550 AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

LUNAR INFLUEN CES.

According to popular belief, the moon not only presides over human maladies, but, like comets, is made responsible for a vast variety of interferences upon the weather, as well as upon organized. naturé. The circulation of the juices of vegetables, the qualities of grain, the fate of the vintage, are all attributed to its influence; timber must be felled, the harvest reaped and gathered in, and the juice of the grape expressed at times and under circumstances regulated by the aspects of our satellite, if excellence be hoped for in these pro- ducts of the soil. If these opinions were limited to particular coun- tries, they would be less entitled to serious consideration; but it is a curious fact that many of them prevail, and have prevailed, in sections of the globe so distant and unconnected, that it is difficult to imagine the error to have proceeded from a single source. At all events, the extent of its prevalence alone rendered it a fit subject for investigation by M. Arago, who demonstrated that, so far as actual observation has hitherto afforded grounds for reasoning, there is no discoverable correspondence between the lunar changes and the vicissitudes of rain and drought, which can justify, or in any degree countenance, the popular belief so generally entertained.

The opinion that timber should only be felled during the decline of the moon, is acted upon with undoubting confidence in various countries, and is even made the ground of legislation in France, with the belief that its increase causes the sap to ascend, and, if cut during the latter period, it will contain more sap, and will, therefore, be more spongy, more likely to be attacked by worms, more difficult to season, and more readily split and warped by changes of tempera- ture. Hence, it would follow that the proper time for felling timber would be at new moon. With a view of ascertaining whether this supposed correspondence between the movement of the sap and the phases of the moon actually exists, the accompanying table has been prepared. It will also be serviceable in making comparisons in the weather in times past, as well as in the verification of dates, and testing the recollection of witnesses in court.

EXPLANATION.

Directly under the years will be found the moon's age, change, and full, corresponding with the days of each month on the left. N, indicates new moon; F, full moon. To find the state of the moon at the period Washington crossed the Delaware, on the 25th, 26th of December, 1776, it will be perceived that it was near its full. Again, it will be observed that, at the time of the great gale in North Carolina, on the 3d of September, 1815, the moon was one day old.

D. J. B.

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