'^ GARDEN PNEUMONIA 77 



six inches high, with newspapers, with the result 

 that we enjoyed a sweet-corn season of seven 

 weeks and two days — a thing unprecedented in 

 this region. The best newspaper for this pur- 

 pose — as well as some others — is the London 

 Times. That year I brought up about fifty 

 copies of it for protecting frozen corn from the 

 deadly sun. 



Sometimes the moon aids and abets the sun 

 in its ruthless crop sabotage. I know that 

 Professor Humphreys of the United States 

 Weather Bureau is inclined to think the moon 

 has no influence on the weather. Maybe it 

 hasn't, but I know that it helps to aggravate 

 frost. Weather proverbs like, ''Moonlight nights 

 have the heaviest frosts" and "Clear moon, 

 frost soon," prove that the pernicious activity 

 of our satellite was discovered long ago. Every 

 experienced gardener and farmer dreads full 

 moon late in spring and early in the autumn. 

 Clear nights increase the formation of dew, but 

 what I cannot understand is why frost on moon- 

 lit nights kills at a higher temperature than on 

 other nights. It seems pure cussedness on the 

 moon's part. 



THE DEVILISH WITCH GRASS 



There is one form of vegetation which the 

 combined efforts of moon and sun cannot kill, 

 and that is witch grass, also known as devil 

 grass and by a dozen other characteristic names. 



6 



