The Old Farmer's Almanac 1999 [1999 ed.] 1571980903, 9781571980908

Citation preview

ALL NEW! Facts, Features, and Fun for

THE

ORIGINAL

ROBERT

B.

THOMAS

ALSO FEATURING ASTRONOMICAL TABLES, TIDES,

FARMER’S ALMANAC,

HOLIDAYS,

FOUNDED

IN

ECLIPSES,

1792

ETC.

NORTH AMERICA’S OLDEST CONTINUOUSLY PUBLISHED PERIODICAL

WEATHER FORECASTS For 16 Regions of the United States y

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PLANTING TABLES, ZODIAC SECRETS

very autumn for the past 207 years, m

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The Old Farmer's Almanac has appeared in bookstores and on newsstands, offering readers an infor¬

mative and entertaining guide to the year ahead. From the first edition, published by Robert B. Thomas in 1792, to the copy you are holding in your hands, the Almanac has featured daily as¬ tronomical data, useful reference charts, planting tips, puzzles, commonsense advice, and fearless weather forecasts (80 percent accurate!). For the year 1999, the Almanac is chock-full of up-to-the-minute facts and figures for every day, as well as all-new feature stories and helpful advice. Flere are some highlights of this issue: “In Search of New Year’s Eve, A.D. 999” ♦♦♦ What really happened 1,000 years ago, at the end of the first millennium

A.D.?

“The Best Apple Pie in the Whole Wide World” ♦♦♦ Secrets of a National Pie Championship¬ winning baker. “How to Predict the Weather Using a Pig Spleen” ♦♦♦ Saskatchewan farmers reveal ways to interpret the porcine spleen. “Weather Rules of Thumb” ♦♦♦ How to tell when it’s 60 below zero without looking at a thermometer. “General Washington Is Dead!” ♦♦♦ When George Washington died at Mount Vernon 200 years ago, his young country was cast into mourning. “A Brief History of Briefs (and Boxers, Draw¬ ers, and Breeches)” ♦♦♦ Almost everything you ever wanted to know about men’s underwear. “The Year of the Shooting Stars” ♦♦♦ 1999 is prime time for viewing meteor showers. “The Top 10 Feel-Good Herbs” ♦♦♦ Some ancient remedies, from calendula to valerian, are enjoying renewed popularity. “Where Ordinary Stuff Comes From” ♦♦♦ The uncommon history of some common objects of the 20th century. . , . . n J

continued on back flap

Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation

https://archive.org/details/oldfarmersalmana00oldf_5

Number Two Hundred and Seven

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Calculated on a new and improved plan for the year of our Lord

Being 3rd after LEAP YEAR and (until July 4) 223rd year of American Independence

Fitted for Boston and the New England states, with special CORRECTIONS AND CALCULATIONS TO ANSWER FOR ALL THE UNITED STATES. Containing, besides the large number of Astronomical Calculations and the Farmer’s Calendar for every month in the year, a variety of NEW, USEFUL, AND ENTERTAINING MATTER. Established in

1792

by Robert B. Thomas

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I wish that life should not be cheap, but sacred. I wish the days to be as centuries, loaded, fragrant. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

COPYRIGHT 1998 BY YANKEE PUBLISHING INCORPORATED

Cover T.M. registered in U.S. Patent Office

ISSN 0078-4516

Library of Congress Card No. 56-29681

Address all editorial correspondence to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Dublin, NH 03444 Old Farmer’s Almanac

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

• 1999

Features 10 Consumer

96 Joe the Crow and Other Tales

Tastes and Trends for 1999

102 A Brief History of Briefs (and Boxers, Drawers, and Breeches)

108 The Top 10 Feel-Good Herbs

page 10

30 The Oldest (Surviving) Photograph of the Moon

52 The Year of the

page 186

Shooting Stars

112 Mr. Smith’s Maddening Mind-Manglers

114 Weather Rules of Thumb

118 How to Predict the Weather Using a Pig Spleen page 96

56 The Astonishing j Lunar Illumination ; of December 22, i 1999 j

page 108

88 Where Ordinary Stuff Comes From

j

(continued on page 4)

2

Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

12

Great Reasons to Own a Mantis Tiller 7. Dethatches your lawn. Thatch on your

1. Weighsjust 20 pounds.

lawn prevents water and nutrients from reaching the roots. The Dethatcher quickly removes thatch.

Mantis is a joy to use. It starts easily, turns on a dime, lifts nimbly over plants and fences.

8. Aerates your lawn, too. For a lush, healthy carpet, the Aerator slices thousands of tine slits in you lawn’s surface.

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10. The Mantis Promise Try any product that you buy directly from Mantis with NO RISK! If you’re not completely satisfied, send it back to us within one year for a complete, no hassle refund. 11. Warranties. The entire tiller is warranted for two full years. The tines are guaranteed forever against breakage.

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(continued from page 2)

150 The Great Arctic Outbreak of 1899

Charts, Tables, and Departments

154 Landscaping with Berries

*sr Howto Use This Almanac

170 Pass the Mustard! 176 The Best Apple Pie in the Whole Wide World

page 88

186 Why Elvis Presley Carried His Own Utensils

192 “Alcatraz Was Never No Good for Nobody”

202 “General Washington Is Dead!”

page 192

208 In Search of New Year’s Eve, a.d. 999

230 Why Are You Alive? 4

Anecdotes and Pleasantries .232 Aphelion, Earth at.38 Astrological Timetable 164 Calendar Pages..... 60-87 Calendars, 1998-2000 .240 Chronological Cycles... 37 Church Holy Days . 37,40,61-87,183 Classified Advertising 224 Conjunctions, Astronomical .38,46,61-87 Contests: Recipe.178 Essay.180 Dawn and Dark.212 Day, Length of... 35,60-86 Daylight Saving Time .. 34,70,82 Earthquakes.37 Eclipses.48 Eras.37 Feasts and Fasts.37 Fishing, Best Days for .. 44 Foreword, To Patrons ... 6 Frosts and Growing Seasons.162 Gestation and Mating Table.213 Glossary.42 Holidays and Observances .40 Key Letters.... 35,36,214

Meteor Showers.48 Moon: Astrological Place... 166 Astronomical Place . 36,60-86 Full, 1999-2003.48 Gardening by... 160,166 Phases of.60-86 Rise and Set... 36,60-86 Perihelion, Earth at.... 38 Planets: Rise and Set.46 Symbols for.38 Planting Table ... 160,166 Puzzles.112 Answers to.182 Seasons.37,57 Stars, Bright.50 Sun: Declination.60-86 Rise and Set 35,58,60-86 Sundials...35 Sun Fast. 35,60-86 Table of Measures.184 Temperature Conversion Formulas.117 Tides: Boston. 36,60-87 Corrections.210 Glossary .212 Time Corrections.214 Twilight, Length of ... 212

Where the Sun Rises and Sets.58 How to Find the Day of the Week for Any Given Date 113 1" Water = How Much Snow?.117 Easter Sunday (1999-2003) .183 Triskaidekaphobia .183 Unexpected Uses for Household Items.199 Animal Terminology.200 A Reference Compendium.241

Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

1999

Old Farmer’s Almanac

5

How this 207-year-old Almanac became “old” on its 40th birthday... t’s perfectly understandable that so many people erroneously refer to this publication as “The Farmer’s Al¬ manac.” After all, that was its original title when it first appeared in bookstores and on peddlers’ wagons in the fall of 1792. It joined hundreds of other so-called “farmer’s almanacs” being published during the latter years of the 18th century, when George Washington was serving his two terms as president. In fact, there were so many “farmer’s almanacs” that the term came to mean a certain style of late-18th-century periodical published exclusively here in North America, as opposed to the “philo¬ math” almanacs of England. To say a periodical was a farmer’s al¬ manac, therefore, was to say it was Ameri¬ can, was published annually, and featured astronomical calculations for each day of the year as well as planting tables, history, animal husbandry, recipes (for health cures and cookery), and an odd assortment of verses, aphorisms, and other elements. Oh, yes — most included, as did ours, longrange weather forecasts. In the early American household, farmer’s almanacs served the role that magazines, radio, and television do today — a major source of information and entertainment. A single shelf could hold the average household “library” in those days: perhaps an herbal (detailing the useful qualities of plants), a primer, a family Bible, and a farmer’s al¬ manac. Most people then had a direct con¬ nection to farming — were bom on a farm.

lived on a farm, had relatives who were farmers, or were themselves farmers. George Washington, for instance, qualified in all those categories. By the year 1832, when Andrew Jackson was president, our particular farmer’s al¬ manac was the only survivor of all those that had been around during the late 18th century. New ones, of course, were still starting up each year, but most were short¬ lived. Ours, the one you are now holding in your hands, continued not only to survive but to prosper. Thus it was that 1832 was a special year in the history of this farmer’s almanac. It had survived for 40 years. And its founder, Robert B. Thomas, of Sterling, Massachu¬ setts (whose name we continue to include on our cover and title page), decided to make it even more special — by changing its name. He added the adjective Old, not to describe Farmer but to indicate that his al¬ manac was a survivor, an original. So in¬ stead of The Farmer's Almanac, his al¬ manac became The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Thomas made no mention of the change in his “To Patrons” page that year, and we’d surmise there were probably three reasons. First of all, by this time his al¬ manac was already the oldest continuously published periodical in North America, a distinction it has held ever since. Second, perhaps he wanted to do something signif¬ icant for his publication’s 40th anniver¬ sary. Finally, there’s no doubt he wanted to differentiate his so-called farmer’s almanac from all the fly-by-night competitors that went by the same name. That reasoning would apply today. Oddly enough, after including Old in the title from 1832 through 1835, Thomas sud¬ denly dropped it again on the ten subsequent editions remaining in his 54-year tenure as editor. Maybe the competition subsided dur¬ ing his last years and he didn’t feel it was nec¬ essary. All we know is that it wasn’t until the 1848 edition, two years after his death, that the word Old returned and became a perma¬ nent part of the title. (continued on page 8)

Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

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Still, 1832 was the first year we were referred to as The Old Farmer's Almanac — and to think that we were first considered “old” at the young age of 40! Who could have imagined then that we would continue on through the Civil War years; into the Gilded Age; past World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II; and through the recent decades — and now, with this 1999 edition, be poised to enter the fourth century in which we’ve existed? Maybe even more re¬ markable is that today we’re being read by more people (nine million readers last year) than ever. Maybe the secret of our longevity has been that, in some ways, we’ve never been “old.” If you don’t count the recurrence of time correction ta¬ bles, reference charts, and the like, everything published in The Old Farmer’s Almanac has always been spanking new, up-to-date, and of cur¬ rent interest to our readers, including, of course, this year. Now, in case anyone is wondering, we have no plans to change our title again. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is who we are, now and forever ... al¬ though, if pressed, perhaps in another 207 years, like Thomas did in 1832, maybe we’d consider adding yet an¬ other word to our title — like Very. OK? J.D.H., June 1998

The 1999 Edition of

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Established in 1792 and published every year thereafter

Robert B. Thomas (1766-1846) FOUNDER

Judson D. Hale Sr. MANAGING EDITOR: Susan Peery EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Tim Clark ART DIRECTOR: Margo Letoumeau COPY EDITOR: Ellen Bingham ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR: Mare-Anne Jarvela SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Debra Sanderson RESEARCH EDITORS: Maude Salinger, Randy Miller SENIOR CONSULTING EDITOR: Mary Sheldon INTERNET EDITOR: Christine Halvorson ASTRONOMER: Dr. George Greenstein SOLAR PROGNOSTICATOR: Dr. Richard Head WEATHER PROGNOSTICATOR: Michael A. Steinberg WEATHER GRAPHICS AND CONSULTATION: Accu-Weather, Inc. ARCHIVIST: Loma Trowbridge CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Jamie Kageleiry; Bob Berman, Astronomy; Castle Freeman Jr., Farmer’s Calendar PRODUCTION DIRECTOR: Susan Gross PAGE PRODUCTION MANAGER: David Ziamowski SENIOR PRODUCTION ARTISTS: Lucille Rines, Rachel Kipka PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Brian Jenkins EDITOR (12th since 1792):

John Pierce PUBLISHER (23rd since 1792): Sherin Wight ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Sarah Duffy ADVERTISING PRODUCTION/CLASSIFIED: Donna Stone MAIL-ORDER MARKETING MANAGER: Susan Way DIRECT SALES MANAGER: Cindy Schlosser SPECIAL MARKETS DIRECTOR: Ronda Knowlton GROUP PUBLISHER:

ADVERTISING MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES General and Mail-Order Advertising Northeast & West: Robert Bembach Phone: 914-769-0051* Fax: 914-769-0691 Midwest: Tom Rickert Phone: 612-835-0506 • Fax: 612-835-0709 South: Sheala Browning Phone: 770-446-9900 • Fax: 770-825-0880 Michigan (General only): Ed Fisher Phone: 248-540-0948 • Fax: 248-540-0905

NEWSSTAND CIRCULATION: P.S.C.S.

However, it is by our works and not our words that

DISTRIBUTION: Curtis Circulation Company EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING, AND PUBLISHING OFFICES

we would be judged. These, we hope, will sustain us in the humble though proud station we have so long held in the name of Your obedient servant,

trccvOJs. 8

P.O. Box 520, Dublin, NH 03444 Phone: 603-563-8111 • Fax: 603-563-8252

Web site: www.almanac.com YANKEE PUBLISHING INC., MAIN ST., DUBLIN, NH 03444 Joseph B. Meagher, President; Judson D. Hale Sr., Senior Vice President; Brian Piani, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; Jody Bugbee, John Pierce, Joe Timko, and Sherin Wight, Vice Presidents. The Old Farmer’s Almanac will not return any unsolicited manuscripts that do not include a stamped and addressed return envelope. The Old Farmer’s Almanac publications are available at special discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions or premiums. Contact Special Markets, 603-563-8 111. The newsprint in this edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac consists of 23 percent recycled content. All printing inks used are soy-based. This product is recyclable. Consult local recycling regulations for the right way to do it. Printed in U.S.A.

Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

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i dxiex and i rends fob 1999 Hot Collectibles How to Predict What's In ■ “Collectibles,” states collector Harry Rinker, “lag five to ten years behind oldies radio.” Rinker says that oldies stations that used to play ’50s and ’60s music are now focusing on the ’70s. For now, the psychedelic 1960s have it. Here’s what to look for: ’60s maga¬ zines, especially TV Guide, or LIFE with the Beatles or Marilyn Monroe on the cover. Also hot: posters from the ’60s and tableware, especially plates and glassware. Hold on to 70s clothing, TV and movie memorabilia, and toys. Other standouts: records from the 1940s (not Bing Crosby) with photo¬ graphs on the covers, and sheet music with photographs of celebrities.

chrome shakers shaped like skyscrapers, zeppelins, roosters, and golf bags. “Tobaccianna” sounds like an opera but refers to smoking implements now seen as art objects. Antique pipes and humidors have doubled in value in the last ten years. Museum-grade antique meerschaum pipes go for $2,000 to

$10,000. Collector Cars (according to Hemmings Motor News):

■ 1960-1970 Volvo 122: Good for 200,000 miles and nicely styled. ■ 1948-1951 Willys Jeepster: “This sportster is America’s last phaeton.” ■ 1963-1965 Ford Falcon Futura/Falcon Sprint convertible: “Mustang on the cheap.”

And from the Roaring ’20s, the hot collectible is the cocktail shaker, introduced during Prohibition. Watch for vintage

■ 1966 Ford Thunderbird convertible: Ford’s last convertible T-bird.

Anything Titanic: We re betting this wave of collecting will continue at least through the New Year.

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10

Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

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Old Farmer’s Almanac

11

Consumer Tastes and Trends for 1999

ing up in pants, dresses, and even evening gowns (that would be a big splurge). Ac¬ companying the longer skirts will be long vests, scarves, and coats. Pants, for men and women, will be wide-legged and comfy. For fun, there will be some styles from the 1940s, a glamorous look (women’s hats with “per¬ sonality,” men’s roomy suits) from a time when fashion was dominated by Hollywood, because Paris design was silenced by the war. Also, it’s a style that looks good on people swing dancing and drinking martinis, two rages expected to enjoy good shelf lives. In running shoes, watch for the retro gray New Balance shoe, plus Lifesaver colors in other brands. Chunky heels for women still look good with most fashions. Stilettos are out.

Fashion Colors ■ A couple of years ago, Vogue said brown was the new black. Looks like gray will be the new brown for winter and spring. Blue is showing up, too — baby blue, misty blue, indigo, and periwinkle. You’ll see lots of navy in men’s clothing, too.

Styles ■ The shift this year in design is toward the clas¬ sics — straightforward, sophisticated designs. The word for skirts this winter is long, knee-length or just below, with many to the ankle. Pleated skirts will be especially popular. Watch for this “uniform”: knee- or ankle-length skirt (often a knit, even cashmere) topped by a gray cashmere sweater or “twin set.” Cashmere, always a splurge, will be show¬

Good News for 1999

today, half would score above 120, and half would score below. Explanations? Guesses include better nutrition, ur¬ banization, smaller families, and — horrors! — even the increased agility of children’s minds due to TV and video games.

No Generation War Here ■ A 1998 poll found that 51 percent of teenagers believe they get along with their parents “very well,” and 46 percent said “fairly well.” Eighty-nine percent of teens have to tell their parents where they’re going when they go out. When asked whom they admire most, 44 per¬ cent of girls and 18 percent of boys named their mother (26 percent of boys and 8 percent of girls named Dad).

A Walk a Day... ■ A major study has found that for people in their 60s, 70s, and 80s, walking just two miles a day, even at a leisurely pace, cuts the risk of death almost in half.

IQ Scores Are Up ■ Half the children taking the Stan ford-Binet Intelligence Test in 1932 scored above 100, and half scored be¬ low. For children taking the same test

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Giving Blood Is Good for You ■ A cardiologist at ^ Kansas University i

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Old Farmer’s Almanac

) 1999

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Consumer Tastes and Trends for 1999

Medical Center has found that men who donate blood at least once in three years are 30 percent less likely to develop heart disease than nondonors. One ex¬ planation: Periodic loss of blood reduces iron levels in the blood (good for the heart); it could be, too, that blood donors are healthier to start with.

Froggy Painkiller ■ Thank goodness for Epibpedobates tricolor, a poisonous Ecuadorean frog. A new painkiller extracted from its skin

What to Watch Out For in 1999 ■ Just when you thought it was safe to jump off a tower using a bungee cord, along comes this distressing news: Bungee cords, researchers warn, can snap you in the eye and cause serious wounds, increasing your risk of glaucoma.

■ In the past century, we have reduced our average sleep time by 20 percent, according to the National Sleep Foun¬ dation. When all time clues are re¬ moved, people sleep for 10.3 hours per 9 day, the same as ^monkeys. But the av¬ erage American, pro¬ pelled awake by an alarm clock, sleeps only seven. Lack of sleep causes numer¬ ous car accidents and countless episodes of crabbiness.

H It’s bad for you. Some otolaryngol¬ ogists (nose and throat doctors) did a study on 42 drill instructors in an inten¬ sive training program. They found that in five days, the yellers had significant damage: swelling of the vocal cords and red¬ ness, with permanent dam¬ age after long-term abuse. So, KEEP IT DOWN!

Mountain Air H This seems crazy — isn’t mountain air what

Eating In and Eating Out

almonds, kumquats, and coffee. It fo¬ cuses on Caribbean cooking but is also used to describe any exotic/tropical blend of tastes, such as Vietnamese soft spring rolls with paw-paw slaw and peanut dipping sauce.

What’s In ■ “New World” fare. This cuisine fea¬ tures ingredients such as coconuts, yucca, shrimp, mangoes, citrus fruits,

14

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■ Blueberries came out on top among common fruits and vegetables in anti¬ oxidant power (the ability to combat cell-damaging free radicals), reports the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter. Blue¬ berries are rich in ellagic acid, shown to have potent anticancer effects in lab animals.

Sleep Deprivation

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More Blueberries, Please

cured Heidi? Researchers at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital have found that on days when air pollution is relatively high, hikers on Mount Wash¬ ington end up with worse lung function than when they start out. Truth is, it’s not the mountain air that’s so bad, it’s the city air rising to greet it.

Bungee Cords

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Old Farmer’s Almanac

) 1999

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©1998 Bose Corporation. Covered by patent rights issued and/or pending. Installment payment plan not to be combined with any other offer and available on credit card orders only. Price does not include $15 shipping and handling and applicable sales tax. Price and/or payment plan subject to change without notice. Frank Beacham, Radio World, 12/93. Wired, 6/94.

Consumer Tastes and Trends for 1999

Speaking of tropical, it’s now official: The

lots of the “sugary straw” on the grocery shelves.

hotter the climate, the spicier the food. Re¬

The Cost of Eating ■ The average adult will work 40 days this year to earn enough to pay the household food bill (better than the 129 days to pay taxes, though). Only 23 cents of every dollar spent on food finds its way into farmers’ and growers’ pockets.

searchers compared India with Norway and found that in India, gar¬ lic, onions, and hot peppers are found in more than 70 percent of the recipes, and in Norway (land of lutefisk and lefse), barely any of those ingredients are used. The reasons? Hot spices inhibit 75 to 100 percent of the food-spoilage bacteria against which they were tested, bacteria that are far more prevalent in hot re¬ gions. Also, hot spices cool people down by making them sweat.

It’s Just Offal in the UK ■ The newest dining craze in England is the consumption of offal, or innards. Some menu selections that are meeting with praise: pig’s-head salad (includes cheek, ears, and tongue on a mix of greens); roast bone-marrow and parsley salad; and chit¬ terlings (pig’s intestines) and kale.

The Fickle Finger of Fat ■ Taste buds win, no-fat foods lose. In 1999, more food producers will throw up their hands and throw in a little more fat to make “guilt-free” crackers and cookies more palatable and to keep sales from slumping. Look for more “reduced fat” la¬ bels and fewer “low fat” and “fat free” claims. Consumers say they’d rather eat a little less of something that tastes good than

Communal Dining ■ Watch for group seating in restau¬ rants, where you sit next to strangers at a big long table. Communal tables rose to popularity during the French Revolu¬ tion, where they were considered the great equalizers. In New York, strangers sitting next to each other have even been spotted trading plates for tastes.

On the Home Front ■ Comfort is in, and what better place to get comfortable than in a reclining chair? Recliner sales have been excellent of late, reports La-Z-Boy, the world’s biggest producer. In a sign of the times, La-ZBoy has introduced the “Summit” series of chairs, which include a heat massage motor, cup holder, built-in speaker phone, and extra jack for a modem. A digital answering machine is optional. And it even reclines! Fully loaded, it ( 16

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Old Farmer’s Almanac

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Old Farmer’s Almanac

17

Consumer Tastes and Trends for 1999

Vintage prints from the 1940s are being reissued. Also popular: leather club chairs, seen as “a sexier lounge-culture alternative to the lounger, especially for baby boomers who are aging,” accord¬ ing to one furniture executive. In the decorating world, green has faded and blue is big, especially powder blue (but not too pastel) for upholstery and painted walls. Citrus colors, espe¬ cially toned-down oranges and yellows, will also be popular. Watch for double-duty furniture: Murphy beds, once a symbol of being down-atthe-heels, have made a stylish comeback, with one high-end model in rosewood,

complete with a wet bar (for $18,000). Other convertible furniture: beds that drop from the ceiling, and coffee tables that rise up to become dinner tables. Lighting will take on greater impor¬ tance as decor: Look for more paper shades, which give off a soft, warm glow. FYI: San Francisco is once again the most expensive housing market in the country, for repeat and first-time buyers. The median home price is almost $290,000 and the average home price is $326,000. Orlando, Florida, has the low¬ est median home price, at $103,000; and Houston has the lowest average home price, at $116,900.

Pet News

dulating borders. And for the dog

and the dog walker of the house,

Hypoallergenic cats?

(Eleven) has come up with a leash with a built-in flashlight.

■ Cat owners who are allergic to their pets but love them too much to give them up now have a new line of de¬ fense: Wash the cat. Airborne al¬ lergens from cats’ se¬ baceous glands can be re¬ duced by as much as 91 percent by a weekly shampoo. There’s only one drawback to this simple cure: Most cats absolutely hate being washed.

sterity You have a dog you love. He’s getting on in years. You’d A like to have one of his puppies to keep, but you can’t handle 101 dalmatians just now. No need to despair: Bank that dog’s sperm. Canine sperm banks are all the rage. The service runs about $300; ask your local vet for a reference.

In Your Next Life (woof) ■ A survey of pet owners revealed that 76 percent feel guilty when they leave their pets home alone, and 61 percent include their pets in holiday plans. If they could choose to be a pet themselves, 57 percent of those sur¬ veyed would be a dog; 33 percent would be a cat.

Birdcage Syndrome ■ Birds in traditional square or round birdcages are at risk for getting carpal tunnel syndrome from walking the tooregular borders of their little domains. Glen Walter, of the Boston industrial design shop called (Eleven), has come to the rescue, designing cages with un¬

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Old Farmer’s Almanac

19

Consumer Tastes and Trends for 1999

The State of Romance in 1999 The Numbers Don’t Lie ■ The more education you have, the less often you have sex, according to a study in American Demographics mag¬ azine. High school graduates average 58 sexual contacts a year; college grads have sex 56 times a year; and those with graduate degrees have time for only 50 encounters annually. Other tidbits from that study: ■ Those who work more than 60 hours a week are 10 percent more sexually ac¬ tive than those working shorter hours. H Only 5 percent of adults are sexually active at least three times a week. ■ Married couples average about one sexual encounter a week. ■ Jazz enthusiasts are 30 percent more sexually active than the average person.

One of These Days, Alice ... ■ Ralph Cramden knew it all along. After threatening to send Alice to the

The Differences Between Men and Women in 1999 Pillow Talk ■ DuPont Co. has recently done research on how people relate to their pillows. Women are more apt to plump their pillows to make them more comfortable, and men are more likely to fold them. Women are more likely to take their pillows along when they travel. Some of both genders admitted to being emotionally attached to their pillows.

Moon, he ultimately always did what it takes to keep a marriage happy: Let the wife get her way. Researchers at the Uni¬ versity of Washing¬ ton studied 130 newlywed couples for six years. The marriages that worked all had one thing in com¬ mon. According to John Gottman, one of the study’s authors: “We found that only those newlywed men who are accepting of influence from their wives ... end up in happy, stable marriages.” The men, he says, who “fail to listen to their wives’ complaints, greeting them with stone¬ walling, contempt, and belligerence, are doomed from the beginning.” The most-effective women used a gentle, good-humored approach in ex¬ pressing their opinions. 60 to 65 percent water; women have only 50 to 60 percent. Men are probably more watery than women because they generally have more muscle mass.

Fear of Flying ■ According to a poll conducted by Marist College’s Institute for Public Opinion, 34 percent of women said they were afraid to fly, but only 14 percent of men felt that way (or admitted to it).

The Cost of a Good Haircut ■ You’ve long noticed the price discrepancy in services for men and women: Men pay $1 a shirt

Liquidity ■ Men are more full of it than women — of wa¬ ter, that is. A man’s body is

(continued) 20

Old Farmer’s Almanac

■

1999

Lourdes Crystal Rosary A thoughtful gift for anyone, especially the sick or elderly, is the LOURDES CRYSTAL ROSARY with FREE HEALING PRAYERS BOOK. This beautiful rosary has genuine crystal Back side contains Lourdes water. beads, sparkling with aurora borealis-like highlights, and silvertone crucifix, centerpiece, and chain. The centerpiece has exquisitely detailed bas-relief images of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Lourdes Basilica on the front. The back of the centerpiece contains water from the famous spring at Lourdes. Included FREE is the 256-page HEALING PRAYERS BOOK, containing comforting Catholic prayers, prayers for healing, and prayers of the rosary. A FREE HEALING PRAYERS BOOK will be sent with the LOURDES CRYSTAL ROSARY to those offering $12 or more for the ministries of the Missionary Oblates to the poor and needy. Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows • Belleville IL 62223-1160 Dear Fr. Studer, Enclosed is my offering for the worldwide ministries of the Missionary Oblates to the poor and needy. □ $12

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Consumer Tastes and Trends for 1999

for laundering, women pay $3. Haircuts for men are traditionally about half the cost of haircuts for women. Now, in New York City and a growing number of other places, laws forbid these genderbased discrepancies. So, will men pay more or will women pay less?

sexes involves leaving the toilet seat up (or down). Technology has finally pro¬ vided a solution to prevent surprise at night and to serve as a reminder: A night-light contraption attaches to the bowl and glows red if the seat is up, green if it’s down. At $20, it sounds as if it’s worth the price. For more infor¬ mation, call 800-686-1722.

Flipping the Lid ■ A perpetual battle in the war of the

High and Low Tech

Timex, more than two-thirds of all watches purchased each year have an analog face. Consumers may agree with the retired physicist who says he wears an analog watch because time travels in circles and an analog watch gives him a truer sense of the passage of time.

No PIN to Remember ■ Banks are testing ATMs that scan a client’s iris instead of asking for a pass-

Super Flashlight ■ An inventor at Georgia Tech has come up with a flashlight that can “see” through a concrete wall. A beam of mi¬ crowaves penetrates the wall (it doesn’t work on metal) and bounces back infor¬ mation about the slightest movement. Although it sounds perfect for friendly games of hide-and-seek, its best use, we guess, will be by police departments.

■ Look for one machine that does it all: a handheld personal computer that does word processing, sends and receives Email, takes (and sends) pictures, and records voice messages. Your office can fit in your back pocket!

The Y2K Problem ■ The last word (or two) on the Year 2000 Problem: So much has been writ¬ ten about this major computer glitch that there’s now an easy acronym: Y2K. And while experts around the world are scrambling to fix the Y2K problem, we hope someone is thinking about a point raised by Michael A. Coffino in a letter to The New York Times last spring: Start thinking now about the Year 9999 Prob¬ lem. “Computer users in the year 10000 will probably be upset to learn that the only people who understand the code needed to fix the decamillennial bug have been dead for 8,000 years.”

word. Other body parts are also able to be scanned: face, fingertips, and even voices are being tested. Green Dry-Cleaning ■ A revolutionary dry-cleaning machine that uses harmless liquid carbon dioxide and detergent, rather than water and haz¬ ardous chemicals, to clean clothes will be on the market before the turn of the year. A fine “green” way to get clothes clean! Digital vs. Analog ■ According to a survey conducted by

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1999

The Vita-Mix® Replaces These 10 Appliances! Grain Grinder, 2 Meat Grinder,jSSSSkk ’

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Old Farmer’s Almanac

4344 23

Consumer Tastes and Trends for 1999

Invention Logic Words of wisdom on inventing from oc¬ togenarian inventor Jacob Rabinow, holder of 230 U.S. patents and 1998 recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lemelson-M.I.T. Awards Program: “The

inventor has to remember things that seemingly have nothing to do with each other and then put them together in a way that is totally surprising. All creative work is done in this way. And this is the essence of invention.”

Agricultural News

■ The outlook for North American farms in the 21st century is optimistic. Ex¬ pect expanded farm exports due to foreign population and income growth and more-liberal trade policies. ■ The number of small farms and large farms is growing. Farmers owning medium-sized farms are finding they must choose: Expand to maintain family income and competition, or shrink enough to hold a full-time job off the farm. ■ Look for crop by-products such as wheat and potato starch, rapeseed oil, and flax fiber to be used in the pro¬ duction of paint and the manufacture of lubricants and oil. ■ Farmers can equip their cows with small magnets in¬ side the animals’ second stomachs to protect them from sharp metal objects they might accidentally consume. The magnets are inserted with a special gun used for giv¬ ing pills. Ask your local large-animal vet for details.

■ The average American plans to retire by age 62 and live to be 84.

Demographica ■ In the 1950s, the “total fertility rate” in the world (the average number of children born per woman, per lifetime) was 5. Today that number is 2.8 and sinking fast. When the fertility rate drops, the median age of society climbs. In 1990,6 per¬ cent of the world’s population was over 65; by 2050, 15 to 19 percent will be over 65, prompting what demographer Ben Wattenberg has called a “grayby boom.”

■ Sixty-six percent of Americans plan to spend more money on travel when they retire. ■ Manhattan has the country’s largest concen¬ tration of people living alone — 48 percent. ■ Only 5.2 percent of el¬ derly people live in nurs¬ ing homes. Nearly 90 per¬ cent of people ages 65 through 74 report no dis¬ ability whatsoever; even after the age of 85,40 per¬ cent are fully functional.

(continued) 24

Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

Best Seller

■hxA-J

Euimuih $t00 for Play StatioiT? $150 for Sega SaM*? $200 lor Nintendo 04'“?

awesome SOUND?

The GAME WIZ comes complete with over 9,999 game levels and costs just a frac¬ tion Of those high priced systems... and there's never any disks or cartridges to buy! Children can enjoy hours of good clean fun, exercising reflexes and hand-eye coordination. Play Space Invaders, Pinball, Car Racing, Bowling, Super Brick and more without the violence we see in those other games. Different skill levels make everyone happy. Pius, there’s a built-in 8 digit calculator. 6 72"x 31/2” with flip-up monitor, fits easily into school bag or glove box. High impact case. Put an end to “Mommy, I’m Bored”, order today! $ 19.95 plus $4.95 S/H. 1-800-537-1164orCK/MO SALE-A-VISION, Dept FAGW99,244 MadisonAve.,Suite#219,NY,NY 10016.

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1999

• Warm Wood Frame • Glass Dust Cover • Shuts Off Between!0pm-5am Old Farmer’s Almanac

This delightful bird-lover’s clock not only looks beautiful, it sounds beautiful. Now you can fill your home with birdsong sounds guaranteed to cheer up even the gloomiest day. As the hour hand reaches each number on the dial you’ll hear the song of the bird the hand is pointing to. Not only will you enjoy the call, you can learn to identify the birds by their appearance and the sounds they make. The birds have been chosen for their attractive appearance and the musicality of their songbut even the most cheerful call can be unwelcome when you’re sleeping. So that you won’t be disturbed at night, the clock incorporates a clever light sensor - as the light dims, the calls are automatically suppressed. Powered by 3 AA batteries, the clock has a precision quartz movement and makes an attractive focal point in any room. A lovely gift idea for your family and friends. Measures 13” diameter. $19.95 plus $7.95 S/H. 1-800-986-9787 orCK/MO SALE-A-VISION, Dept. FABI99,245 8th Ave., Suite 855, NY, NY 10011. 30 -day money back guarantee less Sill

Styles may vary.

25

Consumer Tastes and Trends for 1999

How to Live to Be 100

“I take care of myself.”

■ The Rhodopi people of Bulgaria have the world’s largest percentage of cente¬ narians: 50 for every 100,000 people, compared with 39 per 100,000 in Azer¬ baijan, and 19 per 100,000 in the United States. Here are some explanations for the Bulgarians’ longevity, in their own words, as reported in a recent Boston Globe article:

“I’ve studied them, and they have one thing in common. None of them wears a watch.” - Dr. Argir Kirkov Hadzhichristov, Bulgarian physician who has studied the group of centenarians

“I don’t like to stay in one place too long. I walk a lot. I never use any med¬ ication. I work for myself, do my own dishes and my own mending.” - Slava Todorova Ardakova, 99, Rajkovo, Bulgaria

“You just have to learn how to say the hell with it—the hell with everything.” - Kuzman Kostandinov Varadilov, 94, downing a shot ot rakia, a strong homemade brandy

The Mood ■ Consumer confidence and success have been driving some trends: baby boomers are paying off credit cards — now more than 40 percent of card hold¬ ers pay their full balance each month, compared with 29 per¬ cent in 1990. People are more practical about money. On the other hand, for some, luxury is back: Boat sales are booming. ■ But keeping up with the Joneses in the last ggpHUHP

26

- Maria Chongarova, 103, who sleeps on a small, firm bed covered by a homemade blanket, and uses a wood stove to heat her food. She eats a diet of goat and sheep cheese, home¬ made bread, olives, beans, fruits and vegetables, and grilled meat, and drinks rakia. (Several of the centenarians smoke.)

“We take natural food, work with the land and with the animals. I get up with the Sun. I have a clock, hut I can’t read it.” - Minka Asenova Bandeva, 92

“God knows HIS job, and he will give me whatever he pleases.” - Shina Anastasova lancheva, 94, who shares her home with five generations of her family in Oplacvachka

And from one American centenarian:

“I don’t worry about anything. Worry never solved any problem ... My ad¬ vice is to go into something and stay with it until you like it. You can’t like it until you obtain expertise in that work. And once you are an expert, it’s a pleasure.” - Milton Garland, 102, Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. Milton is America’s oldest known worker, having been employed by the same Pennsylvania engineering firm since 1920.

years of the millennium doesn’t mean just what it used to. These days, one of the ultimate status symbols is achieving a simpler life: being able to ditch the stockbroker career to go teach. ■ It’s striking to note that in a single year, the number of re¬ spondents saying that “a lot of money” signifies success has fallen from one-third to one-quarter of those answering. Be¬ tween 63 and 83 percent answered instead that such things as “being am

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Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

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sillaa 27

Consumer Tastes and Trends for 1999

satisfied with your life” or “having a good marriage” or “having successful children” is what success means to them.

that extra time not from working fewer hours (the opposite is true) but from spending less time on their own pursuits.

■ Family time is becoming a priority,

■ It’s a funny little thing, but the de¬ mand for old-fashioned public clocks is suddenly booming (orders are up 70 per¬ cent at one producer). “People are trying to get back a sense of community,” the Wall Street Journal wrote, quoting a Boston architect, “and a town center and clock towers do that.” Another reason may be the sudden interest in time pass¬ ing, with the coming turn of the century and the millennium. Attention to the philosophical side of life is strong, with many people expressing longings and concern about spiritual matters.

and in a striking change in the last two decades, dads are really stepping up to the plate in two-earner families. More emphasis than ever is on children. In 1977, dads spent an average of 1.8 hours with their children on each workday and 5.2 hours on nonworkdays. By last year, men were putting in 2.3 hours on work¬ days and 6.4 hours on nonworkdays. Working women have stayed constant on workdays but put in more time with kids on non workdays (from 7.3 hours in 1977 to 8.3 hours in 1997). Parents are getting

■ According to the Fortean Times of London, world¬ wide weirdness was up a full 4 percent in the last year, the biggest jump since 1993. Increases were seen in most categories, including visits by aliens, instances of spontaneous human combustion, falls from the sky, and sightings of water monsters (due largely to a big jump in “Nessie” sightings). Also up were hoaxes and panics, ineptitude and stupid¬ ity, and cults and conspiracies. Dare we suggest the hand of El Nino?

So Long, Farewell, Adios Sayonara, Living Room ■ In 1997, one of every three new homes was built without a living room. Watch for this trend to continue — in a recent survey by the National Home Building Association, 40 percent of home buyers said they’d buy a house without a living room. This could be con¬ tributing to the La-Z-Boy craze: With the rise in popularity of “great rooms,” or media or family rooms, watch for more “relaxed,” less-formal furniture.

Butchering ■ The craft of butchering is now largely 28

a thing of the past. In the old days, a real butcher served an apprenticeship of many years, learning the subtle but ex¬ quisite differences in meats and how best to cut them. In rural areas, butchers often raised, slaughtered, and processed the meat they sold. Most butchers cut steaks, roasts, and chops from hanging carcasses and could easily spot any flawed or unhealthy-looking flesh. These artisans are being replaced by su¬ permarket meat workers, who often don’t even know the difference between sirloin and top round. “Outside of the old-timers, it’s a dying art,” says Scott Rzesa, a director at the fine food store D’Agostino’s in New York City. □□

Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

A new beauty product from France: .the first permanent hair removal,

AN AMAZING FRENCH DISCOVERY that eliminates radically

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bfCT d\ 4 38 l 10121 6 19 D 14 36 P ion

Tu. 6 20 D w 35 4 W. 621 D 4 34 5 Th. 6 22 D 4V33 6 Fr. 6 24 D 4 B2, 7 Sa. 6 25 D 4 TJ

5 34

Length Declina¬ tion of § S3 MBh of Sun Days m. h., m.

B B B B B

10 10 io 10 10

15 1\3 ii 08 03

4

Full Sea

D

Boston Light - a.m. Bold ^ P.M.

Rises h. \m.

\ 14s\l 8 3i5^9 T 14 5\ 9 4 05 A 32 ,15 08' 91 10? v 4 43 32 U5 27 Voi 11) 6 24 32 15 45 l\l — TAU 18

V

13 12 11

10 1999

1 • The text heading the calendar page is a summary of the sky sightings for the month. These astronomical highlights ap¬ pear on each month’s calendar page. 2*• This box gives the days and times of

the Moon’s phases for the month. (For more details, see Glossary, page 42.)

3. Each calendar page lists the days of the year, month, and week, using the tradi¬ tional ecclesiastical designation for Sun¬ day, called the Dominical Letter — D for 1998, C for 1999. (For further explanation, see Glossary, page 42.)

4. These two columns list the sunrise and

6

The Length of Days column denotes how long the Sun will be above the hori¬ zon in Boston for each day of the month. To determine the length of any given day in your locality, follow the procedure out¬ lined in #5 to determine the sunrise and sunset times for your city. Then add 12 hours to the time of sunset and subtract the time of sunrise, and you will have the length of day. *

Example: Sunset, Albany, New York, Nov. 1 Add 12 hours Subtract sunrise, Albany, Nov. 1 Length of day, Albany, Nov. 1 (10 hr., 20 min.)

4:48 + 12:00 16:48 - 6:28 10:20

sunset times (EST or EDT) for Boston for each day of the month. 5» The letters in these two Key Letter columns are designed to correct to other localities the sunrise/sunset times given for Boston. Note that each sunrise/sunset time has a Key Letter. The values (i.e., the num¬ ber of minutes) assigned to these Key Let¬ ters are given in the Time Correction Ta¬ bles on page 214. Simply find your city, or the city nearest you, in the tables, and locate the value in the appropriate Key Letter col¬ umn. Add or subtract those minutes to the sunrise or sunset time given for Boston. (Because of the complexities of calcula¬ tion for different locations, times may not be precise to the minute.)

Example: To find the time of sunrise in Austin, Texas, on November 1, 1998: Sunrise, Boston, with Key Letter D (p. 34) Value of Key Letter D for Austin (p. 214) Sunrise, Austin

6:17

A.M.,

EST

+29 minutes 6:46

a.m.,

CST

Use the same procedure to determine the time of sunset. 1999

/ • The Sun Fast column is designed to change sundial time into clock time in Boston. A sundial reads natural, or Sun, time, which is neither Standard nor Daylight time except by coincidence. Simply subtract the minutes given in the Sun Fast column to get Boston clock time, and use Key Letter C in the Time Correction Tables (page 214) to correct the time for your city.

Example: To change sundial time into clock time in Boston, Massachusetts, or Casper, Wyoming, on November 1, 1998: Sundial reading, Nov. 1 (Boston or Casper) Subtract Sun Fast (p. 34) Clock time, Boston Use Key C for Casper (p. 215) Clock time, Casper

12:00 noon - 32 minutes 11:28 a.m., EST + 20 minutes 11:48

a.m.,

MST

O* This column denotes the declination (i.e., the angular distance from the celestial equator) of the Sun in degrees and minutes, at noon, EST or EDT.

Old Farmer’s Almanac

35

The times of daily high tides in Boston are recorded in lightface for a.m. and bold¬ face for p.m. The “8” under Full Sea Boston on November 1 means that the first high tide will be at 8:00 a.m. (The height in feet of some of the high tides is shown on the Right-Hand Calendar Pages.) Where a dash is shown under Full Sea, it indicates that the time of high water occurs on or after midnight and so is recorded on the next day. Tide corrections for some localities can be found in the Tide Cor¬ rection Tables on page 210.

XU • These two columns list the moonrise and moonset times (EST or EDT) for Boston for each day of the month. (Dashes indicate that moonrise or moonset occurs on or after midnight and so is recorded on the next day.) 11. The letters in these two Key Letter columns are designed to correct to other localities the moonrise/moonset times given for Boston. The same procedure as explained in #5 for calculating sunrise/ sunset is used except for an additional cor¬ rection factor based on longitude (see table below). For the longitude of your city, consult the Time Correction Ta¬ bles on page 214. Longitude of city 58°- 76° IT- 89° 90°-102° 103°-115° 116°-127° 128°-141° 142°-155°

Correction minutes 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6

Example: To determine the time of moonrise in Memphis, Tennessee, on November 1, 1998: Moonrise, Boston, with 3:29 P.M., EST Key Letter D (p. 34) Value of Key Letter D +5 minutes for Memphis (p. 216) Correction for Memphis longitude 90° 3' +2 minutes Moonrise, Memphis

36

3:36 p.m., CST

Use the same procedure to determine the time of moonset. IZ. The Moon’s place denoted in this column is its astronomical, or actual, placement in the heavens. (This should not be confused with the Moon’s astrological place in the zodiac, as explained on page 168.) All calculations in this Almanac, except for the astrological information on pages 164-168, are based on astron¬ omy, not astrology. In addition to the 12 constellations of the astronomical zodiac, five other abbrevia¬ tions may appear in this column: Auriga (AUR), a northern constellation between Perseus and Gemini; Cetus (CET), which lies south of the zodiac, just south of Pisces and Aries; Ophiuchus (OPH), a constella¬ tion primarily north of the zodiac but with a small comer between Scorpius and Sagit¬ tarius; Orion (ORI), a constellation whose northern limit first reaches the zodiac be¬ tween Taurus and Gemini; and Sextans (SEX), which lies south of the zodiac except for a comer that just touches it near Leo.

13• The last column lists the Moon’s age, which is the number of days since the pre¬ vious new Moon. (The average length of the lunar month is 29.53 days.)

F

urther astronomical data can be found on page 48, which lists the eclipses and the principal meteor showers for 1999, as well as the dates of the full Moon over a five-year period. The Visible Planets (pages 46-47) lists selected rising and setting times in 1999 for observing Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mercury; page 50 carries the transit times of the bright stars for 1999. Both feature Key Letters, designed to convert the Boston times given to those of other localities (see #5 on previous page and #11 above). The Twilight Zone on page 212 in¬ cludes a chart that lets you calculate the length of twilight and the times of dawn and dark in your area.

Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

The Right-Hand Calendar Pages (Pages 61-87)

T

hese pages are a combination of as¬ tronomical data; specific dates in mainly the Anglican church calendar, in¬ clusion of which has always been tradi¬ tional in American and English almanacs (though we also include some other reli¬ gious dates); tide heights at Boston (the Left-Hand Calendar Pages include the daily times of high tides; the corrections for your locality are on page 210); quota¬ tions; anniversary dates; appropriate sea¬ sonal activities; and a rhyming version of the weather forecasts for New England. (Detailed forecasts for the entire country are presented on pages 120-149.) The following list classifies some of the entries from the Right-Hand Calendar Pages, with a sample (the first part of No¬ vember 1998) of a calendar page ex¬ plained on the next page. Also, in keeping with the Almanac’s tradition, the Chrono¬ logical Cycles and Eras for 1999 are listed.

Ascension Day .May 13 Whitsunday-Pentecost .May 23 Trinity Sunday .May 30 Corpus Christi.June 3 1st Sunday in Advent.Nov. 28 The Seasons of 1998-1999

Fall 1998.Sept. 23, Winter 1998.Dec. 21, Spring 1999.Mar. 20, Summer 1999.... June 21, Fall 1999.Sept. 23, Winter 1999.Dec. 22,

1:37 a.m., EDT 8:56 p.m., EST 8:46 p.m., EST 3:49 p.m., EDT 7:31 a.m., EDT 2:44 a.m., EST

Chronological Cycles for 1999

Dominical Letter.C Epact.. . 13 Golden Number (Lunar Cycle). .5 Roman Indiction. ..7 .20 Solar Cycle . .6712 Year of Julian Period... Era. Byzantine. Jewish (A.M.)* . Chinese (Lunar) .. (Hare) Roman (A.U.C.). Nabonassar. Japanese. Grecian (Seleucidae)...

Year 7508 5760 4697

Begins Sept. 14 Sept. 10 Feb. 16

2752 2748 2659 2311

Jan.14 Apr. 24 Jan. 1 Sept. 14 (or Oct. 14) Mar. 22 Indian (Saka). 1921 Sept. 12 Diocletian. 1716 Apr. 16 Islamic (Hegira)*. 1420 *Year begins at sunset.

Determination of Earthquakes

Movable Feasts and Fasts for 1999

Septuagesima Sunday .Jan. 31 Shrove Tuesday.Feb. 16 Ash Wednesday.Feb. 17 Palm Sunday.Mar. 28 Good Friday .Apr. 2 Easter Day.Apr. 4 Rogation Sunday.May 9 1999

Note the dates, on right-hand pages 6187, when the Moon (C) “rides high” or “runs low.” The date of the high begins the most likely five-day period of earthquakes in the Northern Hemisphere; the date of the low indicates a similar five-day period in the Southern Hemisphere. You will also find on these pages a notation for Moon on the Equator (G on Eq.) twice each month. These times indicate a two-day earthquake period in both hemispheres.

Old Farmer’s Almanac

37

Names and Characters of the

Here are the symbols used. . .

Principal Planets and Aspects

O Sun

Every now and again on the RightHand Calendar Pages, you will see symbols conjoined in groups to tell you what is hap¬ pening in the heav¬ ens. For example, dbd op¬ posite No¬ vember 3, 1998 (see below), means that on that date, Saturn b and the Moon C are in conjunction d or apparently near each other.

d W 9 d

Uranus Neptune Pluto Conjunction, or in the same degree Ascending Node 23 Descending Node 8 Opposition, or 180 degrees

Om(L Moon

b 9 © cf

Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter b Saturn

Earth at Aphelion and Perihelion

1999

■*’ Earth will be at perihelion on January 3,1999, when it will be 91,400,005 miles from the Sun. Earth will be at aphelion on July 6, 1999, when it will be 94,512,258 miles from the Sun.

Sample Right-Hand Calendar Page (from November 1998 — page 61) Day of the month.

The Dominical Letter for 1998 was D because the first Sunday of the year fell on the fourth day of January. The letter for 1999 is C.

23rd Sunday after Pentecost. (Sundays and special holy days generally appear in this typeface.) St. Leo the Great was elected Bishop of Rome in a.d. 440. By interceding with Attila, he prevented the city’s massacre by invading Huns. (Certain religious feasts and civil holidays appear in this typeface.) The Moon is on the celestial equator.

Weather rhyme. (For detailed regional forecasts, see pages 120-149.)

Dates, Feasts, Fasts, Aspects, Tide Heights

Weather

i

on 10.6 Eq. • { 10.8 _ Flow ers in bloom late in autumn J 11.3 • indicate a bad winter. * \ 11.1

22"& g>.

In All Soills the d b d • d pcrig. * Day1'0" • mountains, Full /'-s Tomb of King Tut f 12. Beaver * discovered, 1922 * Tides jjj the Eight teams joined together to form the f 12.5 first American Football League, 1959 • \ — .,,,,

Conjunction, or closest approach, of Saturn and the Moon.

First high tide at Boston is 9.7 feet; second high tide is 9.4 feet.

Day of the week.

,

af.

• All Saints • d

Adolph Sax Music is the Jll.3 bom, 1814 • poem-of the air. • Tldestl2.4 * SHOW New Jersey became First state to allow girls J11.0 is to play littfc league baseball, 1973 • 112.1

23rt £>. at. $. • • 9 flrt)8 • If All Saints brings out winter, f 9.3 St. Martin brings out Indian summer. * 19.4 * heading

dcSd

sttt. • fZnS.kno"> south. rr on Dow Jones closed above 1,000 mark, , Vi Eq. * first time in 76 years, 1972 • We . Georgia O’Keefe J9.7 . • born. 1887_5_\9.4 pause 6 inches snow, Tucson, Suez Canal f 9.9 Ariz., 1958 • opened, 1869 • V9.4 • at at August Mobius SUIu$h of Lincoln • (L apo. our bom, 1790 •

St Hilda

•

New

~

Tides {^'4

feast

For a more complete explanation of terms used throughout the Almanac, see Glossary, page 42. 38

Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

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Old Farmer’s Almanac

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39

Holidays and Observances,

1999

A selected list of commemorative days, with federal holidays denoted by *.

Jan. 1 Jan. 18 Feb. 2 Feb. 12 Feb. 14 Feb. 15 Feb. 16

New Year’s Day* Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday (observed)* Groundhog Day; GuadalupeHidalgo Treaty Day (NMex.) Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday Valentine’s Day Presidents Day*; Susan B. Anthony’s Birthday (Fla., Wis.) Mardi Gras (Baldwin & Mobile

July 23 Aug. 2 Aug. 9 Aug. 16 Aug. 26 Sept. 6 Sept. 9 Oct. 9 Oct. 11

Counties, Ala.; La.)

Feb. 22 Mar. 2 Mar. 15 Mar. 17 Apr. 2 Apr. 13 Apr. 19 Apr. 30 May 1 May 7 May 9 May 15 May 24 May 31 June 1 June 5 June 11 June 14 June 17

George Washington’s Birthday Town Meeting Day (Vt.); Texas Independence Day Andrew Jackson Day (Tenn.) St. Patrick’s Day; Evacuation Day (Suffolk Co., Mass.) Pascua Florida Day Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday Patriots Day (Maine, Mass.) National Arbor Day May Day Truman Day (Mo.) Mother’s Day Armed Forces Day Victoria Day (Canada) Memorial Day (observed)* Statehood Day (Tenn.) World Environment Day King Kamehameha I Day (Hawaii) Flag Day Bunker Hill Day (Suffolk Co., Mass.)

June 19 June 20 June 21 July 1 July 4

Juneteenth (Fla., Okla., Tex.) Father’s Day West Virginia Day Canada Day Independence Day* i •

W

RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES Epiphany.Jan. 6 Ash Wednesday.Feb. 17 Palm Sunday.Mar. 28 First day of Passover .Apr. 1 Good Friday...Apr. 2 Easter Day .Apr. 4 Orthodox Easter. .Apr. 11 Islamic New Year . Apr. 17 Whitsunday-Pentecost.May 23 Rosh Hashanah. .Sept. 11 YomKippur .Sept. 20 First day of Chanukah.Dec. 4 First day of Ramadan.Dec. 9 Christmas Day .Dec. 25 —

.

-

^

How the Almanac Weather Forecasts Are Made

e derive our weather forecasts from a secret formula devised by the founder of this Almanac in 1792, enhanced by the most modern scientific calculations based on solar activity

40

Oct. 18 Oct. 31 Nov. 1 Nov. 2 Nov. 4 Nov. 11 Nov. 19 Nov. 25 Nov. 26 Dec. 10 Dec. 25 Dec. 26

Pioneer Day (Utah) Colorado Day Victory Day (R.I.) Bennington Battle Day (Vt.) Women’s Equality Day Labor Day* Admission Day (Calif.) Leif Eriksson Day Columbus Day (observed)*; Thanksgiving Day (Canada); Native Americans Day (S.Dak.) Alaska Day Halloween Nevada Day Election Day Will Rogers Day (Okla.) Veterans Day* Discovery Day (Puerto Rico) Thanksgiving Day* Acadian Day (La.) Wyoming Day Christmas Day* Boxing Day (Canada)

and current meteorological possible. However, neither data. We believe that noth- we nor anyone else has as yet ing in the universe occurs gained sufficient insight into haphazardly but that there is the mysteries of the unia cause-and-effect pattern to verse to predict weather with all phenomena, thus making anything resembling total long-range weather forecasts accuracy. Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

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Old Farmer’s Almanac

41

Glossary Aph.—Aphelion: The point in a planet’s orbit that is farthest from the Sun. Apo. — Apogee: The point in the Moon’s orbit that is farthest from Earth. Celestial Equator: The circle on the celestial sphere that is halfway between the celestial poles. It can be thought of as the plane of Earth’s equator projected out onto the sphere. Celestial Sphere: An imaginary sphere projected into space, with an observer on Earth as its center. It represents the entire sky. All celestial bodies other than Earth are imag¬ ined as being on its inside surface; it is used for describing their positions and motions. Conj.—Conjunction: The apparent closest approach to each other of two celestial bodies. Inf. — Inferior: A conjunction in which the planet is between the Sun and Earth. Sup. — Superior: A conjunction in which the Sun is between the planet and Earth. Declination: The angular distance of a celestial body measured perpendicularly north or south of the celestial equator — analogous to latitude on Earth. The Almanac gives the Sun’s declination at noon EST or EDT. Dominical Letter: The letter used to denote the Sundays in the ecclesiastical calendar in a particular year, determined by the date on which the first Sunday of that year falls. If Jan. 1 is a Sunday, the letter is A; if Jan. 2 is a Sunday, the letter is B; and so on to G. In a leap year, the letter applies through Feb¬ ruary and then takes the preceding letter. Eclipse, Lunar: The Moon, at full phase, enters the shadow of Earth. Total: The Moon passes completely into the umbra (central dark part) of Earth’s shadow. Partial: Only part of the Moon passes through the umbra. Penumbral: The Moon passes through only the penumbra (an area of partial darkness that surrounds the umbra). Eclipse, Solar: The Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, and all three bodies are aligned in the same plane. Annular: The Moon ap¬ pears silhouetted against the Sun, with a ring of sunlight showing around it. Epact: A number from 1 to 30 that indicates the Moon’s age at the instant Jan. 1 begins at the meridian of Greenwich, England; used for the ecclesiastical calendar. Eq. - Equator: A great circle of Earth that is equidistant from the two poles.

42

Equinox, Autumnal: The Sun appears to cross the celestial equator from north to south. Vernal: The Sun appears to cross the celestial equa¬ tor from south to north. Era, Chronological: A system of reckoning time by numbering the years from an important oc¬ currence or a particular point in time. Evening Star: A planet that is above the western horizon at sunset and less than 180 degrees east of the Sun in right ascension. Golden Number: A number in the 19-year cycle of the Moon, so called because of its im¬ portance in determining Easter. (The Moon repeats its phases approximately every 19 solar years.) To find the Golden Number of any year, add 1 to that year and divide the result by 19. The remainder is the Golden Number. When there is no remainder, the Golden Number is 19. Gr. El. - Greatest Elongation: The greatest appar¬ ent angular distance of a planet from the Sun as seen from Earth. Julian Period: A period of 7,980 years, begin¬ ning at 4713 B.c. and providing a chro¬ nological basis for the study of ancient his¬ tory. Its system of astronomical dating, devised by 16th-century scholar Joseph Scaliger and named in honor of his father, Julius, allows the difference between two dates to be calculated more easily than with conventional civil calendars. To find the Ju¬ lian year, add 4,713 to any year. Moon Age: The number of days since the pre¬ vious new Moon. Moon on Equator: The Moon is on the celestial equator. Moon Phases: Four particular states in the Moon’s appearance, based on its position at each quarter of its complete cycle around Earth. First Quarter: The right half of the Moon is illuminated. Full: The Sun and the Moon are in opposition; the entire disk of the Moon is illuminated as viewed from Earth. Last Quarter: The left half of the Moon is illuminated. New: The Sun and the Moon are in conjunction; the entire disk of the Moon is darkened as viewed from Earth. Moon Place, Astronomical: The actual position of the Moon within the constellations on the celestial sphere. Astrological: The position of the Moon within the astrological zodiac

Old Farmer’s Almanac

(continued on page 44)

1999

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Best Fishing Days, 1999 (and other fishing lore from the files of The Old Fanner's Almanac) robably the best fishing times are when the ocean tides are restless before their turn and in the first hour of ebbing. All fish in all waters — salt and fresh — feed most heavily at those times. The best temperatures for fish species vary widely, of course, and are chiefly important if you are going to have your own fishpond. The best temperatures for brook trout are 45° to 65° F. Brown and rainbow trout are more tolerant of higher temperatures. Smallmouth black bass do best in cool water. Homed pout take what they find. Most of us go fishing when we can get time off, not because it is the best time. But there are best times: ■ One hour before and one hour after high tides, and one hour before and one hour after low tides. (The times of high tides are given on pages 60-86 and corrected for your local¬ ity on pages 210-211. Inland, the times for high tides correspond with the times the Moon is due south. Low tides are halfway between high tides.) ■ During “the morning rise” — after sunup for a spell — and “the evening rise” — just before sundown and the hour or so after. ■ When the water is still or rippled, rather than during a wind. ■ When there is a hatch of flies — caddis flies or mayflies, commonly. (The fisherman will have to match the hatching flies with his fly — or go fishless.) ■ When the breeze is from a westerly quar¬ ter rather than from the north or east. ■ When the barometer is steady or on the rise. (But, of course, even in a three-day driv¬ ing northeaster, the fish aren’t going to give up feeding. Their hunger clock keeps right on working, and the smart fisherman will find something they want.) ■ Starting on the day the Moon is new and continuing through the day it is full.

Moon Between New & Full, 1999

Jan. 1 Jan. 17-31 Feb. 16-Mar. 2 Mar. 17-31

44

Apr. 16-30 May 15-30 June 13-28 July 12-28 Aug. 11-26

Sept. 9-25 Oct 0-24 Nov. 7-23 Dec. 7-22

Glossary (continued)

according to calculations made over 2,000 years ago. Because of precession of the equinoxes and other factors, this is not the Moon’s actual position in the sky. Moon Rides High/Runs Low: The Moon is high¬ est above or farthest below the celestial equator. Moonrise/Moonset: The Moon’s rising above and descending below the horizon. Morning Star: A planet that is above the eastern horizon at sunrise and less than 180 de¬ grees west of the Sun in right ascension. Node: Either of the two points on opposite sides of the celestial sphere where the Moon’s orbit intersects the ecliptic. Occn. — Occupation: The eclipse of a star or planet by the Moon or another planet. Opposition: The Moon or a planet appears on the opposite side of the sky from the Sun (elongation 180 degrees). Perig. — Perigee: The point in the Moon’s orbit that is closest to Earth. Perih. — Perihelion: The point in a planet’s orbit that is closest to the Sun. R.A. — Right Ascension: The coordinate on the celestial sphere for measuring the east/west positions of celestial bodies; analogous to longitude on Earth. Roman Indiction: A number in a 15-year cycle, es¬ tablished Jan. 1, a.d. 313, as a fiscal term. Add 3 to any given year in the Christian era and divide by 15; the remainder is the Ro¬ man Indiction. When there is no remainder, the Roman Indiction is 15. Solar Cycle: A period of 28 years, at the end of which the days of the month return to the same days of the week. Solstice, Summer: The Sun is at its maximum (23.5°) north of the celestial equator. Winter: The Sun is at its maximum (23.5°) south of the celestial equator. Stat. — Stationary: Halted apparent movement of a planet against the background of the stars just before it comes to opposition. Sun Fast/Slow: The adjustment needed to rec¬ oncile sundial time to standard clock time. This adjustment factor is given in the LeftHand Calendar Pages 60-86. Sunrise/Sunset: The visible rising and setting of the Sun’s upper limb across the unob¬ structed horizon of an observer whose eyes are 15 feet above ground level. Twilight: The period of time between full dark¬ ness and sunrise and also between sunset and full darkness.

Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

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The Visible Planets, 1999

T

he times (EST/EDT) of the visible rising and setting of the planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn on the 1st, 11th, and 21st of each month are given below. The approximate

times of their visible rising and setting on other days can be found with sufficient accuracy by interpolation. For an explanation of Key Letters (used in adjusting the times given here for Boston to the times in your town), see page 35 and pages 214-218. Key Letters appear as cap¬ ital letters beside the times. (For definitions of morning and evening stars, see pages 42-44.)

VENUS enjoys a superb year. The dazzling MARS stands opposite the Sun on April 24, planet emerges from behind the Sun in January and rises steadily higher in the western sky at dusk. Brightening, the evening star reaches greatest prominence in May before descending and finally vanishing in mid-July. It reemerges as a morning star in September and remains bril¬ liant through year’s end, reaching its predawn best in October. Venus is in conjunction with Jupiter on February 23, with Saturn on March 20, and with Mercury on August 26.

nearing its closest approach to Earth of the decade. At a distance of 53.8 million miles, it shines at an impressive magnitude -1.7 in Virgo. This performance comes just as the other nakedeye planets also put on exceptional apparitions. In April and May, the red planet rises at dusk and remains visible all night long. Fading there¬ after, it remains visible for the rest of the year. Mars marches through Libra and Scorpius in the summer, finishing the year in Capricomus.

MARS

Boldface — P.M. Jan. 1 ... ... set ft Jan. 11 Jan. 21

t»

Feb. 1...

ft

Feb. 11.

ft

Feb. 21.

ft »?

Mar. 1.. Mar. 21 Apr. 1... Apr. 11.

May 11 May 21 June 1 .. June 21

...

7:16 B 7:41 C C

Aug. 21...

ft

D D D C C

Jan. 1 ... ... rise 12:30 C Jan.11 12:15 D Jan. 21 . ... rise 11:57 D tt Feb. 1... 11:36 D tf Feb.11. 11:15 D

6:49 C

Feb. 21.

tt

Mar. 1..

ft

Mar. 11

tf

Mar. 21

tt

Apr. 1...

tt

Apr. 11.

ft

tt

ft

D

Oct. 1.

t»

3:14 B

11

E

Oct. 11....

ft

3:07 B

Oct. 21....

It

3:09 B

Apr. 21.

E

Nov. 1.

tt

2:18 B

May 1 .. ... set

ft

E

Nov. 11...

tt

2:31

ft

E

Nov. 21...

It

tf

E

Dec. 1.

tt

3:04 D

Dec. 11 ...

ft

Dec. 21 ...

ft

D

E

E D

tt

M

D D

Sept. 1.

D D D D

Sept. 11... Sept. 21... Oct. 1. Oct. 11....

5:30 B

Nov. 1.

4:40 B

May 21

ft

3:53 B

June 1 ..

tt

3:05 B

3:24 D

June 11

tt

2:24 B

3:45 D

June 21 .. set

Old Farmer’s Almanac

ft

Oct. 21....

May 11

2:46 C

tt

D

it

C

Dec. 31 ... rise 4:07 D

46

10:50 10:27 9:54 9:16 8:27 8:35 7:40

Lightface — A.M. July 1. set 1:12 B July 11.... 12:37 A tt July 21.... 12:08 A Aug. 1. set 11:38 A Aug. 11... tt 11:13 A Aug. 21... 10:49 A

ft

D

ft

June 11

6:50 B

July 1. set 10:45 July 11.... tt 10:15 July 21.... tf 9:38 tt Aug. 1. 8:45 tt Aug. 11... 7:48

ft

tf

May 1 ..

6:22 B

Boldface — P.M.

Sept. 1. rise 4:57 B Sept. 11... 4:06 B Sept. 21... 3:32 B

ft

Apr. 21.

5:56 A

8:00 8:24 8:48 9:16 10:40 11:02 11:20 11:32 11:38 11:35 11:25 set 11:09 ft

Mai-. 11

5:31 A

Lightface — A.M.

1:47 B

Nov. 11... Nov. 21... Dec. 1. Dec. 11 ... Dec. 21 ... Dec. 31 ...

ft

A

tt

A

ft

A

ft

A

tt

A

tt

A

tt

A

ft

A

ft

A

ft

A

ft

A

tt

B

10:27 10:08 9:53 9:40 9:30 9:22 8:17 8:15 8:14 8:14 8:15 8:17 set 8:18

B

1999

JUPITER

can be seen in the southwest before sunset the first few months of the year and in the east before sunrise as early as June, but it is in the fall that it puts on its finest per¬ formance. It reaches opposition on October 23, when it comes to its closest point to Earth of the decade. It shines at a brilliant magnitude -2.9 among the dim stars of Pisces, rising at sunset and standing high in the south a little after mid¬ night. Jupiter is in conjunction with Venus on February 23 and with Mercury on May 1.

Jan. 1 .... . Jan. 11 .. Jan. 21 .. Feb. 1.... Feb. 11.. Feb. 21.. Mar. 1... Mar. 11. Mar. 21. Apr. 1.... Apr. 11.. . Apr. 21.. May 1 ... May 11 . May 21 . June 1 .... June 11 .. June 21 .. .

Boldface — P.M. set 10:19 B »» 9:48 B tt 9:18 C tt 8:46 C tf 8:17 C 7:49 C 7:27 C 7:00 C 6:33 C 6:03 C rise 6:00 B 5:26 B 4:52 B 4:18 B 3:44 B 3:06 B 2:32 B rise 1:57 B tf

•t

M

ft

ft

tt

II

•t

ft

ft

ft

Lightface —-A.M. July 1. rise 1:22 July 11.... 12:46 t! July 21.... 12:10 Aug. 1. rise 11:29 Aug. 11... ft 10:52 Aug. 21... 10:13 Sept. 1. 9:30 Sept. 11... 8:50 8:09 Sept. 21... 7:23 Oct. 1. 6:41 Oct. 11.... Oct. 21.... 5:58 Nov. 1. set 5:31 Nov. 11... 4:45 Nov. 21... 4:00 3:17 Dec. 1. Dec. 11 ... 2:35 Dec. 21 ... 1:55 Dec. 31 ... set 1:17 ft

ft

tf

tt

ft

tt

tf

tt

ft

tt

tt

it

ft

B B B B B B B B B B B B D D D D D D D

SATURN has a fine year. The ringed world lingers in the evening sky in the southwest for the first few months, then vanishes behind the Sun to emerge in June as a morning star in the east before sunrise. Rising two hours earlier each month, Saturn reaches opposition on Novem¬ ber 6, when it rises at sunset and is highest at midnight. This year the rings are tilted favorably, causing Saturn to achieve its greatest brightness since 1977. Saturn is in conjunction with Venus on March 20 and with Mercury on May 13.

Jan. 1 ... .. Jan. 11 . Jan. 21 .. Feb. 1.... .. Feb. 11.. Feb. 21.. Mar. 1... Mar. 11 Mar. 21 Apr. 1.... Apr. 11.. Apr. 21.. May 1 ... May 11 . .. May 21 . June 1 ... June 11. June 21. ..

Boldface — P.M. set 1:18 D 12:39 D 12:01 D set 11:18 D ft 10:42 D 10:07 D 9:39 D 9:05 D 8:32 D 7:55 D 8:22 D 7:49 D 7:17 D rise 5:08 B 4:32 B 3:52 B 3:16 B rise 2:39 B tt

tt

tt

tt

tt

tf

tt

ft

ft

tt

tt

tt

tt

Lightface --A.M. July 1. rise 2:03 July 11... 1:26 July 21... 12:49 Aug. 1.... 12:08 Aug. 11.. rise 11:30 Aug. 21.. 10:51 Sept. I.... 10:08 Sept. 11.. 9:29 Sept. 21.. 8:49 Oct. 1. 8:04 Oct. 11... 7:23 Oct. 21... 6:42 Nov. 1.... 4:57 Nov. 11.. set 6:03 Nov. 21.. 5:20 Dec. 1 .... 4:37 Dec. 11 .. 3:55 Dec. 21 .. 3:13 Dec. 31 .. set 2:32 tt

tt

tt

tt

tf

tt

tt

tt

ft

tf

tf

tt

tt

tt

tt

B B B B B B B B B B B B B D D D D D D

MERCURY plays a cat-and-mouse game with the Sun, darting in and out of the solar glare several times in 1999. A medium-bright star low in evening’s twilight during the last week of February and the first week of March, it stands to the right of brilliant Jupiter. Its second evening apparition occurs between June 8 and July 4. As a morning star, low in the east just be¬ fore sunrise, it is best seen from August 9 to 19, and from November 25 to December 10.

DO NOT CONFUSE 1) Venus with Jupiterfrom February 22 to 24, when they nearly merge into a single dazzling entity. They share the same creamy-white color, but Venus is always brighter. 2) Jupiter with Mercury in the evening twilight from March 3 to 12. Mercury is to the right and fainter than giant Jupiter. 3) Mars with Virgo's brightest star, Spica, during the last week of May. Mars is orange and brighter; Spica is blue-white. 4) Mars with Uranus on December 14. Visible only through binoculars, Uranus is green and much fainter.

1999

Old Farmer’s Almanac

47

T

Eclipses for

1999

here will be four eclipses in 1999, two of the Sun and two of the Moon. Solar eclipses are visible only in certain areas. Lunar eclipses are technically visible from the entire night side of Earth, but during a penumbral eclipse, the dimming of the Moon’s illumination is so slight as to be scarcely noticeable. 1. Penumbral eclipse of the Moon, January 31. The be¬

4. Total eclipse of the Sun, August 11. Only the par¬

ginning phase will be visible in Hawaii, the western United States, and western Canada. The end will be visible in Alaska except for the southeastern part. The Moon enters penumbra at 6:05 a.m., PST. The Moon leaves penumbra at 10:30 a.m., PST.

tial phase will be visible in North America, and this only from the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. There the Sun will rise partially eclipsed. The eclipse will end between 6:15 and 6:45 a.m., EDT, de¬ pending on your location within the area where the eclipse is visible.

2. Annular eclipse of the Sun, February 15-16. This eclipse will not be visible in the United States or Canada.

Full-Moon Dates 1999

2000

1 &31

20 19 19 18 18 16 16 15 13 13 11 11

3. Partial eclipse of the Moon, July 28. The beginning of the umbral phase will be visible in Hawaii and North America except for the north¬ eastern part. The end will be visible in Hawaii and extreme western North America. The Moon enters penumbra at 4:56 a.m., EDT (1:56 a.m., PDT), and umbra at 6:22 a.m., EDT (3:22 a.m., PDT). The middle of the eclipse occurs at 7:34 a.m., EDT (4:34 a.m., PDT). The Moon leaves umbra at 8:46 a.m., EDT (5:46 a.m., PDT), and penumbra at 10:11 a.m., EDT (7:11 a.m., PDT).

Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

—

2 & 31 30 30 28 28 26 25 24 23 22

2001 2002 9 8 9 7 7 5 5 4 2 2 1 &30 30

28 27 28 26 26 24 24 22 21 21 19 19

2003 18 16 18 16 15 14 13 12 10 10 8 8

Principal Meteor Showers Shower

Best Hour (EST/EDT)

Point of Origin

Date of Maximum*

Approx. Peak Rate (/hr.)**

Quadrantid Lyrid Eta Aquarid Delta Aquarid Perseid Draconid

5 A.M. 5 A.M. 5 a.m. 3 A.M. 5 A.M. 10 P.M.

N S SE S NE NW

Jan. 4 Apr. 21 May 4 July 30 Aug. 11-13 Oct. 9

80 12 20 10 75 10

5 A.M. Midnight 5 A.M.

S

Oct. 22 Nov. 9 Nov. 18 Nov. 25-27 Dec. 14 Dec. 22

25 6 20 5 65 12.

Orionid Taurid Leonid Andromedid Geminid Ursid

10p.m. 2 A.M. 5 A.M.

s s s NE N.

Associated Comet —

Thatcher Halley

— Swift-Tuttle GiacobiniZinner Halley Encke Tempel-Tuttle Biela

— Tuttle

* Date of actual maximum occurrence may vary by one or two days in either direction. **The number of sporadic meteors seen per hour on clear nights is about six. The visibility of showers depends on how bright the Moon is on the night of the shower.

48

Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

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1999

Old Farmer’s Almanac

49

Bright Stars,

T

he upper table shows the time (EST or EDT) that each star tran¬ sits the meridian at Boston (i.e., lies di¬ rectly above the horizon’s south point there) and its altitude above that point at transit on the dates shown. The time of transit on any other date differs from

1999

that of the nearest date listed by ap¬ proximately four minutes for each day. To find the local time of the star’s tran¬ sit for a location other than Boston, correct the time at Boston by the value of Key Letter C for that location. (See footnote.)

...

••

Time of Transit (EST/EDT) Star

Constellation

Altair Deneb Fomalhaut Algol Aldebaran Rigel Capella Bellatrix Betelgeuse Sirius Procyon Pollux Regulus Spica Arcturus Antares Vega

Aquila 0.8 Cygnus 1.3 Psc. Aus. 1.2 Perseus 2.2 Taurus 0.9 Orion 0.1 Auriga 0.1 Orion 1.6 Orion var. 0.4 Can. Maj. -1.4 Can. Min. 0.4 Gemini 1.2 Leo 1.4 Virgo var. 1.0 Bootes -0.1 Scorpius var. 0.9 Lyra 0.0

T

Magnitude

Boldface—t.m. Lightface — a.m.

Jan. 1

Mar.l

Mayl

Juiyl

Sepil

Nov.l

Altitude (degrees)

12:50 1:41 3:56 8:07 9:34 10:12 10:14 10:23 10:53 11:43 12:40 12:46 3:09 6:26 7:17 9:29 11:37

8:59 9:49 12:04 4:15 5:42 6:20 6:22 6:31 7:01 7:51 8:45 8:51 11:14 2:34 3:25 5:37 7:45

5:59 6:50 9:04 1:15 2:42 3:20 3:22 3:31 4:01 4:51 5:45 5:51 8:14 11:30 12:21 2:38 4:45

1:59 2:50 5:04 9:15 10:42 11:21 11:22 11:31 12:01 12:51 1:45 1:51 4:14 7:30 8:21 10:34 12:41

9:51 10:42 1:01 5:11 6:39 7:17 7:19 7:28 7:58 8:47 9:41 9:47 12:10 3:26 4:17 6:30 8:37

4:51 5:42 7:57 12:11 1:39 2:17 2:19 2:28 2:58 3:47 4:41 4:47 7:10 10:27 11:17 1:30 3:38

56.3 92.8 17.8 88.5 64.1 39.4 93.6 54.0 55.0 31.0 52.9 75.7 59.7 36.6 66.9 21.3 86.4

Risings and Settings

o find the times of the star’s rising and setting at Boston on any date, apply the interval shown to the time of the star’s transit on that date. Subtract the interval for the star’s rising; add it for its setting. To find the times for a loca¬ tion other than Boston, correct the times at Boston by the value of the Key Let¬ ter shown. (See footnote.) The direc¬ tions in which the star rises and sets, shown for Boston, are generally useful throughout the United States. Deneb,

Algol, Capella, and Vega are circum¬ polar stars — this means that they do not appear to rise or set but stay above the horizon. Star

Interval hr. min.

Rising Key Dir.

Setting Key Dir.

Altair Fomalhaut Aldebaran Rigel Bellatrix Betelgeuse Sirius Procyon Pollux Regulus Spica Arcturus Antares

6:36 3:59 7:06 5:33 6:27 6:31 5:00 6:23 8:01 6:49 5:23 7:19 4:17

B E B

E

WbN

D D

sw

D B B

D B A B

D A E

EbN SE ENE EbS EbN EbN ESE EbN NE EbN EbS ENE SEbE

B

D D B

D E

D B E A

WNW WbS WbN WbN WSW WbN NW WbN WbS WNW SWbW

NOTE: The values of Key Letters are given in the Time Correction Tables (pages 214-218).

50

Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

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D

100%

id you know, that you can actu¬ ally repair damaged cartilage? As cartilage deteriorates, it loses its protec¬ tive effect on joints, and allows bones to rub and grind together. The resulting ac¬ tion, of this rubbing and grinding, is de¬ formed, painful, stiff and sometimes swol¬ len joints. By helping your body help repair itself, you can greatly relieve joint pain, tender¬ ness and swelling. How Do I Help My Body Repair Itself? When you use ARTHRON, you can help your body repair the damaged carti¬ lage between your joints, so that once again you have healthy cartilage. You can experience relief without using toxic drugs or prescription medications that have harmful side effects. Prescription drugs can lead to serious physical damage. Peptic ulcers, gas¬ trointestinal bieeding...even kidney and liver damage can be caused by using NSAIDS. NSAIDS are non-steroidal anti¬ inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprophin. Cortisone is more dangerous. NSAIDS actually destroy your body’s cartilage. ARTHRON is more effective in treating arthritis, because it reduces pain, swollen joints and stiffness - with¬ out toxicity or side effects such as stom¬ ach irritations. Standard Drug Therapy and Prescription Drugs Anyone who has arthritis, and who has been treated with arpirin, cortisone, sur¬ gery, etc. knows that they can only ex¬ pect to receive limited relief. There is no real improvement or cure with prescrip¬ tion drugs. Standard drug therapy and prescription drugs can temporarily sup¬ press pain and inflammation, BUT can actually promote the progession of the disease by inhibiting cartilage repair. There is only temporary relief and numer¬ ous side-effects. As an alternative treatment to arthritis pain, there is a powerful blend of naturalingredients which have been used to treat bone and joint diseases. These ingredi¬ ents are completely safe (NO SIDIz RE¬ ACTIONS WHAT-SO-EVER) and supply 100% Natural Relief for "Deep In The Joints" aches and pains due to arthritis. They also reduce joint inflammation and stiffness, helping to provide you with greater freedom of movement. Even long term sufferers will receive relief. No more sleepless nights and painful annoying days. This 100% Natural Relief Prepara¬ tion is called ‘ARTHRON" and is now available, for the first time, to the public.

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What Can ARTHRON Do For Me? ARTHRON is a 100% natural nutri¬ tional suppliment that is completely safe and effective. It helps your body fight the aches and pains of arthritis without the side effects of aspirin, ibuprophin or cor¬ tisone. ARTHRON has no side effects. The main ingredient in ARTHRON is Glucosamine Sulfate: which contains two important building blocks for cartilage. This ingredient has been shown in recent studies to reduce pain and restriction of movement in arthritis sufferers. The ingredients in ARTHRON are: Glucosamine Sulfate.lOOOmg Boswellin... 300mg Bromalain. 150mg Alfalfa Juice Concentrate.lOOmg Willow Bark.lOOmg BOSWELLIN: an alternative to NSAIDS. It has been shown to reduce pain, swol¬ len joints and morning stiffness. Also im¬ proves grip and physical performance. BROMALAIN: another powerful anti-in¬ flammatory ingredient, without the gas¬ trointestinal side effects of aspirin. ALFALFA JUICE CONCENTRATE: pro¬ vides 2 important benefits. It promotes a

proper balance of hormones, an impor¬ tant factor in controlling the aches and pains, and it may reduce cholesterol lev¬ els. High cholesterol levels can impair cir¬ culation to inflamed or swollen joints. WILLOW BARK: has been used as an anti-inflammatory agent for thousands of years. When it’s chemically altered into salicylic acid, it's the basis for aspirin. Your body needs time for these natu¬ ral ingredients to gradually and naturally work their way into your system. Daily dosage is 2 tablets. One bottle contains 60 tablets, a month's supply. We strongly recommend that you give ARTHRON a real try for 4 months. You will need at least a 2 month supply since everyone is slightly different and the absorbtion time varies from person to person. Full results occur within 8 weeks (see graph).

ARTHRON is completely guaranteed. To receive a refund for any unused prod¬ uct, simply return the tablets and con¬ tainer for a full refund of purchase price (less P&H). To order ARTHRON fill out the coupon and mail with your check or money order to the address below. Charge orders call 1-800-770-1155. All orders shipped by First Class Mail. Not available by mail in IA, CT, S.America. Foreign orders $10.00 extra in US$ only. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or pre vent any disease ©1998 WGSI Trademark ARTHRON

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ust as an earthquake can be any¬ thing from an imperceptible tremor to a city-destroying visitation from hell, meteors can vary from barely visible did-I-imagine-that? streaks to exploding fireworks that leave onlookers gasp¬ ing in awe. There’s some sort of curious chemistry between the human spirit and “shooting stars,” those fiery chunks that have fallen off asteroids or comets. Away from city lights, five or six meteors appear every hour. Some are lazy in¬ truders that sneak up on Earth from behind and enter our atmosphere at only ten miles per second; others are sizzling, 100-times-faster-than-a-bullet kamikazes that plow into us headfirst. The latter can arrive at speeds up to 44 miles per second — fast enough to bum up high in the atmosphere and vanish into dust in an eye blink. Some meteors leave behind lingering, glowing trails that slowly fade after several seconds, like Cheshire-cat smiles. Others emit sparkling fragments, like cheap matches made in Burma. All meteors are smaller than you might think. A typical shooting star is only the size of an apple seed! If the stony chunk weighs more than two ounces, it is more brilliant than any star and casts shadows as it slices across the heavens. It’s then termed afireball, like the one seen over the northeastern United States on November 17, 1997. If it explodes violently into flaming fragments, it’s called a bolide. Most shooting stars appear during “showers,” when Earth collides with mil¬ lions of particles that have fallen off comets. Since we return to the same part of our or¬ bit on the same day each year (with a oneto two-day variation each century), those intersection points recur reliably. They give us such famous meteor showers as the Perseid, a faithful summer-vacation companion View of the Leonid meteor shower every August 11 and 12; the Geminid on DeNovember 12-13,1833.

52

cember 14, less hkely to be observed in most

Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

1999 offers prime viewing of meteors

^Jps

— seed-size frozen . ■

:

particles that blaze of the Northern Hemisphere due to wintry weather; and trails of light across the Leonid, a November shower with a tremendous vari¬ ation in richness. In other words, you can see the most the night sky. The meteors during the last half of each year. Unfortunately, conditions for meteor viewing have Leonids in November lately been less than favorable. That’s because 1998’s full Moons brightened the sky for two of the three best show¬ promise an especially ers, allowing only a few superbright specimens to poke through the milkiness. spectacular show. All this changes in 1999. The Moon will be totally ab¬ sent during the August 11 and 12 dates of the magical Perseid; this year, the shower coincides with the new Moon. For the Geminid on De¬ cember 14, the Moon will be present before midnight, but its phase will be only a crescent, with less than As the brilliance of a full Moon. It’s the Leonid shower on the night of November 17-18, 1999, that is attracting all the special interest. The Moon, just past its first quarter phase, will set by 1:00 a.m., leaving the remainder of the night pitch-black. For what, exactly? That’s the question of the year. The Leonids have been gaining in intensity for the last several Novembers — ex¬ actly what astronomers have expected, because the shower’s parent comet, TempelTuttle, has been steadily approaching us. Every 33.2 years, this comet, the machin¬ ery behind the Leonids, passes nearby as it swoops through the inner solar system, and we’re now in the thick of things: Its closest passage to the Sun occurred February 28, 1998. In 1966, the last time Tempel-Tuttle streaked by, it brought an amazing meteor “storm,” during which 100 shooting stars were seen each second from the American Southwest. It is the possibility of such a mind-boggling, Ar¬ mageddon-like intensity that has astronomers so excited. Be¬ cause the ultrafast shooting stars seem, by a trick of per¬ spective, to radiate from a single spot in the head of the constellation Leo the Lion, the effect is of a nonstop sparkler erupting violently from an invisible hole in the heavens. Nobody knows if such a meteor storm will actually occur this time around. It didn’t in 1933, but it definitely boggled the minds of millions of unprepared citizens in 1799, 1833, 1866, and again, to a lesser degree, in 1900. Also, the most intense fireworks persist for only an hour or two, so just a small section of Earth will be aimed in the right direction at the right time. But it could be over your house, and would you want to be sleeping, only to kick yourself the next day when you hear about it on the news? Even those who don’t get 1999

Old Farmer’s Almanac

53

the storm will still see a nice shower — maybe as many meteors as one per minute, which would rival the show put on by the Perseid and Geminid. Meteor watching requires no equipment. In fact, you don’t even want a telescope because you don’t want to restrict your view of the sky. For any of the three showers, choose a spot away from trees and other obstructions, and away from lights, too, if you can manage it. For the summer Perseid, spread a blanket or use a lawn chair to prevent neck cramp. Bring a companion: This is the perfect cheap date. Keep your eyes glued skyward. Perseids and Leonids are very fast and come and go in a second or less. Meteors love to sneak across the sky when you aren’t looking. You can face any direction, although northeast is slightly favored for the Perseids and Geminids. And don’t worry about getting hit. These showertype meteors are mostly stony ice balls that don’t survive their passage through the atmosphere. And if, from your location, it’s cloudy for all three showers -— a gloomy but conceivable possibility — remember that every clear night offers a stray shooting star every 10 or 12 minutes, on average. After this special year has passed, we still remain passengers on a world whose endless collisions with smaller objects light up all the nights of our lives. □□

i

i j

j i : i 1 i

j j j j j i

! j

! j

Editor’s note: See page 48 for a listing of the principal meteor showers seen each year from Earth.

available exclusively by mail from The Old Farmer’s Almanac The Old Farmer’s Almanac Guide to Besting Bugs and Combating Critters in Your Garden ■ This helpful chart compiles practical advice from gardeners around the country for getting rid of moles, woodchucks, slugs, and other common garden pests.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Guide to Herb Companions in the Garden ■ Read all about the benefits of herbs in your garden: Plant basil with tomatoes and chives with carrots. Plus lots of other ideas and folklore.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Combating Pesky Garden Weeds ■ This informative, illustrated chart identifies some of our most common weeds, with many helpful hints and clever tricks for getting rid of them.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Guide to Spices & Herbs

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Quick Fixes for Culinary Calamities

■ Our handy wall chart lists dozens of spices and herbs, recommended uses in cooking, folklore, and recipes for special blends.

H The soup is too salty or the gravy is lumpy. What can you do? Consult our long list of quick fixes for kitchen disasters.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Guide to Weather Proverbs and Prognostics ■ A wide-ranging collection of time-hon¬ ored weather proverbs and traditional weather-forecasting tables.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac 100 Unexpected Uses for Everyday Household Items ■ Did you know that hot lemon juice re¬ moves dried paint from glass, and that a

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Guide to Cleaning, Polishing, and Fresh¬ ening Your Home ■ Make cleaning your kitchen and bath¬ room a snap with these time-honored tips and homemade cleaners.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Kitchen Reference ■ Many helpful hints including a chart of substitutions for common food ingredi¬ ents and how to measure fruits and veg¬ etables.

little salt in the water keeps cut flowers fresh longer?

These decorative and informative charts are printed on sturdy stock. Each chart is $3. Order any three charts for $7. Shipping is included in the price of the chart. To order, please send your U.S. check or money order, payable to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, to: The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Dept. Charts 0FA99, P.0. Box 520, Dublin, NH 03444. You can also order on-line at www.almanac.com. Canadian orders: Payment must be made in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank.

54

Old Farmer’s Almanac

1999

LAYERED IN 18K GOLD Change Tiny Print

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No Batteries! No Recharging! Lasts A Lifetime! Keeps on working 5...15...100 years from now! Never be caught in the dark without the 100% reli¬ able Dynamo Flashlight with Nite-Glow locator strip. Uniquely powered by a mini-generator. Simply press lever. Presto! Darkness turns into light!

A "must" for glove compartment...garage...basement...nightSELF-POWERED stand... boat... plane...tent...tool box... or for any disaster - fire, FREE! Nite-Glow Strip... flood, earthquake, power failure, etc. You'll save a bundle on batteries Locate Your Flashlight and re-charge units. Lightweight, compact, durable, shock resistant, In The Dark! waterproof, and guaranteed to light every time. Only $9.95...Save ©1998 Rush Ind. Morel Buy 2 get 1 FREE only $19.95. (allow 4-6 weeks delivery.) 6/9/98 : • 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE Send To: Rush Industries Inc., Dept. DF223WC 75 Albertson Avenue, Albertson, NY 11507 Please send today my Dynamo Emergency Flashlight. Enclosed Is $. □ Dynamo Flashlight "Lights Everytime" Only $9.95 plus $2.95 Shipping & Handling □ Extra Bonus! Buy 2 Get 1 FREE Only $19.95 plus $4.95 Shipping & Handling □ Save Big! Buy 3 Get 2 FREE Only $29.95 plus $5.95 Shipping & Handling Name_

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1999

Old Farmer’s Almanac

55

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Old Farmer’s Almanac

—

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Age

Day of Year

For an explanation of this page, see “How to Use This Almanac, ” page 34; for values of Key Letters, see Time Correction Tables, page 214.

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NOVEMBER hath 30 days.

Now is the time for the burning of the leaves. They go to the fire; the nostril pricks with smoke Wandering slowly into a weeping mist. Brittle and blotched, ragged and rotten sheaves! - Laurence Binyon

£ Q

Dates, Feasts, Fasts, Aspects, Tide Heights

3

Farmer’s Calendar

Weather i 10.6

1 D 2 M.

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6 Fr. 7 Sa. 8 D 9 M.

Full Tomb of King Tut /12.4 , Beaver v_/ * discovered, 1922 * lldeslll.5 * the Eight teams joined together to form the /12.5 first American Football League, 1959 * l — * Adolph Sax Music is the ft 1.3 bom, 1814 * poetry of the air. * lldes 112.4 * snow New Jersey became first state to allow girls ft 1.0 to play little league baseball, 1973 * 112.1 * IS

23rb i§>. at

• C high* {its • falling; First issue of The Atlantic Monthly f 10.1 geese hit the newsstands, 1857 * l 10.8 „ , . „ , The Edmund Fitzgerald r 9.7 St. Leo the Great • sank, 1975 • 1110.2 10.2 are

10 Tu. 11 W. St. Martin • Veterans Day • G at • 5 §3°EE°)ns • If All Saints brings out winter, f 9.3 12 Th. St. Martin brings out Indian summer. * \ 9.4 heading d- sjr You never ' south. O vi * 4 stat. • your luck. 13 Fr. on Dow Jones closed above 1,000 mark, TI» * We 14 Sa. ki Eq. * first time in 76 years, 1972 * {9.4 pause 15 D 24rti §>. af. 19. • borru81887 16 17 18 19

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20 Fr. 21 Sa. 22 D 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

M. Tu.

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6 inches snow, Tucson, Ariz., 1958

St. Hugh of Lincoln St. Hilda • New #

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Loyalty to a petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul. . . . yy no Tommy Dorsey

a forkful

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of vi at o • died, 1956 • {% / -w rr BatMasterson , f 9.3 O 4C • born, 1853 * Tldesl9.7 * turkey First skywriting, “Hello USA,” written halfway over New York City, 1922 * Thanksgiving •

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999

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feast • Tides I19.4 • Lincoln delivered his short Tommy Dorsey to speech at Gettysburg, Pa., 1863 * born, 1905 / x Edwin Powell Hubble f 10.3 hear O V Vi • born, 1889 * l— * X As November 21, f 9.3 their V stat. * so the winter. * Tides 2 mns _ rr,,, f 9.2 loud 25^ • C low • Tides{l0T • ... First jukebox installed, calling, St. Clement # San Francisco, Calif., 1889

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Sa. C M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa. C M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa. C M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa. C M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa. C M.

5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

40 39 37 36 35 33 32 31 30 29 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 18 17 16 15 14 14 13 12 12 11 11



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1999

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