IV. 



PLANTING IN THE MOON. 



"The superstitious man will not commit his seed to the earth 

 when the soil, but when the moon, requires it."— Wrenfds, 1748. 



I SUPPOSE no more accurate index exists of the 

 state of intelligence in any community in mod- 

 ern times than the amount of reliance placed on the 

 influence of the moon in human affairs. 



Forty years ago the agricultural journals were 

 frequently called upon to refute and expose the 

 numerous popular superstitions regarding the in- 

 fluence of the moon in agriculture. Now it is rare 

 that the subject is even alluded to, and although 

 the number of persons is still large who are more 

 or less guided in their operations by such beliefs, 

 they are mainly of a class who are little influenced 

 by published information of any kind. 



Beliefs in the influence of the moon on plants 

 and animals and upon the weather are almost world 

 wide; they originated with the birth of astrology, 

 and developed at a time when all the heavenly 

 bodies were supposed each to have its peculiar in- 

 fluence over the affairs of men. The wisest of the 

 Greeks and Romans gave directions for performing 



(51) 



