ON THE HARVEST AND VINTAGE. 



little force when it is considered that the extreme change of 

 temperature which can be produced by the lunar light, does not 

 amount to the thousandth part of a degree of the thermometer. 



Tt is a curious circumstance that this erroneous prejudice 

 prevails on the American continent. 3SI. Auguste de Saint 

 Hilaire states, that in Brazil cultivators plant, during the decline 

 of the moon, all vegetables whose roots are used as food, and, on 

 the contrary, they plant during the increasing moon, the sugar- 

 cane, maize, rice, beans, &c., and, in general, those which bear 

 the food upon their stocks and branches. Experiments, however, 

 were made and reported by M. de Chanvalon, at Martinique, on 

 vegetables of both kinds planted at different times in the lunar 

 month, and no appreciable difference in their qualities was dis- 

 covered. 



There are some traces of a principle in the rule adopted by the 

 South American agronomes, according to which they treat the 

 two classes of plants distinguished by the production of fruit on 

 their roots or on their branches differently ; but there are none 

 in the European aphorisms. The directions of Pliny are still 

 more specific : he prescribes the time of the full moon for sowing 

 beans, and that of the new moon for lentils. " Truly," says 

 M. Arago, " we have need of a robust faith to admit without 

 proof that the moon, at the distance of 240,000 miles, shall in one 

 position act advantageously upon the vegetation of beans, and 

 that in the opposite position, and at the same distance, she shall 

 be propitious to lentils." 



Supposed Lunar Influence on Grain. Pliny states that if we 

 would collect grain for the purpose of immediate sale, we should 

 do so at the full of the moon ; because, during the moon's increase 

 the grain augments remarkably in magnitude : but if we would 

 collect the grain to preserve it, we should choose the new moon, 

 or the decline of the moon. 



So far as it is consistent with observations that more rain falls 

 during the increase of the moon than during its decline, there 

 may be some reason for this maxim ; but Pliny, or those from 

 whom we receive the maxim, can scarcely have credit for 

 grounds so rational : besides which, the difference in the quan- 

 tity of rain which falls during the two periods is so utterly 

 insignificant as to be totally incapable of producing the effects 

 here adverted to. 



Supposed Lunar Influence on Wine-making. It is a maxim of 

 wine-growers, that wine which has been made in two moons is 

 never of a good quality, and cannot be clear. Toaldo, the cele- 

 brated Italian meteorologist, whose mind appears to have been 

 predisposed for the reception of lunar prejudice, attempts to 



119 



