The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1909-04-23

some reason for the general be lief
that the moons phases have AMI eff
feet on the animal and Yegc,( liable
l.fe, They have concluded afte pa
tent investigation that the moon
myth is one of the compar atively
few myths that dates back to pare
savagery and has absolutely not a
scientific leg to stand on.
Almost every one, even III he was
not reared in the country has heard
Of the idea about plaintiffs potatoes
In the dark of the moot The field
workers of the Departing mt Of Agri-
culture have found thaP at least 70
Fer cent of the farm9irs of this en-
lightened country putt in their Crous
and do a great MAJ /! other things
about the farm COY nrned absolutely
by the moons ph3s Almost any
farmer will tell yofl that II YOU plant
potatoes in the fdark of the moon
they will run to B,ubers, and If in the
light of the moon they will run 10
tops This is Said to be true or any
root crop, and it is planted accord
ingly.
There is q lily one difficulty about
this theory and that is that it is
not so. The agricultural experiment
stations ay over the country have
been defy ing the superstiuono lor
years and raising just as Good crops
when tn moon was one way as vn,D
it was YEe other,
In the same way calving and the
dropping of lambs and foals is pop
nlarlJ supposed to De governed by the
phas' es of the moon. Needless to re-
nIaEk this superstition is on the tame
SIDE of the Agricultural Department
leIiger as the potato theory. Many
farmers govern the weaving Of calves
Iy the signs of the zodiac They will
Atcll you in all seriousness If 4 calf
is weaned when the sign is in The
head il will below for its mother.
On the other hand, il 1t is weaned
when the sign is in the feet it will
run after its mother, but will not
Fellow.
AS compromise after smashing
SO many of these time honored ideas
the department admits that here
is some basis in reason for some Of
the other country supersttons, prin-
cipally those relating to the weather,
1t is said that if 1t rains Easter
Sunday that it will rain for E,ven
1 Sundays thereafter. Now the fact is
that rains come as rule with great
clyclonic disturbances of the atmOs-
lhere that are about week Ill point
of time from edge TO edge where the
rain is. Thus, If it strikes rainy
streak and here is a rain Easter sun
day it is quite possible that there viii
be rain on the following SUNDAY, and
It might very easily happen at this
season of the Year that there would
he another rain-laden cyClouic hove
ment in a week which would bring
another rain a week after.
There is another superstition very
prevalent in this part of the country
that if the sun shines while it Is
raining t will be sure to, rain the next
day. This is very apt to happen, for
if a big mass of Cumulus clouds is
caught in the midst OF the rain belt
It may easily drop little local how
er while the sun is shining, while the
zeal rain is a good way Oft
The old doggerel:
Rainbow at night sailors delight;
Rainbow in the morning, sailors ", +
ing"
has also some foundation, in fact.
Most rains come from the est, and
if there is a rainbow while the sun
is that side of the meridian it is IN
indication that the rain is coming If
the rainbow is in the evening It
is an indication that the rain has
gone past.