189 
Destruction of Insects—The Moon—Preservation of Health. 
on the bottom and sides of the granary, will also prevent 
their ravages. Salt water sprinkled on the grain is 
said to have the same effect. It is kept from growing 
grain by sowing 3 or 4 bushels per acre while moist by 
rains or dews. Salt and lime, plaster of paris and salt¬ 
petre, are, as a general rule, useful for destroying 
grubs, worms, and insects; and if not in excess, never 
injure, but always promote the growth of plants. In 
France, undressed sheep skins, with the wool on un¬ 
washed, laid over and around the grain, have been 
found to attract and destroy the whole community of 
them. Locks of unwashed wool laid in drawers with 
woollen clothes, have been found in like manner 
effectual in destroying moths. Most of the herbs con¬ 
taining the essential oils and of pungent odor, have been 
found also, to drive away mice, insects, ants, &c., such 
as peppermint, spearmint, sage, &c. &c. 
The Moon .—We think this vagrant, changeful, and 
not totally spotless vestal, has altogether too much noto¬ 
riety either for her own reputation, or the good sense 
of her traducers. Time was, when she had the credit, 
from the notable husseys of Europe, and America too 
for that matter, and their better halves to boot, of all 
the ills that affected them, curdling their milk, un¬ 
curdling their cheese, preventing the butter from coming, 
spoiling the meat, now swelling it in the pot, and anon 
shrinking it, disordering the children, turning the heads 
of the young folks, and crazing the older ones; causing 
the domestic animals to cast their young* or stirring up 
strange and unnatural appetites in them; blasting the 
seed of the farmer, or withholding the expected crop; 
in short she was the chosen and prolific home, whence 
issued all the hobgoblins, witches, and sprites that 
afflicted fallen humanity. On the other hand, the poets 
and sentimentalists apotheosised her, as the fruitful 
mother, not only of all the chaster virtues, but as the 
harbinger of all good fortunes, and the bestower of 
benefits unnumbered to the human race. 
It can hardly be said, as in most other extreme views, 
that truth lies between, as we conceive it lies no 
where in this controversy. The fair damsel is one of 
the sources of light to us, and for her mild, benignant 
rays,and at all times pleasant, varying phase,we bless her 
gentle presence. She is the favored recipient of many 
a poet’s lay, and her silver bows are hung with the gar¬ 
lands, woven by the love-lorn lass, or her devoted inamo¬ 
rata ; and she is always the kindly mirror to receive 
and reflect at the genial hour, the cherished forms of 
those we love in distant lands. 
But divested of all sentiment, and taking the philo¬ 
sophical view of the matter, we are obliged candidly to 
confess, she has but little to do with nature’s operations, 
who always deals with matters of fact alone. The 
moon, by her proximity and weight alone, acting in 
accordance with the general laws of matter, attracts and 
is attracted by our earth. The solid matter, from its 
adhesiveness, she moves not, nor stirs perceptibly the 
water in our inland seas and lakes. But on the vast 
body of the ocean and the atmosphere, she acts to a 
great extent, producing liquid and aerial tides. These 
have various influences on such animal and vegetable 
life, as are directly connected with them, and are fruit¬ 
ful of other phenomena. But with these, the plain 
farmer has little to do ; and we may safely say to him, 
that in all his operations of seeding and harvests, and 
the multifarious operations of his farm, he will most 
effectually consult his own interests, and subserve the 
principles of common sense, by not consulting an old 
wive’s fable, or old crone’s legend, in connection with 
the moon. Impregnation is most effectually secured, 
by deferring the connexion till the animal is going out 
of heat 
Preservation of Health. 
The following judicious cautions as to the preserva¬ 
tion of that invaluable blessing, health, by one every 
way competent to offer them, we cannot too earnestly 
commend to the careful attention of our readers. We 
anticipate with great pleasure, a series of articles on this 
and similar subjects, affecting human comfort and 
health, from the same pen. 
For the American Agriculturists 
Gent : Probably in no portion of the community do we 
observe a greater degree of thoughtlessness and prodigal¬ 
ity on the score of health , than among that portion 
known as the laboring class. To no portion is health 
of so much consequence as this—for with them it is 
not alone a matter which concerns its immediate bless 
ings, such as personal enjoyment, longevity and capa¬ 
bility of usefulness; but it is a matter which affects 
directly and intimately their means of subsistence. 
Health is (so to speak) their stock in trade : and the ef¬ 
fect of any thing which deteriorates it, tends, just so 
far as it diminishes their strength and power of endur¬ 
ance, to diminish the productiveness of the <c capital” 
which nature assigned to them. 
This is a subject which it is of immense importance 
should be more generally considered, and correct princi¬ 
ples diffused among those who have not leisure, oppor¬ 
tunity, and too often self-consideration enough to prose¬ 
cute inquiries and investigations for themselves. Not 
to occupy a disproportionate share of your valuable 
space, I shall restrict myself to a few suggestions, 
wholly of a practical character, which, I hope, may 
serve, at least, to excite reflection among those more 
especially interested. 
As laborers are in a great measure without the influ¬ 
ence of those causes of disease which arise from luxury 
idleness, and the unrestrained cultivation and indulg¬ 
ence of the passions, by far the greater number of the 
diseases from which they suffer arise from two sources, 
viz: atmospheric vicissitudes and malaria. Putting 
aside the operation of the use of the alcoholic poison, 
nearly all their ailments may be attributed to these two 
sources. The observance of a few judicious regula¬ 
tions of clothing, and habits of carefulness, with regard 
to exposure, would, doubtless, do much towards their 
protection from these morbific agencies. 
Laborers are altogether too indifferent on the subject 
of dress. In cold latitudes in the winter season, the 
body of the working man, fully as much as that of any 
other individual, should be warmly clothed. They 
might know this if they would interpret aright 
the intimations of nature in her provisions for the health 
and comfort of animals. If simplicity of diet and phy¬ 
sical exercise, had been enough, nature, who is ever 
economical, would not have invested animals with fur, 
wool, or feathers. This hint from nature might also 
lead to the proper choice of the substances from which 
clothing for the use of man is to be manufactured. It is 
not thickness, closeness of texture, or strength, which 
are the most useful properties. It is the non-conduct¬ 
ing quality. The body furnishes its own supplies of 
caloric, and the duty of art should be to prevent its too 
great radiation from the body by interposing substances 
which do not easily permit of its transmission. Differ¬ 
ent substances differ very much in this respect; and we 
find that those which are instituted by nature for pre¬ 
cisely this object, possess this property in the most emi¬ 
nent degree. 
This explains the advantages of enveloping the body 
with flannel, the virtue of which resides chiefly in its 
non-conducting property; and which need not always 
be thick and heavy in its texture to secure, measura¬ 
bly, its value as a protective against atmospheric vicis¬ 
situdes. 
