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OBSERVATIONS ON THE WEATHER. 
OBSERVATIONS ON THE WEATHER, AS INFLU- 
ENCED BY CHANGES OF THE MOON. 
Lest the reader should judge, from my introducing this 
subject, 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 and 
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 their produce 
chiefly in the earth, and below the surface, as Potatoes, &c. 
I would first observe, that if the moon has any direct in 
fluence over vegetable productions, it must operate in many 
cases quite the reverse to what these theorists generally ex- 
pect ; 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 nutriment, moisture; and in consequence of such 
seed lying 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, with regard to the wind, which does not operate 
in all places alike. For example, in rainy seasons with us, 
the wind is generally east, northeast, or southeast, and cold 
weather is attended by a northwest wind. In England, where 
these calculations were made, it is in some respects different : 
“ From my earliest childhood I was bred up on a little 
farm, which I was taught to care for and cultivate ever since 
I was able to spring the rattle, use the whip, manage the 
