The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-04-13
THE MOON QUESTION
All a Matter of Superstition,
Says Mr.. UtIey.
What Influence Upon Vegetation Can Body Of
Ice 100000 Miles Away Have by
ANY Means Whatever?

10 the Editor: In sunday news ana
Observer, under the caption, Who Can
Give the Light? l read the question ask
cd by the Henderson subscriber concern
ing influence of the moon upon planting
of seeds and vegetation. Now while this
writer has no special claim to moon
knowledge, since you have invited replies
to the questions propounded. there are
a few suggestions he would like to make
concerning the moons influence upon
seed planting plant growth and fruitage.
In the first place the moon has always
been an object of wonder to supersti-
tious minds. Among many of the an
clients, the moon was an object of wor-
ship, but intelligence and science having
destroyed the throne and broken up the
reign of this goddess of the night, she
has become prominent article in the
creed of superstition.
The inquirer asks, first what is the
theory? The question does not express
the idea current in public opinion. For
not one theory but many theories are
held. The writer, having been reared
on a farm and from childhood prone to
ask reason why, early protested against
the theories so commonly held by people
generally concerning the moons infiu-
ence, both upon plant and animal life
For memory long enough to reach from
one neighbors house to another could
hardly fail to recall and even attempt to
reconcile and classify the different moon
theories advanced
For instance A plants seed on the
light of the moon, B takes an entirely
opposite view, planting on the dark of
the moon. Soil and cultivation being
equal both obtain the same results Each
farmer congratulated himself on know
ing when to plant, with a propitious
moon. Each claimed for his theory in
fallibility
And when, as our interrogating young
ster's insistence was made to know why
such effects could be produced by that
evening and morning satellite, Her Ma
jesty, the moon, he was confidently in
formed by each claimant that this valu-
able insight into lunar affairs had been
impaired by a grand sire, many years
ago who himself had received 1.-The say
ing as handed down by a remote an
cestor, who lived at a time when men
knew almost all things, and were great
wonder workers. but who in fact lived
into the face of the smiling moon and
read the omens of success, or to trace
there the dark lines that formed a
frown on the pale-faced friendly foe
than to puzzle the mind to know the
laws of cause and effect, and who priced
entirely too highly their stock of poten-
tial energy to admit of it's becoming
kinetic, and were too conservative in all
things involving risks to invest much
industry in the most common reactions
of life
The moon, by recent and living astron-
omers, is thought to be a body of ice. in
round numbers 2100 miles in diameter
and 100000 miles away from the earth.
The light we receive from the moon
is reflected light due to the suns bright
rays, while the view of the moon we get
is entirely due to the relative position
of earth and moon to the sun.
Now, to state the question in language
reason would dictate, we must ask what
influence upon vegetation can a body of
ice one quarter of a million miles away
have by any means whatever? Expert
ments, which are the supreme test, and
final appeal in the whole realm of ma
ture, have been instituted time and
again with a view to ascertaining posi-
lively the moons influence upon plant
life. If the testimony is to be taken the
experiments were in vain; no influence
could be discovered
But one explanation of any influence
whatever of the moon upon vegetation
could either science or reason suggest
and that explanation is only theoretically
and not practically true.
Light influences temperature. Light
is q forerunner of heat. Theoretically
heat accompanies light Experiments
have shown that concentrated moon light
will family effect thermometer.
But we are to remember that this eff
feet, indicating raised temperature,
nccessitates concentrated moon light.
Speaking conversely, normal moon light
does not effect the temperature enough
for the thermometer to register any
change.
Any one can easily see how difficult it
would be for the moon to exert any APP
preciable influence either upon soil, seed
or growing plant.
Most plant growers have some supersti-
tion about some mystic influence exerted
by this distant iceberg. But after all,
these prevalent theories about the
moons influence are lingering relics of
our superstitious ancestors who OBJ
served traditions moro than laws, 'old
sayings" and sayings of the old" more
than truth.
1t was North Carolina almanac maxi
er, now gone to his reward for laws ap-
Piled and truths taught, whose son, after
carefully preparing "conjectures" of the
weather for July, and proud of his skill
at the business, walked into the fathers
office and read the paragraph, telling
and definitely the daily changes;
when the old prognosticator. raising his
eyes above his glasses, asked rather
sharply: Whoever heard of it's snow
Ing in North Carolina during July?"
And the aspiring son, without protest,
took all the snow out of the midsummer
month of sunshine and heat.
CHAS. H. UTLEY.
COOleemep n C. Apri1 IL