Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-01-12

Washington. Jan. 10. = That q
| farmer tn this age OF scientific agri-
culture should plant his beans IN
the full of the moon. because he
firmly believes that II they were
planted when the moon is dark the
mods would not cling to the vines,
seems almost incredible. Yet this
superstition and a host just as RI
diculous are still cherished by
some farmers In all parts OF the
country. They are one OF the for
m;dable difficulties which the coun-
! ty agents and other champions OF
scientific farming, regularly have
| to contend with.
II 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
skepticism for creduality. Just in
solar 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
that she has dual nature because
she was born under the germinl
sign Of the Zodiac is no more CIV
ilized in this regard than the back
woods farmer 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 su.
perstitions are a more serious mat
ter than those Of actors. for exam
pie. because they affect the produc'
ton of food. Rural superstition
governs such important matters az
care of sick animals. time TO plant
crops and how to set hens.
Tractors, the gasoline engine and
government bulletins on agricul
ture have suppressed to a great ex,
tent the progressive farmers TO
mantle tendencies. But, even so
the influence of tradition and early
training are strong, and many
farmers cling tenaciously to thu
old saws"
Proverbs and superstition -four
ish in any rural community where
there are farmers of the old schoo
whose fathers and grandfather.
firmly believed the weather proph
ecies of the almanac and told tn,
children that bluejays are always
Iscarce on Friday because they &
to consult with the devil.
Many Of the old weather prov
cribs, to be sure, have a founda
ton Of fact. Take the advice "Whel
oak leaves are as big as mouses
ears, plant your corn" The ide;
back of this is that the oak tree il
lone Of the last to leaf. and by wait
ing for the oak leaves the farme
avoids planting his corn too soon
The belief of the Pueblo indians
that for lightning to strike in I
cornfield means good corp is still
iheld by many farmers today 1t il
impossible to say whether the Pu
,eblos read any reason into thi
saving. Most modern farmer
merely accept it as a superstition
belief. Yet it has an explanation
rather far-fetched, in that light
ming accompanies rain, and rail
naturally helps the crop.
Many other proverbs have no eff
feet whatever aside from their pic
,turesque qualities. Such a one i
the saying that the number o
snowfalls for the winter can b
told by the day of the month of tn
first snow. Thus, If the first snow
of the season falls on Nov. 10, sub
tract 10 from 80, the number O
, days in the month, and you fin,
that there will be 20 snow storm
, in your vicinity. This is mer
child's play, according to tn
weather bureau.
Weather may be forecasted spe
cif1cally So hours ahead, and in
general way it is possible to pre-
dict conditions for week in ad
vance. But as for almanac proph
ecies printed year ahead, an
weather proverbs which attempt t
reduce the weather to simple for
, mula, the weather bureau says tina
| it is impossible for such statement
to be accurate.
In the class of irresponsible
weather proverbs come those whicl
link seasOns-as it rains in March
so it rains in June; as July, so mex
January; warm October, cold Feb
ruary; warm January, cold May
and so on indefinitely. These say
ings are so numerous that practi
cally every possible pair of month
, in the year is connected by
proberb. and in some cases tn
ideas clash. so that il you are I
believe in any, you must choose.
> The weather bureau states tina
, this combination of two months O