The San Francisco call., 1908-05-24

much 60 steal the poetry from the
spring custom OF breaking UP
and turning the soil IN order to
prepare for the annual crops, man
still halls It an event when he
must take TO the fields to aid IN the
genesis OF his earth grown foodstuffs.
Centuries OF tradition are behind his
snpuise of sentiment when the coming
OF the closing days OF April and the
days OF May serve notice that IL is
time TO turn the snarp steel blades
into the burrows. to cut up the weeds,
TO get out the stones and invert the
stratum. California is somewhat OF an
exception. as the blowing season here
is different from that OF most parts
OF the world
There are no customs IN honor of
the event IN the United States. The
American farmer Is above all practical
he celebrates the harvest time. for that
means q work ended and the crops
housed safely in the barn. But as
blowing time is the beginning of
months OF toll. of fear and doubt, he
defers his 3ubiiatfon TIL the task is
ended and he can deal with certainties.
But IN other countries there are many
interesting superstitions and cbser-
vances connected with plowtng time.
Rome still looks upon the coming Of
the season with almost religious awe.
Many OF the customs OF {, 900 years ago
survive.
Before the Roman OF old put his
plow into the ground he FIRST went to
the temple to pay his devotion to Tel
ius, the goddess OF the earth. one OF
whose priests ever remained on duty
tn the temple ct plowtng time ready to
perform the rites.
The signs IN the heavens had to be
right or the farmer would not start
his work. The time to plow for fax,
barley and poppy. according to the old
books OF rules. was when Balance has
equalized the hours Of day and sleep
and halved the world exactly between
light and shade"
Beans were likely to get proper
start provided Taurus has ushered in
the year with flaming horns and Sirius
sat facing the threatening bull.
Nothing better could be asked for
wheat than that the 'Pleiades had hid
themselves from human eyes with the
dawn"
Thus IL will be seen that the farmer
OF that early day had to be something
Of an astronomer as well as an agri-
culturist
To this day. before he puts his
plowshare TO the earth tho Italian
farmer studies the skies, and not un-
I'll he is satisfied that ell Is well win he
start Often even when he is on the
point Of beginning he will permit him
self TO be deferred by the superior wis
dom OF some older neighbor who detects
some unwelcone signs. to defy which
might mean the utter ruin of the crops.
The Germans invoke the blessing of
Fre5a. goddess Of growing things.
before venturing to take the nrst step
toward their blowing.
India has laws which forbid plowine
on certain days. These are a survival
OF superstitions and traditions, CEN
turtles old. which have withstood even
the efforts of the English to dislodge.
According to the Indian lore, Mother
Earth has q right TO certain amount
OF rest During six days ) OF every
month it IS proper for her to sleep, and
the farmer who would be so churlish
as 70 disturb this slumber is promptly
punished
India is perhaps tho only country.
where is still employed a man whose
duty it is to study the times and pick
cut an auspicious day for the plowing.
He is known as the pundit. and no
one, not even the employer, knows
when he VIII rule tnat the proper time
has arrived. In the field the pundit
goes. taking with him brass drink
3ng vessel. and a branch OF the sacred
mango tree whose function It IL to
scare away evil spirits. The pundit
marks on an imaginary line. i've clods
of earth are thrown UP into the air.
water is sprinl1led into the trenches
Eve times with the sacred mango
branch to insure productiveness.
On the succeeding day tho farmer
must continue bis devotions and pray
without cessation for the success OF
his crops. He must remain in seoiusion,
and sst no salt. nor give away any
IRE. money or grain