made inquiry of we'll edu,
Gated man who had been farmer all
his life but was not certain as 10 now
much Importance to attach to the In
tluence of the moon. He said to me !:
"Most of my neighbors believed in the
moon more than in the seasons, ana
were not disposed to plant until the
moon was right. wrote to the North
Carolina Experiment station and ask
ed them to give me whatever informa-
ton they might have on the subject
Their reply was TO the effect that while
there is no doubt that the moon has
more or less influence on crops, l had
better 90 ahead and plant whenever L
should find it convenient to do so, for
thew did not think that the influence
of the moon was great enough TO
make much difference"
Several farmers TO whom l talked
were of opinion that the moon had no