Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1901-12-05
THE MOONS CHANGES
THEY HAVE NO INFLUENCE WHAT
 EVER UPON THE WEATHER.

Some Expectations That Still Exist Upon the 5ubject-MoOn Theories That Are Mere SurvivaIs From a Past Credulity.
 A belief prevails that the moons phases and changes have q controlling influence over the weather, but so great an authority as Professor C. A. Young of Princeton has assured us that the moon has absolutely nothing to do with tue weather.
 Such belief is in the strict sense of tue word a superstition-'me sur vival from past credulity. It is quite certain that if there is any influence at all of the sort it is extremely slight 50 slight that it cannot be demonstrat- ed with certainty, although numerous Investigations have been made express ly for the purpose of detecting it. We have never been able to ascertain, for instance, with certainty whether it is warmer or not or less cloudy or not at the time of the full moon. Different in- vestigations have led to contradictory results.
 "As to the supposed connection be- tween changes of the moon and changes of the weather, it should be enough to note that even within the United States the weather changes are rot simultaneous Gin Kansas and Maine, for instance), as they should be II they Were due to the changing phases of the moon. Since, however, change of the moon occurs every week, every weather change must necessarily occur within about three days and q half of lunar change, and Ialf Of them ought to fall within about lorty-1ye hours, even if perfectly inde- pendent
 NOW, it requires only very slight pfepossession in favor of belief in lhe effectiveness of the moons changes u make one forget few of the weather changes that occur too far rom the proper time. Condolences enough can easily be found to justify pre-eHisting belief"
 from very remote antiquity, in the Twilight of natural astrology. q belief arose that changes in the weather were vceasiohed by the moon. That the be- nei stl exists Is clear to any one who acquainted with current literature ano common folklore. In fact. it luust De admitted that even intelligent ano well informed people have been AuoWn to accept the theory.
 lhe idea that the weather is affected o' tue changes in tie moon is still held "''n great Higor in England, and one of ouf proverbs is, 80 many days old the
 nooh Is on Michaelmas day. so many avoas alter If it rains on St. Swith- E Is uay' We are told to expect rein for @ %'' ! uays after. An equally wise pre- 'eoon IS that if Christmas comes dur
 waxing moon we shall have q ns' NY sood year. and the nearer to the oon 'he better, but if during a waning
 ons avVn hard year, and the nearer the Il VI tue moon so much the worse. 'nother belief is that the condition ot t tue weather depends upon the day chos sne week on which the new moon or rsnees 10 fall. New moon on Monday, Il s,a a-oon day, is everywhere held as q mo-. VI good weather. Fridays new is On n4 IS much disliked, while Saturday tba s4lueky eln for the new and Sunday for tue full moon. a na,', scotland the farmers believe that acra ssts moon is a misfortune, and an es s.tuitaral ,se maxim among them teach yog ' the moon shows like silver shield. p,. lUa n need not be afraid to reap your teld. sue rises haloed round
 ooa vel tread on deluged ground. tba balo'Ner U weather guide connected with #in ,ta ai0on Is that to see the old moon Eonaa ls arms of the new moon is reck- tbe "a d sasn of fair weather. and so is *noon nls up of the horns of the new
 to ro,o, Ill this position it is supposed
 'l 'he water which is imagined