160 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Mr. John G. Bergen. — The trouble about this whole matter is, the gentle- 

 man assumes things as facts which are not facts. It is all assumption that a 

 change occurs always at the equinoctial period. Although storms do often 

 occur, they are by no means certain to occur at that time, nor does frost 

 always follow; it often precedes and sometimes fails to come near the equi^ 

 noctial period. We talk about storms and frosts as sure to come at a cer- 

 tain time, as though it was a matter of fact, and not a mere belief that they 

 are governed by planetary influence. I have kept records that prove that 

 frost and the 20th of September have no connection, and that storms are 

 as likely to come two weeks before or two weeks after the equinox as at 

 the precise time. We want facts, and not popular belief about the moon, 

 or influence of any other planet upon the earth. 



Mr. S. Robinson. — I do not believe there is any planetary influence upon 

 plants or animals regulated by any fixed law. Just look back only a few 

 days, and think of the so-called equinoctial storm. Did it come at the right 

 time? South of this it came on Thursday, Sept. IT, and here Sept. 18 — 

 very mild, but severe in Central New-York; and before the proper time for 

 it, according to theory, it had all passed over, and the weather was delight- 

 ful until the 25th, when it stormed a little, arid again, October 2, pretty 

 severely. Which of these was the regular equinoctial storm, produced by 

 planetary influence, at a certain fixed time ? 



Mr. John H. Mudget, Forksville, Lake county, Illinois, says: "Some ten or 

 twelve years ago I had a very nice piece of ground I was planting to po- 

 tatoes; rows about ten rods long; time, in the first half of May; and while 

 in the field at planting, a friend carae into the field and said that Mr. Wait 

 always planted on the full of the moon in May, and alwa3-s had good pota- 

 toes. So I covered up what I had dropped, and waited for the moon to 

 full, nearly or quite two weeks. Well, instead of gaining fifty bushels on 

 three bushels of seed, I lost thirteen bushels on thirteen rows, through the 

 piece, which was the part left to plant on the moon. There was still ano- 

 ther loss in their inferior size and fairness, though all good. So I have not 

 planted on the moon since. I will let the old man that has made baskets 

 so long on the moon stop and plant hi.s own potatoes, or go without." 



Mr. J. G. Bergen. — We cannot entirely disperse the popular errors about 

 the influence of the moon or other planets upon our labors, but, there is an 

 improvement constaijtly going on. A century ago the moon was much 

 more believed in than it is now, and so was the theory of the equinoctial 

 storms and frosts. Some years we have frosts every month — that was the 

 case this j^ear in Indiana, and in all the Western States there was a deso- 

 lating frost in August. A brother of mine had a theory that it was never 

 so likely to storm at full moon as at other periods. To prove this or dis- 

 prove it, we kept records a whole year, and found that more storms occun*ed 

 at full moon time than at any other time. People seem to be wedded to 

 early prejudices. Let us do what we can to eradicate popular errors. I 

 am aware that a theory once adopted, is hard to get rid of, because people 

 never count any failures. My observations convince me that there are no 

 fixed facts in regard to theory about the weather, and particularly about 

 any certain influence of sun, moon or stars upon the earth. Records dis- 

 prove many theories. 



