e edges and the nails will draw out.

Lay a board on the grass; if the horns of the moon are up, the grass will
not be killed; if they are down, it will.

Cut your hair on the first Friday after the new moon.

Never cut your hair in the decrease of the moon.

Cut your corns in the decrease of the moon.

Nos. 1114-1123.--These superstitions regarding planting crops according
to the moon are by no means idle sayings that have no influence over
farmers. I know positively that in many parts of the United States and in
Prince Edward Island gardens and fields are often planted after direct
reference to the almanac in regard to the moon's changes. Metropolitan
dwellers have small knowledge of what an important book the almanac is to
many country people. In many a quiet farm home the appearance of the new
almanac is looked forward to with great interest. Its arrival is
welcomed, and it is hung up near the kitchen clock for constant
reference. It is studied with care, especially on Sundays. The farmer or
farm-wife, who would scorn to do an hour's work in the hay-field to save
a crop from a Sunday shower, earnestly peruses the almanac to get rules
to guide the week-day sowing and planting. There are old auguries, too,
of whose import I am not definitely informed, to be derived from
consulting the signs of the zodiac; auguries, I think, concerning human
destiny as well as the planting of crops. Speaking of the place held by
the almanac recalls one of those neighborhood anecdotes that by oft
telling become classic. A young woman long ill, with consumption I
believe, died very suddenly. Her brother, in speaking of the event, said:
"Why, no, we never thought of Mary dying so soon. Why, she sat up in the
big rocking-chair most all Sunday afternoon, reading the almanac, and
then she died on Monday." Poor Mary, the thin volume was her sole
library!

CHAPTER XVI.--It would involve a much more extended discussion than the
space-limits of these notes will allow, to undertake to show the origin
and meaning of the superstitions in regard to the sun and sunwise
movement. While the origin and meaning of sun-worship has been very fully
treated by Sir G.W. Cox, Professor Max Mueller, Professor De Gubernatis,
and others, the existence in modern times and among civilized communities
of usages which seem to be derived from sun-worship has apparently almost
escaped notice. I quote in this connection a few paragraphs from my brief
article on th