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If January has never
a drop, the barn will need an open prop
If in February there be no rain, it is neither good for hay nor grain.
March
damp and warm, will do the farmer much harm.
April cold and wet, fills the barns best yet.
Cold May and windy, barn
filleth up finely.
If ants move their eggs and climb, rain is coming anytime.
When eager bites the thirsty
flea, clouds and rain you sure shall see.
When spiders' webs in air do fly, the spell will soon be very dry.
Low
over the grass the swallows wing, and crickets, too, how sharp they sing.
- A change in the moon brings a change
in the weather.
- If all stars are out tonight, nice day tomorrow.
When the wind is blowing from the north,
No
fisherman should set forth.
When the wind is blowing from the east,
'Tis not fit for man nor beast.
When the wind
is blowing from the south,
It brings food to fish's mouth.
When the wind is blowing in the west,
That is when
the fishing is best!
- Every wind has it's weather.
- Do business when the wind is from the westerly, for
then the barometer is high.
Farmer's Chant:
Go plant the bean when the moon is light,
and you will find that
this is right.
Plant the potatoes when the moon is dark,
and to this you always hark.
But if you vary from this
rule,
You will find that you're the fool.
If you always follow this rule to the end,
You will always have money
to spend.
- It is said that when flies bite, a storm is coming.
- If spiders make bigger webs, the dryer the
weather.
- A purple sunset means frost.
Infallible signs of Rainy Weather:
If Ducks or Drakes their Wings
do flutter high
Or tender Colts upon their Backs do lie,
If Sheep do bleat, or play, or skip about,
Or Swine hide
Straw by bearing on their Snout,
If Oxen lick themselves against the Hair,
Or grazing Kine to feed apace appear,
If
Cattle bellow, grazine from below,
Or if Dogs Entrails rumble to and fro,
If Doves or Pigeons in the Evening come
Later than usual to their Dove-House Home,
If Crows and Daws do oft themselves be-wet,
Or Ants and Pismires Home
a-pace do get,
If in the dust Hens do their Pinions shake,
Or by their flocking a great Number make,
If Swallows
fly upon the Water low,
Or Wood-Lice seem in Armies for to go,
If Flies or Gnats, or Fleas infest and bite,
Or
sting more than they're wont by Day or Night,
If Toads hie Home, or Frogs do croak amain,
Or Peacocks cry
Soon
after look for Rain!
The farmers here know Astrology well - from the Farmer's Almanacs that they have and review
frequently. But they have different terminology for it:
Pisces is "In the feet"
Aquarius is "In the legs"
Capricornus
is "The Knees time"
Sagittarius is "By the Thighs"
Scorpio is "The Privates"
Libra is "The bowels," of "The low
belly"
Leo is "The heart"
Cancer or "Crabby" is "The Chest,"
Gemini is "The Arms"
Taurus is "The Neck"
Aries
is "The head"
This site is by no means finished, but will perpetually grow with time, the longer I am around the farmers,
and listening to their advice. Below are superstitions I've heard, and even I find myself adhering to the older I get:
Household
Superstitions:
If you drop a dish-rag, expect a dirt visitor. If it lands in a wad, a woman - if it lands spread out,
a man. Either way, it's bad luck to drop the dish-rag anyway.
Dropping a fork means a male-guest, a knife or spoon
a woman.
When two roosters fight in the yard, male company will arrive - if two hens, women - but expect trouble.
If your nose itches, expect unexpected company (but be wary, they'll be needy and will be looking to you to bail them
out):
-right side means a woman
- left side means a man.
Right eye itching means bad luck, but the left
eye means good news is coming.
The ears are also signs to look for:
If the Right ear burns, someone is speaking
ill about you. Pinch it, to make them bite their tongue.
If it's the Left ear, someone is talking in general about
you.
It's said often that if someone sneezes while telling a story then the story is true.
Sneezes are very
popular with superstitions:
Sneese on a Monday, sneeze for danger.
Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger.
Sneeze
of Wednesday, sneeze for a letter.
Sneese of Thursday, sneeze for the better.
Sneeze on Friday, sneeze for sorrow.
Sneeze on Saturday, see your beau tomorrow.
Sneese on Sunday - odd luck'll have you all week!
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