Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-01-22
VANISHING SUPERST|T|ONS
Theories About the Moon Among
the Hardest to Decry
Farmers, However. No Worse Than
city Folk, Hut Their Beliefs Some
times AFFECT the Production
Of Food
CBy Frederic ]. Haskin)

agriculture should plant his beans in the
full of the moon, because he firmly be-
lieves that If they were planted when
the moon is dark the pods would not
cling to the vines, seems almost incredi-
BILE Yet this approximation, and most
Just as ridiculous are still cherished by
some farmers i'm all parts OF the coun-
try. They are one of the formidable dir
ficulties which the county agents ana
other champions of scientific farming
regularly have to contend with.
1t should be said Immediately that the
farmers are really no worse in this re-
gard than city folk. If modern science
and education mean anything. they mean
the death of superstition. They mean that
the Individual will look for a rational
cause back of every effect. They mean
the substitution of skeptism for credulity
Just insofar as we still believe in the
mystical and the supernatural, in mat
ters which may be explained on rational
grounds Just so far we are still savages
And the beautiful young debutante who
believes that she has dual nature be-
cause she was born under the geminal
sign of the Zodiac is no more civilized
in this regard than the backwoods farm
er who believes that the meat of hog
killed during the moons wane is sure
to shrink when cooked.
Although the farmers are not the only
superstitious class. their superstitions are
n more serious matter than those of ac-
tors for example, because they affect
the production Of food. Rural superst-
lions govern such important matters as
care of sick animals, time to plant crops,
and how to set hens
tractors, the gasoline engine. and gov
eminent bulletins on agriculture have
suppressed to a great extent the pro-
gressve farmers romantic tendencies.
But even SO. the influence of tradition
aud early training are strong and many
farmers cling tenaciously to the old
saws"
Proverbs and superstitution flourish in
any, rural community where there are
, farmers of the old school whose fathers
and grandfathers firmly believed the
weather prophecies of the almanac and
| told the children that buejays are al
ways scarce on Friday because they go
to consult with the devil.
| Many of the old weather proverbs, to
| he sure, have a foundation of fact. Take
the advice when oak leaves are as big
| MS houses ears pant your corn The
idea back of this is that the oak tree is
|
for the oak leaves the farmer avoids
planting his corn too soon.
The belief Of the Pueblo Indians that
| for lightning to strike in "A cOrnfield
means good crop is still held by many
farmers to-day. 1t is impossible TO say
whether tho Pueblos read any reason in
to this saying. Most modern farmers
| merely accept it as "A superstitious be-
| lief. Yet it has an explanation, rather
far-fetched, in that lightning accompan.
les rain, and rain naturally helps the
| crops
Many other proverbs have no effect
| whatever aside from their picturesque
qualities. Such one is the saying that
the number of snowfalls for the winter
can he told by the day of the month OF
the first snow. Thus, if the first snow
of the season falls on November 10, sub
tract ten from thirty, the number OF
days in the month. and you find that
there will be twenty snow storms in your
vicinity This is mere childs play, ac-
cording to the weather bureau.
Weather may be forecasted specifical
~ &c hours ahead and in "A general way
It is possible to predict conditions for a
week in advance. But as for almanac
prophecies printed year ahead. anc
weather proverbs which attempt to re
uuco inc weather 10 si'iipie ioi ''iuiae
tHe Wea'her bureau says II Is ni'poSSip''
LOT sucH statements 10 ne ccul"'e'
III the CLASS OF irresponsible "ea'he'
proverbs come those WHnch INK seasons
AS II rams In March so IL rains IN June
as July go January; warm october. cole
FEBRUARY; warm January cold May; an'
so on indefinitely. These sayings are 81
| bot tII
numerous that pracucaily every possible
PAIR OIL nohths IN the year Is cohnecte'
by proVern' ana IN some cases th
IDEAS ciash' SO 'hat II you are 10 peiieN
IN any you must choose
Inc weather bureau states that thi
combination Oh Two months or season.
grew from the peIel mat weather &c
ours III regular cycles. ms is a nal
ruin weather IL ordinarily distributes
IN snort 'y''es VI Three ua!s' II take
; "lE" vi ory wave aooo' .hiee oays ',
T pass over given l'iace, anu s'or'hy peri
{ ods are OF approNiinateiy 'he Same oura
, ton IRON TINS pasls we get 'he aoase
r Three irosts ana then ram whic'
is as likely to come true as not
: Supersti'lohs ABOUT 'he moon Amos
Wi,hout eAceptloh nave no ioui'"a''on
! Inns Is rather unfortunate as 'he i''oo'
superstutiohs are the most nuiherou
anu tne dearest 10 'ne ia.h'e' neal
fhhy, CATO, ana other writers assure
the ancient romans that OAK trees shoui
NC ie'ieo "neh '"e "'oo' 10 o'' 'ne "a"'
ana gave them other aoVice reiatiVe I
the proper use OF the moon III asricu'
ture. EVER since men, moon larnins ma