The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-19
THE HASKINLETTER
VANISHING SUPERSTITIONS
BY ]. HASKIN.

? WASHINGTON, D, c., Jan. 19.-That
culture should plant his beans in the
full of the moon, because he firmly be.
lieves that II they were planted when
the moon Is dark the pods would not
cling to the vines, seems almost in
credible, Yet this superstition, and a
host Just as ridiculous are still cher
ished by some farmers in all parts of
the country, They are one Of the formi-
dable difficulties which the county
agents and other champions Of scien-
tific farming regularly have to contend
with.
1t should be said Immediately that
the farmers are really no worse in this
regard than city folk. II 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 skepti-
cism for credulity. Just in so far as we
still believe in the mystical and the
supernatural, in matters which may be
explained on rational grounds, just so
far we are still savages. And the beau
tiful young debutante who believes h a
she has a dual nature because she was
born under the Geminal sign of the 70
diac is no more civilized in this regard
lIldn Tie DdCh MOOuS ldl lIlSl "Lp bC-
lieves that the meat of a hog killed
during the moons wane is sure to
shrink when cooked.
Although the farmers are not the only
superstitious class, their superstitions
are a more serious matter than those
OF actors, for example. because they af-
feet the production of food. Rural SUI
perstitions govern such important mat
ters as care Of sick animals, time to
plant crops and how to set hens.
Tractors, the gasoline engine, and
government bulletins on agriculture
have suppressed to a great extent the
progressive farmers romantic tenden-
Cies, But, even so, the influence or ira
dition and early training are strong, and
many farmers cling tenaciously to the
old saws
Proverbs and superstition flourish In
any rural community where there are
farmers of the old school who's faith
| ers and grandfathers firmly believed tht
| weather prophecies of the almanac anc
| told the children that bluejays are al
ways scarce on Friday because they
go to consult with the devil.
MANY of the old weather proverbs, tC
be sure. have a foundation of fact. Take
the advice when oak leaves are a:
big as mouse's ears plant your corn
The idea back of this is that the oaE
tree is one of the last to leaf, and by
waiting for the oak leaves the farmer
avoids planting his corn too soon.
The belief of the Pueblo indian tina
| for lightning to strike in a cornfielt
means a good crop Is still held by man.
farmers today. 1t is impossible TO sa
| whether the PueblOS read any reason
into this saying. Most modern farmers
| merely accept it as a superstitious be
| lief. Yet 1t has an explanation, rattle
| far-fetched, in that lightning accom-
| panies rain, n rain naturally help
the crops
Manv other proverbs have no effec
whatever aside from their picturesqu
qualities. Such a II is the saying tina
the number Of snowfalls for the white
can be told by the day of the month o
the first snow. Thus, II the first snow
of the season falls or Nov. 10, Subtrac
10 from 80, the number of days in tn
month, and you find that there wi
be 20 snow storms in your vicinity. Thi
is mere child's play, according to tn
weather bureau. ,
Weather may be ~forecasted specifical
w Sc hours ahead, and in a general wa
il is possible to predict conditions 70
a week in advance. But as for almana
prophecies printed a year ahead, an
weather proverbs which attempt to re
duce the weather to simple formulas, tn
Wtathel Ia go r,onts TO he az
slule iol '"o'
cuLdVel oss ~ ir~rasnon veathe
IN ~ em tbnso which link sea
sons-as it rains in March, so it rain
M 1u"e, a. 'utSd Eohrma rv' war;
warm oet VA Nav ana 90 on ndefi
anuary Sosu saHro &c aro 50 numero,,
nltelS. aou rtTT nossihla nair =
INA IN tha YEAR il connected by