121 

 OBSERVATIONS ON THE WEATHER, 



AS INFLUENCED BY 



CHANGES OF THE MOON. 



Lest the reader should judge, from my introducing this 

 suhject, that I am an advocate for Moon-planting, in any 

 other sense than in ascribing the various changes of the 

 weather to the influence of that great luminary, I would 

 here offer a few observations in reference to the practice 

 aud prejudices of many persons in choosing the first quarter 

 of the Moon for planting such vegetables as yield their 

 produce above the surface, as Cabbage, &c. and the last 

 quarter or wane of the Moon for such as grow and yield 

 •heir produce chiefly in the earth, and below the surface, as 

 Potatoes, &c. 



I would first observe, that if the Moon has any direct 

 influence over vegetable productions, it must operate in 

 many cases quite the reverse to what these theorists gene- 

 rally aim at ; for instance, if the earth and weather should 

 happen to be dry in the first week after planting certain 

 species of seed, such would fail to germinate for want of its 

 most essential aliment, moisture ; and in consequence of 

 such seeds laying dormant in the earth, until after another 

 change of the Moon, if that luminary influences the seed at 

 all, in such case it must be contrary to the objects of the 

 honest planter. 



As I deem this argument alone sufficient to shake the 

 foundation of Moon-planting, in the sense I have described, 

 I shall at once submit to the reader's attention, the following 

 observations, and table, from the pen of the justly celebrated 

 Dr. Adam Clarke. Some exceptions, however, may be 

 taken to his rules ith regard to the wind, which does not 

 operate in all pi lea alike. For example, in rainy seasons 

 with us, the v id is generally East, North-East or South- 

 East, and cold weather comes by a North-West wind. In 



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