213 
and not merely locally) 13 going beyond the 
object of this paper, viz., the moon's influence on 
local weather. More to the point (but still quite 
outside any '^influence" exerted by the moon on 
the weather), is the belief that when the old moon 
is very visible in the new moon's arms bad 
weather may be looked for. The visibility (at time 
of new moons) of that part of the moon's face 
unilluminated by the sun is caused by its being 
illuminated by the earth, i.e., by reflected sunshine 
from the earth. Vast masses of clouds to the west, 
hanging on the earth's surface, reflect more sun- 
light on to the moon than the earth's unclouded 
surface would do, hence the inference that to the west 
of us are huge rain clouds. 
Finally, he throws 8, sop to those who loill have 
some sort of theory left them. " A moon's quarter," 
he says, " is roughly equivalent to a week, and So- 
and-So onoe told me that he had very frequently 
noticed a tendency in the weather to change and 
repeat itself every seven days. A similar seven- 
day periodicity has been observed in the United 
States. The meteorological conditions of a large 
Continent, it must be remembered, are simpler 
than those of our little islands, and hence it is 
possible that a cycle almost completely masked here, 
might disclose itself there!" But he is careful to 
add ; " It is not to be supposed that I am contending 
for a cycle due to the moon, only that there seems 
to be some evidence of the existence of a seven- 
day weather period which may sometimes happen 
to be coincident with the lunar phases," Well, 
on this I have to remark, that some sort of weather 
must be co-incident with the lunar phases; and 
as regards " a moon's quarter being roughly equi- 
valent to a week," so is a week roughly equivalent 
to a moon's quarter ; and in a very short time 
(for observations) they both get too much mixed, — 
any given phase of the moon being absolutely 
non-synchronous with any day, except once in 
nineteen years as discovered by Meton, hence called 
the " Metonic cycle." One' more quotation from 
J. W. Oliver, and then we will leave him: "The 
moon exerts no influence upon our atmosphere strong^ 
enough, by comparison with the other influences 
at work, to produce a marked correspondence I 
between the lunar and atmospheric phenomena. 
Of that we are certain. Let ua therefore belabour 
the false doctrine upon which these notions are 
founded with all our might." (J. W. 0.) 
I will conclude with a few arguments which from 
time to time have suggested themselves to me. (1.) If 
the earth rolled in her orbit on an axis horizontial to 
the sun, we might possibly expect that some 
perceptible influence over the "weather" of a cli- 
mate so monotonous would be exorcised by the moon, 
But the earth's seasons, the polar ice, and the 
heat of the tropics are caused by the inclination 
of the earth's axis to the plane of her revolution 
round the sun, and the phenomena resulting from 
this are so varied and potent as to obliterate all 
traces of the moon's more feeble influence in any 
locality, [l.) In obedience to the sun's action upon j 
oceans, and seas, and deserts, and mountain-ranges, 
and rivers, and swamps, tornados, cyclones and 
Btorma are constantly tearing here and there through 
our atmosphere, destroying all approach to equili- 
brium over immense sarfaces, so that anything like 
regularity or constancy of mere weather conditions 
ure rendered impoBsib'.e; and no amount of reliable 
obsocvations have been made to fix reourrenoes in the 
least degree. (3.) In spite of the moon's attraction, 
pulling in any direotioua she may, the tropical 
atmospheric currents change from north-east to 
flouth-west in obedience to the "s(((!'s" north and 
south declination, and these changes— the most 
uonirtftat ana teourriag q£ Rny— are mm Qt \m 
accompanied by storms and rain, and cloud, as hot 
deserts, ocean-currents, the polar snows, the surface 
of the ocean itself, and the highest mountain-ranges 
&o., have been exposed to, — or hidden by cloud-banks 
from-the sun's action upon them. And as these 
occur over all the earth's surface, all parts are 
constantly subject to different degrees of exposure, 
resulting in chaos as regards " weather " in aay 
particular place. (4.) The " seasons " are necessarily 
constant, as such, from- the great regularity 
of the sun's annual journey south to north and 
back; but "the inconstant moon, that monthly 
(daily, hourly, every minute) changes in her circled 
orb," would produce just as inconstant weather. 
It is the revolution of the earth on its axis that 
causes the constancy of the diurnal tides, which other- 
wise, would be lunar — monthly. As it is, the moon 
has no influence over the " weather " of the ocean, 
but only over her mean level. (5.) Yet, if the 
infinitessimal extent to which the moon does aJJ'ect 
the atmosphere, as a whole hemisphere, (and not 
any minute portion over any particular locaUty) 
oould be measured, it would be found, doubtless, 
to be greater than her influence over the weather 
of the ocean, that is, its currents, temperature, 
calms and storms. This fact should not be forgotten 
when it is claimed that the moon's influence over 
the height of the tvatas of our globe is analogous to 
the influence, it is assumed, she ought to exercise 
over the mere " weather " of our atmosphere. TItero 
is no analogy over the level of water of one element, 
and the meteorological conditions of another element 
in ten thousand times ten thousand diflerent 
places. (6.) In a scientific paper just to hand I 
find the following paragraph, which, as showing 
how differently the " moon " behaves in different 
places, I copy and close with:— "As an instance 
of the comparative uselessness of generalisations 
from records of rainfall, it may be noted that, 
according to an observer at Caversham, Oxfordshire, 
the rainfall there, during April amounted to -70 iu., 
while in April 1890 it was recorded at 1-87. At 
Shifnal, Staffordshire, the amounts were reversed, 
for 1-96 fell during last April, while the rainfall 
of April 1890 was recorded as only '83, The records 
bear out what is well known to all closa observers 
that rainfall varies considerably within com- 
paratively smallareas." (English Mechanic.) So that 
a moon gazer must unlearn his old lore and study 
new whenever he changes his habitat. And then, if 
he is wise, he will no larger consult the moon, 
but the local conditions that surround him. 
[After all is said, some may have lingering doubts 
whether the moon may no5 have some influence 
on local conditions. The sunspot cycle theory is 
met by the same objection of varying weather in 
difl'erent parts of the earth, and yet a good many 
scientists, including Blanford, believe to some ex- 
tent in sunapot weather cycles,— Ed, T, A.} 
— 4> — _ 
A NEW WORK ON CACAO; PliOroSED 
ANALYSES OF CEYLON TEA BY 
MH. HUGHES ; RAG MANURE 
FOR TEA. 
London, Aug. lith 
It may serve a useful purpose just to 
draw the attention of your planters to the 
fact that a new work on cacao, by Mr. J. H. 
Hart, of the Botanical Gardens, Trinidad, is 
now in the press and will shortly be issued. Mr. 
Hart undertook the work with the sanction and 
full approval of the Governor of the cacao island; 
and there is every reason to believe that hia 
esperieuQe wiU hv(% enabled Um to lay some yei 
