The Old Farmer's Almanac 1994 [1994 ed.] 0899092586, 9780899092584

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^ ALL NEW!

Facts, Features, and Fun for

1994 Z/

A LTHOUGH the first issue was pub/ )^ lished

when George Washington was

—^\~ president, The Old Farmer's Al*f JL

jA_ manac remains North America's

favorite annual source of wit,

wisdom, and

uncannily accurate yearlong weather forecasts.

For the benefit of our readers who

more durable edition, we have pronumber of copies of this

prefer a

duced a limited

Special Collector's Edition.

contains

It

all

of

the material found in the 1994 bookstore edition printed

bound ing.

on a high-quality paper and

in traditional library-style

hard bind-

As we plunge headlong into our third

century of continuous publication, this edition

is

intended to

last until

our 300th

anniversary! In addition to our valuable

astronomical forecasts and gardening infor-

mation for the year ahead, brain-teasing puzzles,

and essay and recipe

will find

more

exciting

contests,

you

and entertaining

in-

formation than ever before. For example:

c^ Consumer Tastes

c^ All About the d^ How

to

You

& Trends for 1994

Moon and You

Appear to Know More Than

Really

Do

v& Solving the Mysteries of Love and Sex

W All About Your Hair and How It

to

Make

Beautiful

v& The

Women Who Tamed the West

b^ How

to Store Everything

b^ Recipes

for Savory

Turnovers

We hope that you enjoy reading this 202nd annual publishing

it.

issue as

much

as

we enjoyed

We are comforted in the

knowledge that these Special Collector's Editions will be around for our descendants to read

on the occasion of The Old Farmer's

Almanac's 300th birthday.

Number Two Hundred and Two

THE

Old Farmer's Almanac Calculated on a

new and improved plan for the year of our Lord

1994 Being 2nd

after

LEAP YEAR and (until July 4)

218th 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

and the Farmer's Calendar

number of Astronomical Calculations month in the year, a variety of

for every

NEW, USEFUL, AND ENTERTAINING MATTER. ESTABLISHED

IN 1792

by Robert B. Thomas

"Beauty

is

Ye know on

truth, truth

earth,

ana

beauty" all

—

that

is all

ye need to know. - John Keats

COPYRIGHT 1993 BY YANKEE PUBLISHING INCORPORATED Cover T.M. registered in U.S.

Library of Congress

ISSN 0078-4516

Patent Office

Address

all editorial

correspondence

Card No. to

The Old Farmer's Almanac, Dublin, NH 03444 1994

Old Farmer's Almanac

56-29681

.

The Old Farmer's Almanac • 1994

12

Consumer Tastes

1 ]

& Trends

Sunday Morning,

November

12,

1933

for 1994

Women Who

148 The 26

Tamed the West

What on Earth Is

Epact?

page 12

154 The Day 44

Dear Mr. Robert B.

4G

Thomas

All

About

.

How to Appear to

Solving the

Mysteries of

Love

Edgar Hoover

Arrested Canada's 98

the

Know More Than You Really Do 86

J.

.

Moon and You 82

94

Lost Victories

Ten Little-Known Facts About

Greatest Crook

the Lewis

1

and Clark

56 Buddy, Can You Spare an 1894-S

Expedition

166 Eleven Rules for

102 About Your Hair and

How to

Hand-Taming

Make

Wild Birds

It

Beautiful

(and Sex)

Dime?

1

69

Ways

to Store

Everything So 92

The

Possible

Secret of

Our

It

Stays Fresh

page 94

Founding

174 Buying by the Gallon

Fathers'

Longevity

176

A Handful of Savory Turnovers to

1

Try

82 The Amazing Story of Freckles the

1

Cow

94 Three Muskie Tears

214

How Your Vegetables Can

Win page 148

a

Blue Ribbon

at the Fair

30

33

Aphelion, Earth

Stars, Bright

43

34

at

162

Calendar Pages

54-81

248 33

Sun Fast

33, 55-81

Sundials

of

Ads

Conjunctions,

A Eulogy for the

34, 40, 55-81

203 31,54-80

Wish Book

30,54-80 31,54-80 31

203

Tidal Glossary

32,54-81 ...

204

....

209

Tides, Correction Tables

Time Correction Tables Twilight,

Length of

203

Earthquakes

33

Windchill Table

101

Eclipses

42

Zodiac

160

Eras

33 192

Essay Contest

Your Garden

Rise and Set

Tides. Boston ...

Dawn and Dark

Fishing, Best

244

229

Day, Length of

Worry

224 Getting to Know the Toad That Lives in

Classified

....

9 54-80

Sun: Declination

Chronological Cycles

Astronomical

and the Psychology

Substitutions Table

Calendars, 1993-1995

Church Holy Days

Risk Assessment

190

Seasons

Astrological Timetable

220 Taking Your Chances: An Examination of

Recipe Contest

Anecdotes and Pleasantries 234

Days

for

198

Foreword, To Patrons

4

Frosts and

208

Seasons Glossary

Supplement:

Holidays

Great Americans

Key Letters

Forecast Methods

36

General U.S. Forecast

Growing

249 Special Bookstore

I

38

Map of U.S.

114

Regions

Regional Forecasts

115 116-146

36

1.

New England

116

30,209

2.

Greater N.Y.-N.J

118

42

3.

Middle Atlantic Coast ..120

164

4.

Piedmont

Useful and Curious

Astronomical Place 32,54-80

5.

Florida

Reference Matter

Full,

Hall of Fame, plus

Compendium

A

of

Meteor Showers

Moon:

Astrological Place

...

Symbols

Greater Ohio Valley

54-80

8.

Deep South

30,54-80

9.

Chicago-S. Great Lakes 132

10.

N. Great Plains-

34

11.

Central Great Plains

164,206

12.

Texas-Oklahoma

138

184

13.

Rocky Mountains

140

188

14.

Southwest Desert

142

242

15. Pacific

Northwest

144

219

16.

34

for

Answers

to

Rainy Day Amusements

Answers

to

...

....

California

128

130

134

Great Lakes

32,40

Puzzles

page 214

126

Upstate

7.

and Set

Planting Tables

New York

6.

Perihelion, Earth at Planets: Rise

122

124

42

Phases of Rise and Set

..

164, 206

1994-1998

Gardening by

& S.E. Coast

....

136

146

in i

Almanac

Pnis

presents an interesting

challenge to us present-day editors.

The On one

hand, each year's edition must be filled with nothing but brand-new, up-to-date stories, charts, and information. On the other, it must look and feel like what it is, the oldest continuously published periodical in North America. In other words, we need to be both new and old at the same time. Improvements, then, must be made carefully. When our typesetter used a slightly different style of astronomical symbols one year, a Galveston, Texas, reader wrote to us, saying, "I wish the man who changed the Moon signs in this year's Almanac had died before he'd done it." Nonetheless, over the years since 1939, when the present owners took over (the fourth family since 1792), we've made quite a few improvements that went by The Old Fanner's Almanac headquarters

in

Dublin,

virtually unnoticed. just say they didn't

Or maybe we should

seem to bother anyone.

we

enlarged the

outside dimensions of the

Almanac by

In 1980, for instance,

about a half inch

all

around. Didn't hear

one word from Galveston, Texas. We've also more than doubled the number of annual pages over the past few years; obtained the services of some of the best writ-

from around the United States and Canada; begun elaborate testing procedures for all published recipes; expanded ers

the weather-forecasting section and, particularly this past year, significantly im-

proved our rate of accuracy; introduced photographs in our stories; and even added some color to our familiar "Four Seasons" cover scene that we first published in 1851 and have used ever since. This year we've continued our cautious efforts to improve. Little things. For one,

New Hampshire

(population 1,474).

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

1

Heatwave Hybrid. fruit in

Sets

the hottest weather!

2 Big

Girl® Hybrid VF.

Early Girl Hybrid. Produces fruit early

^

Long-Keeper. Keeps up to five months!

8

Viva

and

often.

Hybrid. Tastes and in sauces.

Italia

great fresh

~tr\ Tumbler Hybrid. Very

A\J

early, great for containers!

3Supersteak Hybrid VFN.

Perfect for slicing or wedges.

Extra-meaty 1-2

6

Delicious.

r\

Gardener's Delight.

pleasing, great for salads.

Its

seed grew the

world's largest tomato!

An

old time favorite.

-|

11

lb. fruits.

'

^

b

Celebrity Hybrid. Great flavor, disease resistant.

12 Juicy Reasons to Send for a FREE 1994 Burpee Gardens Catalogue! Tomatoes! Burpee's 1994 Garden Catalogue features 26 different tomato varieties! Early ones, late ones, big beauties and bite-sized gems. All packed full of garden-fresh flavor and guaranteed to satisfy. You will be able to choose from over 300 varieties of vegetables and over 400 varieties of flowers. Plus fruit trees, bulbs, shrubs, garden supplies. Your new catalogue will arrive in early January. i

1

EJ YES! Send me my FREE 1994 Burpee Gardens Catalogue Please mail to:

Burpee, 020941 Burpee Building, Warminster,

Name

Zip. 1993 W.Atlec Burpee

& Q.

PA

18974

we hope, easier to read. For we think you'll find this edition

the type

The 1994 Edition of

is,

another,

The Old Farmer's Almanac

better organized for

Established in 1792

maximum

useful-

and published every year thereafter

ness and entertainment. Please do

Robert B. Thomas

know

(1766-1846)

FOUNDER

JUDSON D. Hale

EDITOR (12th since 1792):

MANAGING

Sr.

in the

SUSAN PEERY

EDITOR:

EXECUTIVE EDITOR:

Tim CLARK

MARGO LETOURNEAU WEATHER PROGNOSTICATOR: Dr. Richard Head GEORGE GREENSTEIN

Lida Stinchfield

COPY EDITOR:

Anna LARSON, Debra Sanderson, Jody Saville, Mary Sheldon ASSISTANT EDITORS:

Mare-Anne Jarvela ARCHIVIST: Lorna Trowbridge

RESEARCH EDITOR:

BUSINESS MANAGER, EDITORIAL:

Ann Duffy

PUBLISHER: (22nd since 1792):

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER:

the

while always new, remain basically true

back to the

one is the only survivor of all the late-

As Robb Sagendorph, wrote

18th-century American almanacs.) the as

1 1th editor,

he was preparing the 1971 edition just

And

SHERIN WIGHT

years, as

balance

Kemco Publishers Services

•

OFFICES:

Fax: 603-563-8252 ST.,

President;

DUBLIN,

NH 03444

Judson D. Hale

Sr..

PlANI, Vice President and Chief

FlSHER, JAMES H. FlSHMAN,

John Pierce, and Joe Timko.

last year's in

town of

the

we strive for. Remaining true to

Vice Presidents.

.

.

.

/.

and alD. H.

However, it is by our works and not our words that we would be judged. These, we hope, will sustain us in the humble though proud station we have so long held in the

The Old Farmer's Almanac cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and will not return any manuscripts that do not include a stamped and addressed return envelope. in this edition of

was

hundreds of years of tradition ways brand-spanking new.

Box 520, Dublin, NH 03444 MAIN

be

back in the year 1994. That's the delicate

CIRCULATION:

Phone: 603-563-8111

this edition to

would peruse it and have a pretty good idea of what life was like in America

RlTA TROUBALOS, Manager; Stacy Bernstein, Lori Gray

AND PUBLISHING

were

Milesburg, Pennsylvania, people in 2094

Martha Cavanaugh

EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING,

yet,

buried in a time capsule for a hundred

ADVERTISING PRODUCTION:

NEWSSTAND

prognostications of Virgil and Hesiod, the proverbs of Franklin, the wit of Swift."

JOHN PIERCE

MARKETING RESEARCH MANAGER:

The newsprint

is

the farm calendars of the Sumerians, the

STEVE MuSKIE

SHERIN WIGHT

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR:

BROOKS

The cover

Farmer's Almanac has and always will have the astronomy of the Babylonians,

PRODUCTION SYSTEMS COORDINATOR:

Financial Officer;

year) remains.

Paul Belliveau

Lucille RlNES, Steve Kusnarowis, Clare Innes

BRIAN

all

same scene it's been for 143 years. We remain opposed to liquor and tobacco advertising. And the format and contents,

this

PRODUCTION ARTISTS:

Senior Vice President;

use

before his death on July 4, 1970, " The Old

PRODUCTION MANAGER:

Joseph B. Meagher,

But, don't worry, the hole in the upper left-hand corner (for hanging it up to

JAMIE TROWBRIDGE

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR:

INC.,

change

it's

days of the ancient Romans. (Of course,

CASTLE FREEMAN Jr., Farmer's Calendar, Fred Schaaf, Astronomy; Jamie Kageleiry

YANKEE PUBLISHING

opinion of readers,

to that of all almanacs going

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS:

P.O.

us

for the better.

ART DIRECTOR:

ASTRONOMER: Dr.

let

you don't agree. Change, we think, is all right, even in something as traditional as the Almanac, but only if, if

name

of

Your ob'd

servant,

The Old Farmer's Almanac

The cover paper contains ten percent postconsumer recycled fiber. All printing inks used are soy-based. This product is recyclable. Consult local contains four percent postconsumer recycled fiber.

recycling regulations for the right

way to do it.

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

Old Farmer's Almanac

June 1993 1994

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Old Farmer's Almanac

Special Information from Cover Advertisers Screen and Intervene Your Way to Better Nutrition

Good nutrition it

is

important for everyone, but

is

essential for people recovering from

ill-

drinks daily? Do you have tooth or

lems that make

mouth prob-

hard to eat? Do you take at least

it

ness or surgery or undergoing cancer therapy.

3 different prescribed or over-the-counter drugs

Because disease and treatment can decrease

daily? Without

appetite or impair the ability to eat,

10 pounds

that nutrition

it's critical

monitored during this time to

is

If

tions,

speed recovery.

etitian

nutritional health. dition that

Do you have an

made you change

amount of food you meals

to

screen your

illness or

con-

the kind and/or

eat? Do you eat fewer than 2

Do you eat few fruits, vegetables,

daily?

or

milk products? Do you have 3 or more alcoholic

the last 6 months?

in

may want

you

the

company

detergent category cently introduced

its

that pioneered the liquid in

1956 with Wisk, has

technically advanced,

concentrated detergent ever Wisk.

Now Wisk cleans

—

re-

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Double Power

better than ever by pack-

ing in double the cleaning liquid.

ask your doctor or

di-

about supplementing your diet with a

Division, Abbott Laboratories, offers

Ensure®

and Ensure Plus® as convenient ways

to in-

crease your intake of calories, vitamins, minerals, in

and

These products are available

protein.

groceries, pharmacies,

sumers can reuse pack.

fill

tles are

In

least

in

it

and discount stores.

the Laundry Aisle

by purchasing a separate re-

Power detergent bot-

addition, Double

made

with at least 25 percent postcon-

sumer recycled

plastic,

and

refills

incorporate at

50 percent postconsumer recycled

plastic

power so consumers in

use only half the

to

medical nutritional product. The Ross Products

Environmental and Cleaning Power Advancements

Lever,

gained

lost or

you answered yes to any of the above ques-

ensure that sufficient nutrients are available to

Use the following questions

wanting to, have you

The

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their packaging.

a thick, rich

The Double Power Wisk

line is available in a

formula that offers unbeatable stain-removing variety of sizes, including the

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power and cleaning performance. fill.

The new-size packages clean the same num-

Not only does Double Power Wisk offer con-

sumers the best Wisk concentration also

ever, but

means

its

new

ber of loads better at the

that bottles are 50

percent smaller than the previous formulation, resulting

in

less solid

waste

to

available

in

with sensitive skin, there

throw away and

and

a formula that

detergent bottle

is

price.

Wisk

is

Regular scent and, for those families

which contains

bottles that are easier to store, pour,

When the original

same

level of

carry.

empty, con-

questions or

all

is

free of dyes

comments

Old Farmer's Almanac

is

now

a Wisk Free,

the cleaning power of Wisk

call

in

and perfumes. For

1-800-ASK-WISK.

1994

Common

Substitutions for Item

Quantity

Allspice

1

Ingredients

Substitution

teaspoon

A teaspoon cinnamon

X

plus

% teaspoon ground cloves

Arrowroot, as

A teaspoons

1

teaspoon

Va

X

thickener

\

Baking powder

1

Bread crumbs, dry

14

cup

teaspoon baking soda plus

Acup

1 slice

1

cup

1

unsweetened

1

ounce

3 tablespoons cocoa plus

Cracker crumbs

3

Buttermilk

Ys

teaspoon cream of tartar

bread bread

slice

1

x

soft

tablespoon flour

cup yogurt

Chocolate.

Acup

1

tablespoon butter or

fat

cup bread crumbs

1

Cream, heavy

1

cup

3

Cream,

light

1

cup

Vh

cup milk plus 3 tablespoons melted butter

Cream, sour

1

cup

Vs

cup buttermilk or plain yogurt plus 3 tablespoons melted butter

Cream, whipping

1

cup

% cup well-chilled evaporated milk, whipped; or

A cup milk plus A cup melted butter (this will not whip) l

nonfat dry milk powder whipped with Flour, all-purpose

1

cup

1

% cups cake or or

1

cup

1

ice

cup water

% cup potato flour; or coarsely ground whole grain flour;

flour; or

1

A cups rye

1

cup cornmeal

X

Flour, cake

1

cup

1

cup minus 2 tablespoons

Flour, self-rising

1

cup

1

cup all-purpose flour plus VA teaspoons baking powder plus A teaspoon salt

Garlic

1

small clove

sifted all-purpose flour

X

Herbs, dried

Honey

Lemon Lemon juice Lemon rind, grated

A

X

1

to

teaspoon

1

A teaspoon

X

1

1

powder or

instant

minced

garlic

tablespoon fresh, minced and packed

VA cups

cup

1

garlic

sugar plus

Vi

cup liquid

to 3 tablespoons juice, 1 to \ A teaspoons grated rind X

A teaspoon vinegar A teaspoon lemon extract

1

teaspoon

l

1

teaspoon

l

Milk, skim

1

cup

l

Milk, whole

1

cup

X

Milk, to sour

1

cup

A cup instant nonfat dry milk plus about 3A cup water A cup evaporated milk plus Vi cup water; or 1 cup skim milk plus 2 teaspoons melted butter

Add

1

tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup milk 1 tablespoon. Stir and let stand 5 minutes.

minus Mustard, prepared

1

tablespoon

1

teaspoon dry or powdered mustard

Onion, chopped

1

small

1

tablespoon instant minced onion; or 1 teaspoon onion powder; or A cup frozen chopped onion X

Sugar, granulated

1

cup

Tomatoes, canned

1

cup

1

cup firmly packed brown sugar; or VA cups confectioners' sugar (do not substitute in baking); or 2 cups corn syrup; or 1 cup superfine sugar

A cup tomato sauce

l

A cup

X

plus

water; or

A cup

X

1

chopped fresh tomatoes, simmered

Tomato juice

1

cup

Vi

cup tomato sauce plus cup water plus dash each and sugar; or Va cup tomato paste plus 3A cup water plus salt and sugar

cup tomato sauce plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and Vs teaspoon ground cloves

Tomato ketchup

l

Acup

Vi

Tomato puree Tomato soup

lcup

Vi

Vanilla

1-inch

Yeast

1

cake

Yogurt, plain

1

cup

1994

1

can

'/:

cup tomato paste plus A cup water X

(Km oz.) bean 3

( /5

oz.)

1

cup tomato sauce plus A cup water

1

teaspoon vanilla extract

1

package active dried yeast

1

cup buttermilk

X

Old Farmer's Almanac

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TO:

NEW Collectibles from

STORE

A handsome

The Old Farmer's Almanac!

tractor replica.

Here's the latest in the series of classic collectible toy tractors from The Old Farmer's Almanac. This 1/i6th-scale Cockshutt 770 Tractor is die-cast in metal and features moving wheels, original details and two-tone enamel paint.

Cockshutt 770

Tractor,

OF94TRC $49.95

This collector's commemorative nearly sold out!

is

This may be your last chance to acquire these Classic Banks from The Old Farmer's Almanac. This handsome boxed set includes delivery trucks from three eras: Team and Covered and Wagon 1905 Ford Delivery Truck

Sure to appreciate in value Replicas of antique trucks make great collectibles! This 1938 Chevy Panel Truck coin bank is a beauty, with two-tone finish, gleaming chrome trim accents, and rubber tires. All die-cast metal. A great gift for any antique-car fancier!

1938 Chevy Delivery Van,

OF94CHV

.

.

.

Classic Banks Set,

$24.95

Old Farmer's General Store

.

•

.

.

1948 Diamond T Tractor Trailer. Each is also a coin bank with locking vault and key.

Box

P.O.

Yd

10778,

OF92CLB

Des Moines,

IA

$74.95

50340-0778

like to order these collectibles

Name Qty.

Item #

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Description

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State

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of Payment:

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,~11 4 For fastest service call toll free

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940FGS1

n u HITS HI

THE RETURN OF THE ELMS: Ever notice streets?

111 111

how many towns have Elm

American cities once had more elms shading them than any other tree, until Dutch elm disease scoured the country. Plant pathologists

and What to

now sistant

in '94.

Expect

elms

will

be available

in 1994.

predict that blight-re-

The new

species, called

Frontier and Prospector, will turn, respectively, a

deep maroon and a deep yellow THE RETURN OF THE

in

autumn.

WHOOPING CRANE: In 1967

the government listed 78 species in danger

of extinction. Today, 44 of those are either stable or increasing, including the bald eaalligator, and the whoopHowever, since that first list in 1967, over 300 other animals have been added to the endangered list.

American

the

gle,

by Jamie

ing crane.

Kageleiry

in

straight lines

WARMTH:

and

The

women

Differences

THE WAY TO A MAN'S

in

HEART

curly ones.

IS

THROUGH

Between

Men and Women

women

1994)

the

a

per-

woman's

was through

truly are

warmer

than men. Recent stud-

have found that the

her

is

98.4° F a 98.1°. (So

latest

much

;

98.6°...)

for

THE THREE STOOGES: Reactions to the "classic"

show are

split pretty

der

lines.

Males

think Moe, Curly,

remote-control device

and Larry are for the television.

funny.

People

who study such

things

found that men doodle

12

BIGGEST FEET:

Matthew McGrory, it is said, may just be the only grown man on whose shoe exceeds his age. Matthew (7' 5") is 20 and his shoes are size 23 (that's 20 inches long, six

size

to hold the

DOODLING:

"champs" in

various categories.

the planet

are twice as likely

women

1994

is

evenly along gen-

men

to beat in

male's

A recent study found that

as

Some records

female

CHANNEL SURFING: stomach.

And the Records are always being set and shattered. Here are some of the

average temperature of a

men thought that

way to

heart

25

all

all

polled recently

believe this. Only

cent of

(in

Women

ies

Almost two-thirds of

No, not

that emotional stuff.

Women

think they are

inches wide, five pounds

stupid and

apiece, $800 the pair).

violent.

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

m

n

ULLllL GAMBLING

—

not always such a bad habit:

a nun recently won

a million dollars in a California lottery. Sister Josephine

Contris, 71, has lived under a

vow

of

poverty for 54 years and will use the money to build a new retirement

What's collectible

home

There s a baby-boomer

for her order.

childhood, -which

n^

For over 15 years, exercise have been telling us that in order to become fit, we must exercise aerobically for at least 20 minutes at least three times a week. Now we can relax. Shorter, more frequent aerobic exercise may be just as beneficial. FITNESS:

scientists

cre-

Lunch boxes from the

fifties

and

sixties. Christie's

recently sold a Dudley

Do-Right model for $2,000

(Thermos included!).

c^

Superman or other

tion comics.

Winners Are and enables 150 people to sit under it.

is

ating a hot market for the following:

the per-capita total was 175 pounds.

Planted in 1885, the single root of the "White Lady Banksia" has grown to cover more than 8,000 square feet

1994?

wave of nostalgia for the symbols of their

GARBAGE: Americans now throw away about 135 pounds of groceryproduct packaging per capita a year. This is good news? In 1980

WORLD'S LARGEST ROSE BUSH:

in

f

man

...

The

first

ac-

Super-

comic, circa 1938,

re-

cently sold for $82,500.

d^

Toy cars, small metal

The lucky owner is Burton DeVere of Tombstone,

styles.

Arizona.

gage truck

LARGEST LIVING THING ON EARTH

Matchbox

or

"Buddy

L"

A 1930s Buddy

L bag

sold for

\

(so far):

Well,

it

was the 38-acre

fungus discovered in Michigan last year, but that one

puny next to the

is

1,500-acre

Armillaria ostoyae fungus

J^

measured recently Washington State.

in

baseball gloves or

wooden hockey

rent cost:

$15

sticks (cur-

to $200);

team

1930s

(cur-

pictures from the rent cost: $50).

fc^

Textiles: old fabric with

mattress-ticking stripes

($85 to $450); fruit-andf lower-print

table linens from

before the second World

War ($15

to $95).

David Nelson

1994

Old Farmer's Almanac

13

— Consumer Tastes

Trends

&

What's

1994

for

in

a Name?

GOOD FOR YOD

Baby girls' most popular name seems to

Red WiflK Scientists

Jennifer to Jessica to Ashley. Boys just

change every believe that

phenol, the chemical that red,

can lower the

Red grape juice

is

five to ten years,

keep getting named Michael, which

makes wine

risk of heart disease.

has been the most popular for decades.

good, too.

The newest trend, though, IdlTOtS! They always were good you, but

now they're even

for

der/blender"

name

is

the "gen-

(usually used on

better

girls) yellow fruits and veggies and dark

green leafy ones

from

may even

such as Pat, or

Chris, or Jamie.

prevent

tumor growth.

MPS! They're normal!

If

sleepy midafternoons,

doesn't

you're lazy or bored

it

—

you're

mean

the "slump,"

^ New weeds it

turns out,

biology.

deeply ingrained

is

in

our

And researchers have

concluded that giving to take a short

in

to the desire

nap can improve

mental performance and mood.

Caffeine! for you, but it

Well,

it's

it

may

Ted

be.

villain

A recent

federal study found that even pregnant

women can

drink less than three cups

a day without harming the baby.

Thumb-sucking:

its no longer

one of those nasty childhood habits.

Now some view

it

psychologists

ingenuity" and a

control.

ronment on Mars to it more hospitable. After that,

make

f

v "^




S

clothes that gracefully allow forthe

that are comfortable and practical be-

(^P^\ /sensible and frugal.

—

spare the time.

often works better than chemical fungicides.

fastilcn

20

yet one

To prevent and control mildew and other fungal diseases

for

"real

life" in

fash-

,-

/

»

Hpl

^

ion marketing.

aging of the baby boomers. Watch for

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

Wit

1994

& Wisdom

for Every

OLD FARMER'S

ALMANAC

Day

HEARTH

&HOME

of the Year!

CALENDAR Recipes for

Hazelnut Fudge,

UNIQUE CALENDARS FOR 1994 FROM THE OLD FARMER'S ALMANAC

Pickled Peppers,

more! House-

keeping

tips for

no-stick pancakes, long-lasting candles. Crafts from sten-

1994 OLD FARMER'S ALMANAC

GARDENING CALENDAR

cils to

crazy quilts. Fascinating facts

on May

Day, pumpkins, potluck suppers. Plus:

* 12 full-color needlepoint illustrations * holidays * binh dates * Moon phases. #3430-94 SyTxll" $5.95

1994

OLD FARMER'S ALMANAC DIARY

CALENDAR Now staying on sched-

How to protect dahlia tubers? When to divide daisies?

The

ule ls/un! Spacious, week-at-a-

secret for juicier straw-

glance diary slips into pocket or purse

berries? Here's a wheelbarrow-full of tips plus:

*

and brims with the Almanac's inimitable

12 full-color garden paintings

* useful essays on roses, soil, birds * Outdoor Planting Guide for 1994 * fascinating agricultural lore * Moon phases * dates & holidays * more! 11" x8'r #3421-94 $5.95

weather

forecasts, astrology, history, tips,

wrapped stamped with the famous

quotes, proverbs, more. All richly in black leather

Almanac golden sunburst. #3432-94 4"x6 3

r

1994 Calendar Order Form

Order

toll-free

$14.95

1-800-685-3376

YES! Please send me:

D MasterCard

D Payment enclosed Qty

1994 Calendars

OF A

No.

Price ea.

a visa

Total Credit Card

Gardening

3421-94

S5.95

OFA Hearth & Home

3430-94

$5.95

Exp. Date

OFA Leather Diary

3432-94

514.95

Name

# /

Address. Mail

to:

Old Farmer's Almanac

Shipping

&

Handling:

S_

Order Total

S

3.00

City

Calendars P.O. Box 10778 Des Moines, 1A 50340-0778

btate.

-Zip.

S940FAC

Consumer Tastes

GOOD RIDDANCE! MALARIA: The at the far, pire,

gin

British,

used to joke that

if

Mow

who were posted

more malarial corners

of the

Em-

one drank enough

and tonic (tonic water contains quinine),

one would be safe from malaria, which strikes

300 million people a year and has no

cure. Chloroquine

was used with some de-

gree of effectiveness

—

until

in

preventing malaria

came immune to

its

effects.

itself,

Now scientists

and a cure, or at least a non-

resistible prophylactic, is

CHICKEN POX: This will year

in

on the horizon.

finally

Economists and other prognosticated watch various indicators for clues to the future. The level of shipments of corrugated cardboard boxes, for example, may show a yet-unreported demand for goods. Or the number of seats booked on business-class flights to Tokyo is a clue to the health of Pacific-rim businesses. These make sense. Other "leading indicators" don't, at first, but they seem to work: Football:

when

team that was part of a

which we get a vaccine against

the original

National

HASTALAVISTA,LACUCARACHA: final farewell to

the cockroach? Maybe,

Football

just

maybe the newest warfare being waged

League

diminish the ranks. Pesticide maker

Football Conference

pessimistic,

will

team) wins the Super Bowl, stocks post

ing,

Biosys says researchers are using

worms as

foot soldiers in the battle against the

roach inside

(like a

/, business

"roach motel"

Instead of poisoning them there,

it

exposes them to microscopic worms

LINES: There are scientists who

study queues and how to manage them, with

the goal of eliminating them altogether. Electronically sensitive pads placed under

the places where people most often wait

traffic flow.

—

in

monitor

The monitors can even sense

"line tolerance"

which people

in

—

that's the point at

queues give up and go

Lyrics:

psychiatrist in

listening to the radio.

Harold studied 40 years' worth of song lyrics and correlated

when everyeconomy

time to

things are looking

gloomy, songs sounding more optimistic, such as start

He discovered

it's

your stock, because a recession is on the way. But when sell

songs with news

1991's

"Coming Out

thing in the

of the Dark," predict-

seems peachy, song

ing better times to

speakwill

lyrics soon be obsolete.

the radio,

really

events.

lamps, phones, vacuums): Wires

and "In the Year 2525," which is about the end of the world. When you hear gloom and doom on

types of popular hit

that just

(to

New

York, predicted the recession of 1990 by

more workers to ease the crunch.

ers,

In the prerecession instance, most songs were "dark," such as

home. Then business owners can schedule

WIRES CLUTTERING FLOORS

a recession to come.

ory has worked

low, a social

banks

of leading indicator of

year of 1969, for

Harold Zul-

airports, movies,

becom-

turns out, a sort

"Bad Moon Rising"

product soon.

—

it

Super Bowl the-

Song

a commercial

line

The

lethal bacteria.

Biosys hopes to have

WAITING

day.

23 out of 26 times.

called nematodes, which infect

them with a

(a National

gains the following

universally hated roach. A trap lures the

22

a

popular theory holds that in years

be the

chicken pox.

A

to lell ike rnHnjr

the mosquito-borne parasites be-

are gaining knowledge into the genes of the parasite

Trends for 1994

suddenly turn

Old Farmer's Almanac

come.

1994

in BENJAMIN UNO

JM

EDITORS OF THE

A. flLD

WATSON FARMER'S ALAMJ^NAE

^ »

.

send you $5.00 free if you don't agree my ALL NATURAL beer is ill

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show you an brew your own superb lager for as little as $4 .56 per case. You actuary SAVE up to $10 on EACH CASE OF BEER. And wait until you taste the beer. Compare it to the finest premium beers. Referring to this method of making beer, the New York Times stated, "..the That's

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LEGAL?

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Try your mini-brewery. Keep it for up to 6 months. Make the beer at your leisure. If you don't agree that this is the best beer you've ever tasted in your life, we'll buy the kit back. What's more, we'll pay the return postage (by regular UPS or Parcel Post rates) and send you an extra $5.00 for your time and trouble. No conditions. No excuses. kits

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at

I

I

1994

TESTED! PROVEN!

IT

WORKS!

Miracle hormone

SIMM) INDOOR & OUTDOOR PLANTS GO WILD YEAR ROUND!

1

A LEADING NATIONAL MAGAZINE the magic

hormone contained

00%

EFFECTIVE

in

reports

DYNOGEN

From

causing a plant revolution. This miracle acts to promote the healthy growth, development and reproduction processes of is

Practically

Dead

hormone

..

plants, including: •

Plants

worst • •

•

grow light

into giants

even under the

and moisture

" Vibrantly

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conditions

-^

Alive! !! bloom rarely, now flower constantly! ^« Rose bushes climb 3 times normal height! Outdoor Gardens Love It Too! Young trees double or triple in size in 3 weeks! See Geraniums and Hydrangeas grow into giants... Roses turn into prize winners. ..huge

Plants that

LEADING RESEARCH ACADEMIES have acclaimed

this

important development

DYNOGEN DYNOGEN

is

all

hormone as being the most in horticulture.

more than

just a plant food.

a plant hormone which contains the basic building blocks of life itself. is

DYNOGEN GIVES PLANTS NEW VIGOR AND RESISTANCE TO DISEASE AND

Chrysanthemums

USERS WRITE TO US REGULARLY: "It's terrific"— Mrs. A.R., Plantation, Fla. "Faster bud setting, more vivid flowers... more vigorous growth... bigger leaf size... no more problems with pests." Mrs. T.S. Ricacho, N.M. "Roses, trees, shrubs, and houseplants showed many new leaves and increased growth in 3 days." E.M., Lexington, Ohio "From practically dead to vibrantly alive" W.Y., Entoka, Ga.

—

—

1994

LIGHT AND

MOISTURE CONDITIONS

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a Mastercard Exp.

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Signature

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(Print)

Address City

State

Old Farmer's Almanac

Zip

25

.

BHDWH—D—D—

—

B^BHBB—

Here's a

'

»

——

little

something deliriously

(And what good is it?)

arcane

for those who nder the heading "Chronologi1994" on page 33

longfor the

cal Cycles for

"simplicity" of life

Glossary on word Epact, expressed as a number from 1 to J 30. The number represents the

and

before

listed in the

page 38

computers

.

.

is

the

Moon on January

1 and is used to harmonize the lunar and solar calhappened in 1992) a year will have two epacts. What is an epact, and why is one let alone two needed at all? It all goes back to the early years of the Christian era and the need to determine in advance the date for Easter, which is dependent on the vernal equinox and the nearest full Moon. For several hundred years it had been known that the phases of the Moon went through a 19-year cycle, in which no new Moon ever recurred on the same date. After several bouts of trial and error, another regularly repeat-

age of the

endars. Occasionally (as

—

—

BY ANDREW ROTHOVIUS 26

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

TiTimiiiiiiiin

ininm

inni

i

i

iiiiiiiiii iii i ii iini i in iii i i iiiniiiii i

»

miMiiw'"""

was discovered, in which every possible day-of-month and dayin the Western 12-month calendar occurs at least once. By multiplying these two cycles together (19 x 28), a grand cycle of 532 years was derived, from which it was simple to construct a perpetual almanac that would readily give the date of Easter for any year within it. At the end of the 532 years, the same sequence starts all over again. Problem solved or so they thought. ing cycle of 28 years

of-week combination

—

Alas, they overlooked the fact that the 19-year lunar cycle

falls short by one hour and 29 minutes of being 19 full years. This amounts to one whole day every 308 years. One obvious answer would have been to revise the perpetual almanac every

308 years (and pray for the invention of the computer). But the Middle Ages, suspicious of any intervention in these matters, took

no corrective

action,

and by 1570

the perpetual almanac was already four days in arrears.

Clavius built a

In 1572 a commission of astronomers appointed by Pope Gregory XIII undertook a general revision of the calendar, At this point it would have been easy to revise the perpetual almanac for Easter dates, but one member of the com-

complicated edifice

f numbers that

mission, a scholar named Christopher Clavius, conceived the

couUt serve for

idea of scrapping the perpetual almanac and substituting a

7,000 years before

new mode

being recalculated.

of calculation he called the epact.

based on the number of days between the last new Moon in December and January 1. This number varies from 1 to 30 within each 19-year cycle. Upon this foundation, which requires adjustment every Clavius's epact

is

three centuries, Clavius built a complicated edifice of

numbers

that could serve

for 7,000 years before being recalculated.

In fact, Clavius's calculations hardly ever agree exactly with the real astro-

nomical full Moon, but are usually a day or two off, either earlier or later. The same is

true of the

December new Moon, which is the basis

of the epact. Nevertheless,

the system works after a fashion, and in precomputer times

and-ready means of determining Easter dates for

it

did provide a rough-

many years

ahead.

Clavius was proud of his complex brainchild, and Western calendar makers

adopted

it

universally.

lasting either

There are no

300 or 400 years and

less

all

than 30 different epact sequences, each

requiring

some intermediate corrections. In Decem-

the current sequence, the 19-year lunar cycle has two years in which the

new Moon would occur 25 days before January 1. Astronomically, however, new Moon never occurs twice on the same day of any month in a given lunar cycle. To get around that, Clavius devised the use of a second epact, in which a number not already used in the 19-year cycle is used instead. Confusing? The irony of this curious provision is that even in Clavius's pre-

ber the

computer age, epact was an unnecessary complication; today it is totally unneeded, although still a traditional element of this Almanac (computers can figure the date of Easter for the next million years if need be). As one modern critic said, Clavius shrouded the whole concept in such a mass of erudite detail that "few have really mastered it and fewer have dared to criticize. Like the squid or cuttlefish, Clavius protected his scheme by the cloud of ink with which he surrounded it."

»

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Old Farmer's Almanac

Portland,

OR

97223 1994

WATER WELL DRILL KIT Thousands of happy gardeners and

homeowners have discovered

the

Hydra-Drill secret. They drilled their Preston's

new Lighthouse Sweatshirt

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St. Wharf, Greenport, NY. MY. m iUltt Alamo, 1836 6 B It's cold work, for one thing. The 9 9 tne field is wet and the water that satu7 M. St. Perpetua • d W . at $. • born, 1898 1 10.3 OJ Luxury liners Stockholm . , t , p ft St. JameS • O ? Ci. • and Andrea Doria collided, 1956 deU. S. Post Office „, . ft on J 10.8 £

St.

M.

26 27 28 29 30

Tu. MAnne '^Eq.

31

B

Th.

• established, 1775 • 110.2 • Jeetf Grasshopper plague, Iowa, Leo Durocher * born, 1906 Neb., S.D., 1931 As long as the Sun shines one 1 9.8 m lldes Popsicle; does not ask for the Moon. 19.8

Fr.

Sts.

Sa.

in numbers around same time the flower does. No

which appear

doubt the bees love it too. The bee balm (Monarda didyma), a member of the mint family, has a long and proud history, traceable through its several names. It was imported from North America to England before 1745 by the botanist John Bartram and became a favorite in the great flower market at Covent Garden, London. The British called it scarlet bergamot, because they believed the plant's aromatic leaves and stems smelled like a popular orange of the day that came to England from the Italian city of Bergamo, north of Milan. In the Colonies the plant was called Oswego tea, for it was said the settlers and Indians around Oswego, New York, drank an infusion of the leaves.

Perhaps there was some

ridicule in a tea-drinking society's calling this

American

wildling Os-

,

25

W.

In July, the bee balm, a native wildflower of the damp woodlands and streamsides, long since domesticated, educated, blooms in the garden. It blooms in the most extraordinary fiery red, an almost fierce color that doesn't seem to belong on a plant at all. The flower is rough and shaggy. It looks like a rag doll, and as the season wears on and the flower drops petals and parts and begins to be somewhat raffish, like a rag doll it looks better and better. Hummingbirds love the bee balm, and so do the monarch butterflies, the

Liberty Bell Hail fell, Canterbury, cracked, 1835 * Conn., 1788 f 9.3 As July (weather), O. J. Simpson * so the next January. * 110.6 born, 1947

W tfh Tu. tf9d • | military draft caused on Nation's ^ Eq. * rioting, troops needed to restore order, 1863 * the W. ft F, E. Louis, /10.4 m n Bastille 117°1954 # heat; Th. W ate? -Day • \ 10.5

20 W. 21 Th. 22 Fr.

1994

,

~.

Dog Days

£D> at

•

,-,.

Fireworks

J8.6

• Tides 19.4 •

signed, 1964

Independence

_.

Act

*. at *.•*•

apo. ar

•

roS.NewVrKj..

1870

_ Cornscateous _ Casey Stengel 9a

air.

I0ftft.at

fX

at

y • Tides

the climate's

A {l 3

'

tropsicle.

Oswego was a fort on the south shore of Lake Ontario,

wego

tea.

founded

as early as 1722.

It

was a

wilderness outpost at the back of beyond. To call M. didyma Oswego tea was to say it was what passed for tea at places like Oswego, as we might call a Thompson submachine

gun a Chicago piano.

Old Farmer's Almanac

71

AUGUST, The Eighth Month

1994

The Perseid meteor shower could offer a stupendous display; look especially afmidnight in the moonless early hours of the 12th and 13th. In clear country skies, dozens an hour can be seen coming from the northeast, but hundreds or even thousands are not out of the question! Venus is radiant in the west each evening. It reaches greatest elongation east (46 degrees) from the Sun on the 24th and has a superb conjunction with the star Spica on the 31st. As darkness deepens, Vega burns like a sapphire overhead in little Lyra the Lyre. On clear, moonless nights, the Milky Way runs down to the Teapot pattern of Sagittarius in the south. ter

• New Moon Quarter

X>

First

O

Full

l Praise they're tattered and dusty. They St. Ignatius of Antioeh • in us., 1933 these droop beside the road. Tu. St. Luke # little summer. • Tides 198 * The grapes themselves are unFull / 10.4 r\ Comwallis surrendered to _., Tldes W. Hunter's • Washington, 1781 I 9.7 dayS predictable. Some years there will ~ 90 U.S./Canada border set at 49th J 10.4 Th. (I at U • parallel east of Rockies. 1818 * I 9.6 * Of hardly be a bunch, some years their "Whitey" Ford /» at h * Warmth weight will make the vines bow down Fr. 9 in inf. O • U. ap o. * born, 1928 like willows. In a good year the Sam Houston became first Sarah Bernhardt * and grapes are fat, the size of marbles, Sa. president of Texas, 1836 * born, 1844

Fr.

B

CeVi

™

M.

U

,

/

,

B

***.

/*

v

9.

r

Swallows depart

-vs.

f

9.2

,

$.

• capistrano. • \ lo.o • haze. at rides "Black Thurscfay" began panic tfltter high * selling on N.Y. Stock Exchange, 1929 * Pablo Picasso _., /8.7 , c* r •„-•„ • Tides \9.5 • St. Crispin • bom, i88i ~ Leon Trotsky _,.. /8.5 Doonesbury comic strip T,des \9.3 * born, 1879 first appeared, 1970 . , . There is no opinion so absurd but that * JVlOntreai some philosopher will express it.

22^>

n

^ M. f> Tu.

W. Th.

their color a

deep inky purple, rich as

And as forbidden, at least in the case of the grapes in my neighborsin.

breeze hood, for as delicious

JWm

{8 7

Fr.

Last

9.3 •

w

Sa.

.

V

"Black Tuesday" marked final • collapse of N.Y. Stock Exchange, 1929 *

stat.

B

23r*

M.

All Hallows Eve • died/1926

in

ii

9. ii

af. n.

$.

*

^

..

Call

8

Eq. •

TiSeSS a m.

Harry Houdini

/ 10.3

•

\ 10 2 •

•

JOT r

,,

fall

as they look, they are ferociously sour. Only a partridge could be fed by them, a partridge or a poet. They make better poetry than they do jam. Best leave the October grapes alone, then, and let them, aided by art, tell the tale of this most feeling month, which cannot end, and must.

Old Farmer's Almanac

77

1

NOVEMBER, The Eleventh Month

994

The total eclipse of the Sun on the 3rd is visible only in southern latitudes, but all of North America gets to see a penumbral eclipse of the Moon on the night of the 17th-18th. That otherwise brilliant Moon spoils viewing of the Leonid meteor shower before dawn. Mercury is visible low in the southeast before morning's light, fairly near Spica on the 2nd and Venus on the 12th. Rapidly brightening Mars is rising in the middle of the night and is high in the south as dawn light glimmers; Saturn is the lonely planet in the south after nightfall. The Pleiades sparkle in the east after dusk, Perseus bright above them, and Cassiopeia strikes high in the north.

• New Moon D

First

O

Full

O

Want to be admired?

*

Considered a genius?

coming has nothing to do with her intellect, which is keen. It has everything to do with her one tragic character flaw: She is honest.

sought after for dinner parties?

1

Well, according to

I

this expert in the art of

I

.

social conversation, it's

simply a matter of

Now, this,

Subjects, All-Purpose

is

Adjectives, MuKifaceted

and

Irrefutable

;

opinions." by Tim Clark

a crippling defi-

cial intercourse.

Don't misunder-

me

stand illustrated by

is

— I'm not

Abby Carter

a familiar scene.

advocating lying. Lying is immoral. Lying is unethical. Lying can get you

We

have just come home from a dinner party, and

Itmy wife

is

caught.

disconsolate.

"I'm too stupid to live," she moans. "You're not that stupid," say.

I

ciency in polite so-

!

-

in spite of

love her madly. But candor

memorizing a few "Safe

Facts,

not the prob-

lem she thinks it is. Her short-

A

Much

O

"What do you mean?"

(I

ing

1

is

And finally, ly-

too easy.

We are

talking about a high art here,

I

know exactly

what she means, but for the purposes of ex-

bullfighting. Like the great

an art akin to matador, the

torero of the dining-room table

is

marked

"At dinner everyone was talking about books and movies and politics, and you all

by his ability to dodge, to weave, to dance on the edge of disaster. I once met a man whose impudence and

know so much about them," she says.

skill at

position,

sit

I

shall feign ignorance.)

there like a lump.

I

"I just

haven't read the

books or seen the movies, and politics just makes me want to scream." Yes, she has a problem all right. But it's

82

evading the onrushing horns of his in-

terrogators If,

made me want to shout, "Ole!" someone asked him,

for example,

"Have you read Don QuixoteV he would "Not recently." Of course he'd never

say,

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

read it at all, but why disrupt a perfectly congenial conversation? On another occasion, when asked if he had read Dante's Inferno, he replied, "Not

was awestruck. In three abwords he managed to convey three distinct and misleading messages: (1) that he had read the book; (2) that he was fluent in Italian; and (3) that he was the sort of literary purist who would never settle for a mere translation. Glorious. I bein English." I

solutely truthful

lieve that, in certain countries,

friend

who asked

the question.

But you don't have to be Manolete to sling the bull. All you have to do is memorize a few Safe Subjects, Ail-Purpose Adjectives, Multifaceted Facts, and Irrefutable Opinions.

*& A safe subject is one and provocative enough to allow you to make broad statements of dubious value (nobody wants to listen to you expound on the fine points of 19th-cen-

uArh uUljJhLlb

interesting

that

is

tury

German

foreign policy or discuss the

nuances of Kwakiutl creation myths), while at the same time obscure or complicated

enough

that

nobody but an expert

able to call your bluff.

idea to circulate

(It's

among

dinner and engage in a

will

be

always a good

the guests before

little light

conversa-

tion about their interests in order to

know

what subjects to avoid. I once held forth for 20 minutes on my interpretation of the Chinese Cultural Revolution unencumbered by facts all the while unaware that the man sitting next to me was the nation's leading authority on Chinese history. It was not

—

—

an experience

Here

I'd care to repeat.)

are a few Safe Subjects

making

cryptic

remarks about the na-

ture of reality, then giggling uncontrollably at the

look on the faces of his students (see to Do When Confronted").

"What

The Dead Sea

Discovered in been studied ever since by a small group of Biblical scholars who won't let anyone else take a look, probably because they still haven't figured out what they mean. 2.

Scrolls:

1947, these ancient texts have

3.

my

would have been awarded the ears and tail of the person

for

James Knox Polk: One of a series of one-

term presidents preceding the Civil War, he was elected in 1844 and declined to run for a second term. Not very interesting in himself, he's a convenient guy if you get tired at the table who is yammeron about the current occupant of the White House. Then you say, "What about James Knox Polk?" The person talking is stopped cold. "What about him?" he says belligerently. "Well, everything you just said could also apply to James Knox Polk," you reply. "And look what happened to him. He de-

of

somebody

ing

clined to run for a second term."

Everyone nods.

Who

could argue with

that?

-These

ALL-PURPOSE ADJECTIVES

are descriptive terms that apply to almost

anything. When asked to comment on a book, play, film, or musical composition of which you are ignorant, for example, you should say: "I prefer his (her) earlier works. They're more pristine." (Relatively few people

know what

"pristine" means.

It

means

"earlier.")

Or, alternatively: "I prefer her (his) later works. They're

you might

more mature."

wish to consider: 1.

Quantum

Physics: For ambiguity,

it's

gave Einstein fits, and the best known part of it is something called "The Uncertainty Principle." The father of quantum physics, Niels Bohr, was famous hard to beat.

1994

It

MULTIFACETED FACTS

-

y ou

can

sound learned without being verbose. The strategic insertion of a single unusual piece

of information can leave your fellow diners with a lasting impression of erudition. For

Old Farmer's Almanac

83

!

example: The author D. H. Lawrence's

was the sister of Baron von Richthofen, the famous German flying ace.

wife, Frieda,

is a valuable piece of trivia, because it can be dropped casually into a discussion of

This

any of the following subjects:

2.

The Red Baron

3.

20th-century English literature

4.

World War In-laws

Sex (any reference to D. H. Lawrence

7.

Snoopy

appropriate in this area)

3.

it,

Take a bite of meat and chew it thought-

formulating your reply. Then, once it is well chewed and tucked in a corner of your mouth, simulate choking to death. Hold your breath, pointing frantically at your throat. If possible, turn blue. Rush out of the dining room and hurl yourself stomach-first against the back of a sofa or divan. You may want to do this two or three times, so that everyone will underfully, as if

-*«*.

IRREFUTABLE OPINIONS

someone "What do

point in any dinner conversation,

bound to turn you think?"

to

you and

say,

don't want to say what you really

you haven't been paying atactually been thinking about the funny noise you heard in your car on the way over, or wondering why your hostess bought that hideous painting on the wall, or trying to remember the |_

think, because

You have

name of the actress who played Mary

Ann on

—

that

tried

6.

tention.

is

you may succeed too well a friend and when everyone turned to the window, they saw two dogs sharing a moment of intimacy in the backyard. is

I

5.

You

from the table while your questioner what you just said.

trying to figure out

Point out the nearest window and shout, "Look at that! " hoping to distract the company's attention. The hazard in this scheme

D. H. Lawrence

is

self

2.

1.

is

The opposite of a trivial truth is a falsehood. The opposite of a profound truth is another profound truth. Then you can excuse your-

'"l^«

1

)

r

"Gilligan's Island."

But you can't admit that. is where you need to

This

express an opinion that

'

\

i / ,v

is

,

relevant to any subject and

%H

impervious to contradiction.

Here are three good

ones:

"It all

depends."

"You

can't generalize."

*y

"Things are different in the South."

WHAT

TO DO

WHEN CONFRONTED

-

Even under the best of circumstances, there may be occasions when some rude person will try to embarrass you by pointing out that you are a fraud. Don't panic. You have three options:

L

Tell the following anecdote:

The

great

Danish scientist, Niels Bohr, once said there are two kinds of truth: trivial and profound.

84

stand that you are performing the Heimlich maneuver on yourself. When you judge the

moment

to be right, spit the concealed bit

of meat into your napkin with a realistic retching sound, straighten up, turn to the

and calmly say, "I'm all performed persuasively, this will cause everyone present to forget the unfortunate incident that precipitated your problem and congratulate you on your presence of mind. Ole horrified onlookers,

right." If

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

Intro d u c i n g...

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1994

in

©1994 Garden Way

Canada.

Old Farmer's Almanac

Inc.

85

(and Sex) As soon

For instance, a recent study shows that American initiate

two

thirds

women

line: "Hi. "It

other merchandise

-

works

time.

have only a 71 percent success rate

same line.)

with the

his

photo

in a

— the

corsets,

(Men

paled by comparison. "I

am

a lonely school-

of Idaho," she wrote to

teacher in the dismal

hills

the catalog publisher.

"Would you be kind enough

to

100 percent ofthe

saw

the garters, the studded dog collars

ofall

sexual encounters. Their best

pick-up

as she

catalog, she fell in love. All the

do your share

in assisting a poor, forlorn

teacher in her future happiness by sending this

man advertised in your latest edition?" Hers was a classic case of love at first sight, and though seemingly far-fetched, not one to be quickly discounted.

As

the philosopher

Blaise Pascal once said, its

"The heart has

reasons which reason knows noth-

ing of." Poets for centuries have

agreed that the one certainty about is its mystery. Today's scholars,

love

however, armed with their studies and statistics, aren't

so ready to concede.

With clipboards in hand, they've taken notes on everything from the flirting sequence gesture to the copulatory gaze to the fects of diet

ef-

on

the libido and the "love drug"

on mice. Though they have yet to crack the code, they've discovered some revealing clues about love. Our lonely

Idaho schoolmistress would do well to take notes. Perhaps would, too.

Old Farmer's Almanac

you

1994

For

starters,

you should know

that

if

mate. Scholars

you're a romantic, you're not alone. Schol-

tell

have mistakenly believed for too long that courtly love is a luxury invented by the 12th-century troubadours in Provence and handed down to us through Western culture. Recently they've learned (or admitted) that romantic love is, in fact, universal. Of 166 cultures surveyed by anthropolo-

worldwide variations, the one physical characteristic that attracts men and women in every culture is a good complexion. But it's not just how you look, it's how you smell. Foul odors do little to induce affection. Here's why: Located in our nasal cavities are five million olfactory neurons waiting like postal workers to sort through

ars

gists

William Jankowiak and Edward

Fischer, 89 percent

mantic love. still

(It's

showed

true that

signs of ro-

many

cultures

don't believe romantic love should be

the basis of marriage, but the tide ing in the heart's favor.) That

is shift-

means you

could stumble onto romance almost any-

where

—

in the Australian outback, in the

Amazon jungle, even in the hills of Idaho. You may wonder, nevertheless, what exactly to look for in a mate.

ing forearms.

Try measur-

One study showed that men

and women with the same size forearms were more likely to stay together. But if you forget your tape measure, the poets say not to worry you'll know love when you see it. "Through the eyes love attains the heart: / For the eyes are the scouts of the heart" (Guiraut de Borneilh, ca. 1138-

—

us that despite

all

the

some 10,000 recognizable

odors.

They

mail these perfumed messages directly to the brain's emotional headquarters (what scientists call the limbic system).

Let's pretend, for instance, that the cat-

model (we'll call him Marvin) meets our forlorn teacher (let's call her Myrna) in Idaho on a day when the liquid from her eccrine glands has mixed with bacteria on her skin. She hadn't really expected him to come all this way, and now that he alog

has,

it's

too late to rid her body of that

acrid smell. Marvin's smell sorters send

For squirrels and humans alike, the key at-

He leaves. Poor Myrna, alone again in Idaho. Let's give her another chance. This time when Marvin arrives at her door, she's prepared; her body smells seductively sweet. Marvin doesn't know it, but his neuron messengers have keyed into the subtle scent released from Myrna's apocrine glands located around her armpits, nipples, and groin. Had he read the 19th-century novelist Joris Karl Huysmans, he would agree that the smell of a woman's underarms "easily uncaged the animal in a man." His and Myrna's body

traction lies in the health of the potential

odors hit it off after all.

1200). Surprisingly, some scientists agree you should go with your instincts, since love at first sight most likely evolved to spur the mating process. "During the mating season a female squirrel needs to breed," explains anthropologist Helen Fisher. "It

is

not to her advantage to copu-

late with a porcupine.

But

if

she sees a

healthy squirrel, she should waste no time."

1994

nasty notes to his brain.

Old Farmer's Almanac

He understands at 87

"

last

what Napoleon meant when he wrote

tomorrow. Don't wash."

bedroom. "Sexual indulgence just after eating is nearly certain to be followed by indigestion, even if it does not cause immediate vomiting."

Smells can do that to a man. If you're still not con-

you're serious about finding love, you may wish to sample one of the many con-

vinced, try this trick

coctions said to ignite the heart

to his love, Josephine: "I will be arriving in Paris

?

m

used by the women in Shakespeare's day. Hold a peeled apple under your

arm until the fruit becomes saturated with your scent; then present to your lover to inhale.

It'll

it

do wonders

for your relationship. Really.

Look how

works for the male blackHe gets mates all the time by secreting his odor into a juicy aphid, daddy longlegs, or housefly and hanging tipped hang

it

fly.

the prize in the wind. Before long a female

Regrettably, not

the intestines).

brew cles;

all in

love

is

savory. If

(if

not

The Australian aborigines

a love potion

from kangaroo

testi-

others swallow the heart of a wild

duck; those in Far Eastern countries mix ginger in soft drinks, sweets, and tea; Chi-

nese look to ginseng and rhinoceros horns. If you have trouble finding kangaroo testicles in your local supermarket, you might just try a more accessible mixture: Stir rosemary, thyme, mint, rose petals, and lemon leaves into black tea. Drink it under a waxing Moon.

catches the scent and stops by for food and

procreative fun. If

During an between a

you, you're best to stick to chocolates.

Buried amid the calories are plenty of amphetamine-related substances sure to produce the erratic behavior common to infatuation.

Who can

Food

for the heart.

resist a little

woman, both

man and

their brains release

a chemical called PEA. When scientists recently injected

PEA

courtship feed-

evolutionary way for a male show his prowess as a hunter? To keep

ing, the old

to

infatuation

I

scented houseflies just don't do it for

shape for his forays, Marvin should fill up on roughage. Lots of it. That's the advice Dr. Frederick Hollick gave back in the 1840s. "To ward off impotence," he

into mice, they (the mice, that

jumped and squealed,

is)

exhibiting

in

'popcorn behavior.

In fact, most anything you do concernup on potatoes, celery, ing love would be better done under the parsnips, onions, mushrooms, truffles if waxing or full Moon. Scientists and poets you can get them, olives, tomatoes, lima alike agree that the Moon plays a powerbeans, and above all, asparagus. Canvas- ful role on our reproductive beings. Pliny back duck also makes a potent pepper- believed that "lunar energy penetrates all upper." Those who need self-restraint, things"; Aristotle noticed that the ovaries on the other hand, should avoid those of sea urchins swell during the full Moon; foods and eschew coffee, particularly, the Darwin wrote that "Man is subject, like good doctor said, if they are "disposed to other mammals, birds, and even insects,

counseled,

"fill

involuntary emissions." In

all

cases,

he

advised that lovers would do well to avoid constipation and to take care to let the

stomach

settle

before proceeding to the

which causes cernormal processes, such as gestation, as well as the maturation and duration of to that mysterious law,

tain

various diseases to follow lunar periods."

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

Not only is the average menstrual cycle the same length (29.53 days) as the syn-

interest.

odic lunar months, but the average hu-

Marvin, for instance, approaches with

Don't, however, confuse the upper

smile with the "nervous social smile."

If

his

man gestation period is ten lunar months.

lips

Furthermore, a

lower teeth, Myma should spot the response

statistically significant

pulled back to reveal his upper and

one that evolved from the ancient mam-

majority of births (seven percent) occur at

as

Moons, and a study by Wesleyan University's psychology department found a

malian practice of baring one's teeth when

full

30 percent increase in sexual activity at the time of ovulation, which most frequently happens during the full Moon.

"Like other

mammals that go into heat," "women apparently

Myrna should back off. She might try to relax Marvin with the Flirting Sequence Gesture, an age-old female courtship ploy diagrammed by cornered.

ethologist Irenaus Eibl-Eibesfeldt like

The woman

writes Paul Katzeff,

this:

But they're not the only ones. Researchers have also documented that men, like women, have a greater sexual appetite once a month at

lifting

grow randier

at ovulation."

the time of the full

For added

Moon.

we know,

all

it

could just be the

smiles at her admirer,

her eyebrows in a swift jerky mo-

opens her eyes wide. Then she tilts her head down and to the side, and looks away. Often she will also cover her face with her hands and tion as she

drops her eyelids,

giggle nervously.

Marvin may now be impressed. He When the Moon doesn't shine, we're left may wonder, though, why he hadn't romance.

light that incites us to

groping in the dark; the darkness signals our pineal glands to produce melatonin,

been the one to

initiate

such advances.

and that puts a damper on sperm production, ovulation, and sexual interest.

During a waning

Moon, we'd be

better

off waiting for a picnic in

the Sun. Sunlight raises

the excitement level by

&y

revving up the pituitary \

gland and turning on the ovaries and testes.

With

these cosmic on our bodies, do our brains have any say at all all

forces at play

in the

matter of love? "If only

from

one could

false love," said

tell

true love

Katherine

Mansfield, "as one can

tell

mush-

rooms' from toadstools." But even that's

not such an easy thing.

If

you're no mycologist, take a quick lesson in

body cues. The most

obvious, of course,

is

the

human

"upper smile," combined with a one-sixtieth-of-a-second eyebrow lift; it's a worldwide indicator of 1994

Old Farmer's Almanac

89

words of Carl Jung: "The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction,

Perhaps he hadn't heard of a study by Clellan Ford and

Frank Beach

in the

1950s that showed >^ that in practice women around the world initiate sexual liaisons and that in another study American women initiated two-thirds of the encounters. Their best pick-up line went like this: "Hi." It worked 100 percent of the time. Men had only a 71 percent success rate with that line.

But

rolling.

at least

it

means the

same ball's

So if Marvin and Myrna taste good to each other, they may well

They may find them-

fall in love.

selves dizzy with excitement, full

of bumbling energy that keeps

1

them up

late into the night.

They

might tell you there's chemistry between them. And it would be true, literally. Michael Liebowitz of the New

To keep it moving, watch for the York

State Psychiatric Institute says

woman turns her toes in-

that during infatuation the brain re-

ward, that's the meekness stance, signaling openness for approach. If the man thrusts out his chest, he's trying to impress. Males throughout the animal kingdom puff themselves up to appear attractive. If these cues click, both male and female are interested; their eyes lock for two to three seconds with the

leases the chemical phenylethylamine

next cue.

If

a

or

PEA, a natural amphetamine. When

PEA

scientists inject

(the mice, that hibiting

PEA

into mice, they

jump and

is)

squeal, ex-

"popcorn behavior."

A shot of

monkeys makes them emit pleasure calls and smack their lips. to rhesus

pupils dilated. Scientists call this, the

But extended romantic bliss may become too much for the brains of Marvin

most striking human courtship ploy, the Copulatory Gaze. "The gaze triggers a

and Myrna. Liebowitz tells us that 18 months is about all the brain can take in

primitive part of the

human brain," says

this

revved-up

state.

Then

the nerve

anthropologist Helen Fisher, "calling

endings become habituated to the stim-

apone of two basic emotions proach or retreat." If neither backs down, then only one thing can happen next. The Kiss. Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara did it best

ulants

—

forth

Gone

—

Americans Wind most memorable kiss in movie history. (The runner-up is the beach kiss by Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity.) Don't think for a minute that a kiss is in

with the

rate that the

just a kiss.

On

the contrary,

it

speaks

volumes. The esteemed Dr. Bubba Nicholson wrote in the British Journal of Dermatology that kissing allows us to taste semiochemicals on our suitor's skin. Semiochemicals, according to Bubba, transmit biological signals of attraction and compatibility. In the 90

both are transformed."

new

and the

levels of

set of brain

PEA

drop.

A

chemicals called en-

dorphins takes over. Endorphins calm kill pain, and reduce anxiety, leaving Myrna and Marvin comfortably the mind,

settled in the attachment stage of love.

Now they can peace.

talk

Myrna may

and eat and sleep discover for the

in

first

time that Marvin snores. Loud. She read

somewhere that after sexual intercourse, male rats emit a contented high-frequency snore. Twenty-two kilohertz wouldn't be so bad. At least it wouldn't keep her awake like this jackhammer noise Marvin makes. Since she can't

maybe she'll just go downstairs, do some reading, flip through a couple of catalogs to see what they have in stock. sleep,

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

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Old Farmer's Almanac

Zip.

91

by Lawrence Doorley

T The Possible Se

:

of

/ /.:-

\

......

In 1775 a mere

two percent the populace

was

over 65. Yet our first ten presidents

lived an average

of77.4years.

Why? ;:k

person be too

lifelong physical

busy die? Can a Can undertaking be to

tal activity

important

vital

so engrossing that there is just no time to answer the door when doomsday comes knocking?

Not

likely,

logical factors such as hor-

tant predictor of longevity

mainly determined by

how

long his or her ancestors lived. Pelletier, authority

longevity, disputes the geneticists.

on

"Good

genes give you an edge," Dr. Pelletier admits, "but that doesn't account for people who live 30 to 40 years beyond average life expectancy. strong sense of purpose, commitment to higher values, as well as

A

92

in

monal changes." He asserts that the single most impor-

say the geneticists,

But Dr. Kenneth

more

role

longevity than purely bio-

insisting that the length of one's life is

and men-

play a

is

enthusiasm for life: staying busy, being curious, feeling that you are accomplishing something worthwhile. Proof that the "too busy to die" theory is more than wishful thinking can be found in the long and productive lives of the Founding Fathers. Life expectancy at birth in Colonial America between 1700 and 1775 was 35 years (today it is 72.2 for men

and 78.9 for women). But since

Old Farmer's Almanac

life

ex-

1994

pectancy is defined as the number of years an individual of a given age may expect on the average to live, once the Colonial American reached 21, odds favored his living another 20 years. And the longer one lived, the better the chance of living to a ripe old age.

Nevertheless, in 1775 a mere two percent

of the populace was over 65. Yet an amazin

number of Founding

born the perilous 18th century, achieved a

ing

Fathers,

all

longevity far beyond the average.

Our

first

ten presidents

—

— Washington

lived an average of 77.4 through Tyler our last ten deceased presidents Theodore Roosevelt through Lyndon

years, while

—

The Founding Fathers were They schemed, harangued, organized, fought many of them

There

it is:

industrious.

wrote, in

bloody battles

— — to free the Colonies.

Then while some of them worked furiously to prevent the unhewn nation from falling apart, others rushed back to the workshop to pick up their tools. They were a diverse group: aristocrats,

common

sorts; college

graduates, autodidacts; short-tempered,

imperturbable; neat, sloppy; stingy, generous.

Some smoked; most drank modermainly wine. Some exercised dili-

ately,

But they all had one thing in common: They saw life as a heaven-sent gift, a gift to be utilized, not gently, others halfheartedly.

Johnson (excluding John Kennedy, whose wasted, not squandered. Why don't we all try this? See how it early death would further lower the average) works out. lived an average of only 69.9 years. Of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, three First Ten U.S. Presidents lived to 90 or beyond (Charles r* Carroll of Maryland lived to 95); nine more to 80 or beyond; an 2-22- 1 732 12-14-1799 George Washington 67 7-4-1826 additional eight to 70 or more; 10-30-1735 90 John Adams 7-4-1826 4-13-1743 83 Thomas Jefferson and another 16 reached 60 or 6-28-1836 3-16-1751 85 James Madison more. Benjamin Franklin lived 7-4-1831 4-28-1758 73 James Monroe to 84, Paul Revere to 83, Noah 7-11-1 767 2-23-1848 80 John Quincy Adams Webster to 84, John Jay to 84, 6-8-1845 3-15-1767 78 Andrew Jackson Samuel Adams to 81, Charles 7-24-1862 12-5-1782 Martin Van Buren 79 Bulfinch to 81, John Trumbull 4-4-1841 68 2-9-1773 William Henry Harrison to 87, John Marshall to 80. 1-18-1862 3-29-1790 71 John Tyler Some might argue that the S" Average age at death: 77.4 years Founders must have had longlived ancestors (some did, but Last Ten Dec eased Presidents most didn't), a privileged back(Excluding John F. Kennedy) ground (less than half did), or

—

DD

superior medical care

(it

didn't

anyone, rich or poor). Perhaps Benjamin Franklin had the best formula for achieving longevity. In his twenties he compiled a list of Thirteen Virtues that would govern his life. Virtue No. 6 was Industry: "Lose no time. Be always gainfully employed. Work as if you exist for

were to 1994

live a

hundred years."

Theodore Roosevelt William Howard Taft Woodrow Wilson Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge Herbert Hoover Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S Truman Dwight D. Eisenhower Lyndon B. Johnson '

10-27-1858 9-15-1857 12-28-1856 11-2-1865 7-4-1872 8-10-1874 1-30-1882 5-8-1884 10-14-1890 8-27- 1 908

1-6-1919 3-8-1930 2-3-1924 8-2-1923 1-5-1933 10-20-1964 4-12-1945 12-26-1972 3-28-1969 1

-22- 1 973

60 72 67 57 60 90 63 88 78 64

"^ Average age at death: 69.9 years

Old Farmer's Almanac

93

All sports have theirfamous

beyond devastating," This hours the most is

tional Football League.

heartbreakers,

haunting defeats snatchedfrom the jaws of certain victory.

On January

for this."

said Houston Oilers

3,

1

"We

993,

in

need a new word Buffalo,

a 35-3 lead over the Buffalo Bills early series and

comerback

Cris

Dishman,

startling about-face in the 73-year history of the

after

were en route

to the

in

in

New York,

Na-

the English language

the Houston Oilers had

the third quarter of the NFL play-off

sweetest moment

in

the franchise's hard-luck

Lost Victories

Here are a few history.

of the most

memorable

The victory was so secure that Houston sportswriters had already made

nonrefundable plane reservations for the next round of the play-offs

(or

forgettable) ones.

terback

named

Frank Reich, a

man who'd thrown one pass

Buffalo scored the next 35 straight points and

byToddBalf

in

Pittsburgh.

Then the impossible happened. Behind an unheralded second-string quar-

41 -38.

In

Buffalo the

comeback was

won

in

hailed as a miracle.

Old Farmer's Almanac

in

a play-off

game,

sudden-death overtime, In

Houston more desul-

tory explanations arose.

Mayor Bob

Lanier

was

The

he might to think of something inspirational to say,

he cannot," a spokesman reported. Meanwhile, a

few Houstonians, harking back of

the

to the glory

NASA, suggested launching

game

haps

—

—

pads, jerseys, a

all

few

days

remnants

of

players per-

on a one-way passage to Mars.

It

may

have been small consolation to the Oilers and their fans, but there to Tuscaloosa

there

is

not a

were

folks

from Terre Haute

who knew exactly how they felt. town

or county or school in

For

America

that isn't haunted by a humdinger of a loss, a heart-

breaker that has fectly

made

good sleep years

ingfully) curse.

OCTOBER

was cursed. Even

city

generations rise from a perlater

and gently (but mean-

Here are a few doozies

New

York

The Boston Red Sox vs. the New York Mets, Game 6 of the 1986 World Series

With a 5-3 advantage in the tenth inning and two outs, Boston was one strike away from their first World Series in 68 years. Everyone thought the game was over. Red Sox pitcher Bruce Hurst had been named Series most valuable player, and 20 cases of Great Western champagne had been defoiled and delivered to the Boston clubhouse. The baseball commissioner and the NBC cameras were also in the locker room, readying for the post-

game trophy .

25, 1986

Shea Stadium,

at a loss for words. "Try as

presentation.

The Mets'

.

scoreboard operator prepared the mes-

Boston Red Sox." game wasn't over. In

sage: "Congratulations,

Of

course, the

circumstances that are

all

too familiar to

New Englanders, the Mets tied the game on two singles, a broken-bat looper, and Bob "Steamer" Stanley's wild

reliever pitch.

Mookie Wilson's slow grounder

leaked through

Bill

Buckner's legs into

right field for the win.

Two

days

the Sox lost

later,

Game

7

became the team to come closest to winning the World Series and losing. In 1989 the late House repand

officially

—

resentative Silvio Conte, apparently

still

reeling, read this into the Congressional

Record: "Red Sox fans have

felt

the ec-

stasy of victory in their grasps so

times

.

.

.

many

only to be put through the

agony of another lost victory. It is a ritual that has been repeated many more times than a kinder and gentler God ." would ever allow .

.

MARCH

2,

1974

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Duke

vs.

North Carolina, the

College Basketball Season Finale

With an 86-78 lead and only onds 1994

left,

Old Farmer's Almanac

17 sec-

perennial underdog

95

the duel between Don Chassee and Russ Kierman in 1978, when the latter, tempted by what appeared to be a shortcut (but in fact was impenetrable poison oak), ended up giving away his front-running position and his best chance ever at the title. Kierman was runner-up two more times and now holds the affectionate nickname Mr. Avis (he tries harder).

Duke has apparently pulled off the upset was of the year against nationally ranked

North Carolina. Then things go bad. The Tar Heels hit two free throws and steal two inbound passes to draw within a basket with five seconds on the clock. Duke is

intentionally fouled, but misses the free

throws.

At

the buzzer, Carolina fresh-

man Walter Davis heaves a shot from 30 feet

away, which

hits

high on the glass

game. Carolina wins handily in the resulting overtime. "At Duke, students today still whisper about those 17 seconds," wrote Duke graduate John Feinstein in Forever's few miles away, on the campus Team. of North Carolina, they do far more than whisper. In fact, the full-court play Davis

and drops

DECEMBER

in to tie the

A

scored on

is still

playbook.

It's

in

coach Dean Smith's

called

JUNE

Duke.

4,

Marin County,

1978

2,

1972

Birmingham, Alabama

Auburn University vs. Alabama, the Season Finale for the Traditional Cross-State Football Rivals

the year Alabama (10-0) seemed destined for the national championship. With the fourth quarter winding down, undefeated and heavily favored Alabama carried a 16-3 advantage and prepared to punt. But in the closing minutes

This was

of the annual game they call the Iron Bowl, California

Bill Newton blocked two con'Bama punts, and teammate David Langer made back-to-back recov-

Auburn's

The Dipsea Race eight-mile footrace across the rugged flank of Mount Tamalpais is one of the oldest running events in the country. The race locals still hum about

The

secutive

eries for 25-

and 20-yard touchdown

Final score:

Auburn

17,

Alabama

runs.

16. In

Auburn the team was dubbed "The Amazings." At Alabama they are

condemned more

than two decades later to see

bumper

stickers

that read, "Punt, 'Bama,

Punt."

MAY

31,1967

Indianapolis Speedway, Indiana

The Indianapolis 500

In

a race

known

for

its

photo finishes, Parnelli Jones had one of the

DECEMBER

2,

1972:

Auburn blocks an Alabama punt.

96

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

biggest leads ever. Driving the

NOVEMBER

first tur-

bine-engine race car, the longtime Indy favorite

was determined

to

Fenway Park,

avenge three

He

straight years of bad-luck losses.

grabbed the pole on the second turn of the lap and with only three laps left had an astonishing 48-second lead on the others. Jones was actually easing his speed back when the engine suddenly (and silently) died. A $6 bearing in the trans-

Boston College Final

Game

first

mission had failed. In seconds he went

from 151 miles an hour and a spot

in the

winner's circle to zero. Ultimately, A.

their

man

Holy Cross, the

of the Football Season

College was en route to a na-

tional championship.

They'd rolled over opponents at an alarming rate, outscoring them 249-19 in eight perfect games. Meanwhile, tiny Holy Cross, a Jesuit rival from neighboring Worcester,

came

leaving the stalled car and fu-

push it the final eight miles.

MARCH

Boston

vs.

into the

game

a mediocre 4-4-1.

J.

Foyt would win the '67 Indy 500. But what every Parnelli Jones fan remembers is tilely trying to

28, 1942

Boston, Massachusetts

the

21, 1953

Butler Field House, Indianapolis, Indiana

By

was over, the Holy Cross Crusaders had stunned the number one ranked Eagles 55-12, one of the most lopsided defeats in Boston College football history. The loss was a blessing in disguise. In the time

it

wake

of the humiliating defeat,

BC

canceled plans for a postgame celebration

and friends at Grove nightclub in Boston.

for team, coaches, family,

Terre Haute Gerstmeyer High vs. South Bend Central, the Indiana High School Basketball State

Championship

Game

the Cocoanut

That

night, in the second-worst fire in

U.S. history, 492 people died at the Co-

coanut Grove.

Only in Indiana would a one-point deBut that's the way it happened. Terre Haute was led by Howard Sharpe, the dean of highschool basketball coaches. He had a flawless lineup led by identical twins Arley and Harley Andrews and their uncle Harold. But at the start of the fourth quarter, their dream season unraveled when Arley,

JUNE

feat qualify as a collapse.

the team's best shooter, fouled out.

The

irony was that he had only four fouls, but

was mistakenly assessed one belonging to his twin brother. The double irony was that in previous games, Coach Sharpe was rumored to have made the twins swap jerseys at half time if Arley was in foul trouble. "If you're one of those who believe

Howard Sharpe used to pull the switch," says Ron Newlin of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, "you'd have to say it came back and bit him." The final: South Bend Central 42, Terre Haute Gerstmeyer 41.

1994

19,

1966

Olympic Country Club,

San

The

U.S.

Francisco, California

Open Golf Tournament

Palmer, closing in on Ben Hogan's tournament record, had a seven-stroke lead on Billy Casper with

Arnold

nine holes to play. In the aftermath, Palmer would admit he got a little carried away. Always known for his daring shotmaking, Palmer, with the victory seemingly in hand, gambled on the back nine in his attempt to break the mighty Hogan's

Each gamble went awry as Arnie bogeyed the 15th, 16th, and 17th holes, losing the remaining five strokes to Casper and ending up in a tie. In the next day's playoff Palmer lost by four strokes. It was

record.

his third play-off loss at the U.S.

Open

in

five years.

Old Farmer's Almanac

97

—

^ttle-KiiOMr*

4? -

*«,

E X

Like

it

P E D

amount

cost ten times the

of

had approved. (Sound familiar?) And

You guessed n

it

money Congress

their greatest hazard?

— bugs, by Dayton Duncan

a rainy May afternoon

in

up the muddy Missouri first

ON-

T

I

1

804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark started

River,

heading west

into history.

Theirs

American expedition to cross the continent and reach the

by land, and

in their

wake an

entire nation followed

was

Pacific

the

Ocean

them westward,

trans-

forming the United States from the equivalent of a North American Brazil into

a transcontinental power.

One hundred and known

explorers, so inextricably linked together

in

to refer to the "Louis N. Clark" expedition in their

as the country's most

ninety years later, they are

our

term papers. And while

The

following facts

«•—•

will

——

it

also remains

one

of

was probably still a barwas one of the nation's examples of a massive govern-

retrospect, this

earliest

it

also

mental cost overrun.

Thomas Jefferson persuaded Con-

on the aswould cost only $2,500 and involve only a dozen men. But the crew gress to approve the expedition

surance that

Jefferson's Pet Project

it

that left the St. Louis area in 1804

num-

bered nearly 45 men, and the final tab to not even counting serthe taxpayers vices and supplies furnished by the War reached $38,722.25, more Department than ten times the original estimate. In

— —

98

accomplishment stands

+

gain, but

a secret message — to keep the Inplans from becoming public — Pres-

America's best-

help set the record straight.

iXOXr

Budget? W|pt Budget?

ident

their

remarkable, successful, and far-reaching exploration,

the most misunderstood.

still

memory that history students have been known

Even though he never personally traveled west beyond Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, Jefferson was fascinated by

the West. (His library at Monticello con-

tained the world's most extensive holding of books on western topics.) Prior to becoming president in 1800, he had tried to

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

who for l}h years referred to Lieu-

organize three other expeditions for ex-

dition,

ploring the best route across the conti-

tenant Clark as "captain."

nent; fact,

none of them got

off the ground. In

planned and launched before the United States actually owned any of the territory Lewis and Clark explored. Lewis had already procured the expedition's supplies and was on his way to St. Louis at the when word artime a "foreign" city rived in the summer of 1803 that the United States had purchased the vast Louisiana Territory from France.

—

—

Lieutenant Clark Lewis and Clark now share equal billing as co-com-

Although manders, in

fact only

Lewis held the rank

of captain. Clark joined the expedition

with the promise of being made a captain, but for internal, bureaucratic reasons the War Department refused the promotion. To Clark's credit, he swallowed his bitterness about this disappointment and stayed on. To Lewis's credit, he nonetheless shared the decision making with his friend and never informed the other members of the expe-

1994

"Empty" Spaces

the Lewis and Clark expedition was

West the expedition explored The was hardly an uninhabited

wilder-

ness. Several days west of St. Louis, they last

white settlement, but they

spent nearly as

much time in contact with

passed the

Indians (several dozen tribes were en-

countered) as they did winter

first

in isolation.

encampment was

in

The

what

is

now North Dakota, in the midst of some Mandan and Hidatsa villages inhabited by about 4,000 Indians, a far larger population than St. Louis at the time, even more than Washington, D.C., in 1804! Along the Columbia River, Indians were so numerous that the men complained about the crowding. Only in what is now Montana, where the expedition saw more grizzly bears than Indians, were they essentially alone for nearly three

months.

A Woman Pathfinder? Sacagawea,

the Indian

woman who

accompanied them west from the

Old Farmer's Almanac

99

Mandan-Hidatsa

villages,

was not

brought along as a guide. With the exception of her home area, most of the terrain she traveled with Lewis and Clark

was

as

new and unfamiliar to Sacagawea

was to everyone else in the expediHer main contribution, with her French-Canadian husband Toussaint Charbonneau, was as an interpreter, especially with her native Shoshones in the Bitterroot Mountains, from whom horses were purchased for the mountain crossing. According to Clark, her presence as

it

tion.

also "reconsiles

all

friendly intentions.

of

the Indians to our

A woman with a party

drowned them, grizzly bears that chased them across the Plains,

nearly

literally

and near starvation in the Bitterroot Mountains what the men complained about most is familiar to all campers: bugs. Mosquitoes were "exceedingly

—

troublesome," to use Lewis's phrase, often keeping the men awake at night and

sometimes so thick they were inhaled with every breath. "Our trio of pests still invade and obstruct us on all occasions," Lewis wrote in 1805. "These are the Musquetoes, eye knats and prickley pears, equall to any three curses that ever poor Egypt laiboured under."

men is a token of peace."

Man's

Friend

"Hostilf Savages Indian the expedition enThe countered were almost uniformly tribes

United States' first official envoys in the West. In fact, without the assistance of Native Americans most notably in the food they provided at critical junctures the expedition might well have perished. The expedition had an armed standoff with the Teton Sioux friendly to the

—

—

("the vilest miscreants of the savage race,"

according to Clark) on the Missouri River, but no shots were exchanged. On the return journey, Lewis and a small contingent got into a fight with

some Black-

—

the only two of the Indians gunplay and loss of life through hostile action during the entire expedition. (The expedition's only fatality was Sergeant

foot, killing

Charles Floyd,

who

appendix during the

died of a ruptured first

reasons not For brought along a

entirely clear,

Lewis

big, black

New-

foundland dog named Seaman. Like the men, it suffered greatly from the mosquitoes and the

summer

man earned his keep on when

souri

his

Upper Misbarking alerted everyone

to a buffalo bull that blundered into

important to the expedition's survival.

Along the Columbia River, where they

were wary of eating the abundant salmon, the men purchased dogs for their meals. "For my own part I have become so perfectly reconciled to the dog that

they endured incredible

hardships a frigid winter in North Dakota, blistering heat during the summers, hailstorms that knocked the men to the ground, flash floods that

100

I

an agreeable food and would prefer it vastly to lean venison or elk," Lewis wrote. Clark was the only one who never think

it

acquired a taste for roast canine.

Democracy

—

camp

one night and nearly trampled some of the men. Indian dogs proved even more

summer.)

A Trio of Pests Although

heat, but Sea-

the

in

Action

they reached When November Ocean in

the Pacific of 1805, the

commanders faced an important choice: whether to encamp near the mouth of the Columbia for the winter or head back

upriver immediately.

Old Farmer's Almanac

They reached their

1994

decision in a most unmilitary manner: They asked every member to vote. In-

an implicit

had been

cluded in the polling were York, Clark's black slave (though black

—

across the continent the fabled Northwest Passage that geographers insisted lay somewhere in the West. Instead, Lewis and Clark found mountains perennially covered in snow. Years later, the realization hit that no such passage exists,

men would not

be enfranchised in America for another 65 years), and Sacagawea (though Indians and women would wait another hundred years to vote in the United States). The majority voted to stay on the coast.

and the true worth of Lewis and Clark's wealth of new information would more than compensate for the initial disap-

Success, Yet Failure

pointment. "It was," the historian Bernard DeVoto wrote, "the first report on the West, on the United States over the hill and beyond the sunset, on the province of the American future. ... It

return Louis The September 1806 was greeted with expedition's

Their prime mission

failure.

to find an easy water route

to St.

in

The nation, having heard no word of them for more than a

wild enthusiasm.

had given them up for dead. The commanders became national heroes

year,

satisfied desire

and

it

created desire: the

desire of the westering nation."

(Clark finally got his promotion), and the Dayton Duncan is the author of Out West: An American Journey Along the Lewis and Clark Trail (Viking Penguin) and is working on a documentary film about the expedition with filmmaker Ken Burns.

men received double pay and 320 acres of land for their efforts. But included in the report of their journey was recognition of

Windchill Table the temperature Asofwind speed temperatures and high winds increases,

against your

air

body

falls.

The combination

creates a cooling effect so severe that exposed flesh

cold

can freeze. (Inanimate objects, such as cars, do not experience windchill.) To gauge wind speed: at 10 mph you can feel wind on your face; at 20 small branches move, and dust or snow is raised; at 30 large branches move and wires whistle; at 40 whole trees - Courtesy of Mount Washington Observatory bend. Temperature (°R

Wind Velocity

50

41

32

23

(MPH)

14

-4

5

-13

-22

-31

-40

-49

-58

Equivalent Temperature (°F) (Equivalent in Cooling Power on Exposed Flesh under Calm Conditions)

19

10

1

-9

-18

-27

-36

-51

-56

-65

18

7

-4

-15

-26

-36

-49

-60

-71

-SI

-92

S3 _%

5

48

39

28

10

41

30

32

19

7

-18

-31

-44

-58

-71

30

28

14

1

-13

-27

-40

-54

_69

_gi

40

27

12

-2

-17

-31

-45

-60

-74

-89 -103 -116 -130 -144

10

-4

-18

-33

-47

-62

-76

-90 -105 -119 -134 -148

50

25

Little

Danger

-108 -123 -137

Great Danger

Increasing Danger

Danger from Freezing of Exposed Flesh

1994

-96 -108 -121

20

-6

(for Properly

Old Farmer's Almanac

Clothed Person)

101

^ by Susan Peery

e

read textbooks on and talked not

hair care

only with hair-care professionals but also with everyday

people with gorgeous hair. Here's what we learned: It's human nature to fiddle with one's crowning glory plait it, curl it, anoint and adorn it, worry about it. After all, it's the only human body part that continually grows, degenerates, and miraculously grows again throughout life. All body hairs grow

—

—

about the same rate roughly Vi inch but vary in the length of the growth stage. Eyelash hair or forearm hair has a short life cycle (a month or less), while head hair grows for two to six years before it withers at its base and falls out (at which point the hair follicle rests for about three months and then rouses itself for another growth period). at

a

month

If

—

you are of the

of thought, you

natural-is-best school

may

believe that people

should just leave their hair alone, avoid 102

artifice, and do no more than wash and brush it when necessary. That's OK, but be aware that you are fighting powerful and ancient customs that have to do with hair as status symbol, sexual lure, and more. The ancient Assyrians, for example, wore masses of curls on their shoulders and sprinkled real gold dust in their hair. (Did everyone in ancient Assyria have naturally curly hair? No but the nobility used curling tongs, and men set their beards with tree gum.) Egyptians of about 1200 B.C. shaved their heads and wore wigs for special occasions, stewed the leaves of the henna bush to get a red dye, or colored their hair with indigo, "dried tadpoles from the canal crushed in

—

oil,"

or "tortoise shell and babgu bird

boiled in oil."

Indian

women, known

trous hair,

still

for their lus-

use special herbal sham-

poos, soak their tresses in olive or coconut oil, and avoid chemicals and dryers. Beauty magazines are filled with advice

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

(and some misinformation) about hairstyles and hair care, although standards

of beauty vary greatly.

Can

a

person create

beautiful hair? Consider

the following attributes of hair

Hair gets

its

color from the pigment

melanin, the same agent that colors

and eyes. The color is contained in the which is composed of long, tapering cells that have coalesced into fibrous material, in turn covered by a deliskin

hair shaft,

cate layer of transparent, overlapping cells

forming the cuticle. Hair is largely composed of the protein keratin; chemically, dark hair has more carbon and less oxygen than lighter hair. Color is inherited, along with the degree and timing of graying. Gray hair is not really gray, but is an absence of color in the hair shaft, rendering

1994

it

white or opaque. Graying usually starts you could say that natural pigmenta-

(or

tion usually ceases) at the hairline

and

progresses toward the back of the head;

Old Farmer's Almanac

103

the "gray," unpigmented hairs tend to be coarser than the colored hairs.

Os

%

Technical term for hair on

head

Hair color can be changed and enhanced with dyes and rinses. Henna is one of the oldest hair dyes, although today's product, available in neutral, black, and brush! brown tones as well as traditional red,

is capiili.

%-

Lifespan:

%

Eighty-five percent of hairs

Two

more

to six years.

than that of the an-

on the head are

in their

cient Egyptians.

Henna is not recommended for hair

growth

phase at any given time.

%

that

The average head has about

120 square inches of

The outermost hair layer

is

is

is

the

layer

%t

and pigment); innermost

is

the medulla.

Hair grows fastest between

cline between 50 and

Women's men's

add body, they can also up on the hair shaft and cause hair to appear dull initially

and heavy. Color restorers, it.

ages 15 and 30, with a sharp de-

-

untreated hair; in addition,

although colorants can

also called progressive col-

up on hair and damage problem of roots showing

ors, are metallic salts that build

about 1/2" per month.

%

about ten per-

cent weaker than

build

Hair grows 1/72" per day, or

15

ored. Colored hair

cortex (source of strength, elasticity,

more than

already been bleached or col-

the cuticle (transparent, overlapping cells); middle layer

is

percent gray or has

hair, with

about 1 ,000 hairs per square inch.

%

is

sophisticated

60.

hair grows faster than

hair.

Between 50 and 80

And

there's the constant

your true colors. Brushing can distribute natural oils and add sheen; hairbrush bristles can be natural or synthetic as long as they have smooth ends to avoid scratching the hair cuticle (which has to remain smooth enough to reflect light).

hairs a

day are shed naturally. Shedding increases

in

spring and

fall.

"air

-the

can be

straight,

wavy, or curly, depending on

angle and direction in which the hair shaft

emerges from the

follicle.

The angle

of the

follicles,

and cowlicks and the general tendency for hair to curl out on one side of the head and curl under on the other side. In cross-section, hair can be round, oval, or flat; it was once believed that this shape was racially determined, but this belief has been discredited with research that showed significant overlap between groups. Hair shape can be changed temporarily by "permanents" and straightening, but the natural tendency will reassert itself on new growth. Curling irons and hot rollers work by using heat to make the hair shaft malleable, but must be used with care: Temperatures over 140° F can also called the hair stream, creates whorls

actually melt the shaft.

104

Old Farmer's Almanac

{continued)

1994

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Old Farmer's Almanac

d 105

John D. Rockefeller's advice on Go to work early. Stay at work late. Find oil.) The million-doluman scalps have an average of lar answer on hair is: Eat well. Wash and hairs per square inch, like

&7?y

business success:

roughly

1,000

120,000 hairs in

all;

age 20 marks the peak

brush hair often. Inherit the right genes.

Nutrition:

A well-balanced diet

of thickness. Blond hair tends to be most

%-

numerous (140,000 hairs per head), followed by brown (110,000), black (108,000), and red (90,000). Although blonds have more hair, the individual

necessary to healthy hair. Poor nutrition,

is

especially protein deficiencies, can lead to thinning, dull, dry hair (usually reversible with a return to

good

eating).

be thinner than the darker tones. By age 60 half of all men are bald or balding, and 40 percent of women have hairs tend to

experienced some hair loss. Male-pattern baldness, called alopecia, occurs

when

a

gene triggered by age changes the hor-

mone

new chemical, makes hair each new genera-

testosterone into a

dihydrotestosterone, which smaller and finer with tion of hair

growth

until baldness results.

Traction alopecia, most in

women,

tight braids,

The

commonly seen

due to pulling by heavy ponytails, and so on.

is

hair loss

hair of pregnant

women

often ap-

pears especially thick and luxuriant this

is

—

because high estrogen levels extend

the growth phase and prevent hair from

entering the resting phase (the

of this

is

that

all

down side

those hairs enter their

same time postpartum, and hair comes out by the handful). resting phase at the

High

fevers, tranquilizers, thyroid disor-

ders,

and unusual

So,

How Ho

(which causes high adrenaline levels) can also cause temporary hair loss.

siutifiil

stress

Ifin Get a lload of Hair? e talked with hair-care

H" Buy expensive shampoo from your barber or beautician (the best modern shampoos contain plant extracts) and

dilute

irofessionals (Joanne tark,

head of the Keene,

it

50/50 with water.

Shampoo daily.

Avoid using very hot water. Cheap shampoos in grocery stores often contain waxes and fillers that build up on hair. Use them on your dog. %r

Brush hair thoroughly

twice a

day, and massage your scalp to help

cir-

Hampshire, Beauty culation. Excessive brushing, however, my; barber Deborah can irritate the scalp and break off hairs; Coleman of Snipper's, also in Keene), read textbooks on hair care, and interrogated friends with beautiful hair

for some, the obligatory 100 vigorous

strokes can be too much.

Gel a good halreut

makes

to find out their secrets. (Their expert

%-

opinions on hair care sound suspiciously

the most of your hair's natural attrib-

106

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Old Farmer's Almanac

107

utes.

Remember: You can "do" the least with It's damaged hair that you can ma-

healthy hair.

nipulate the most.

(^aAwofied I*

For healthiest hair, avoid styling aids, heat, and

all

chemical processes if possible. Permed hair is 30

iOa&&

-

percent weaker than untreated hair. f"

Teasing or ratting hair (back-combing) roughs

up and tears the cuticles and can damage hair so severely that a short haircut

Rough treatment

f-

ends (or

pint hot

1

water for 20 minutes. Cool. Beat

of the hair (hot dryers, harsh

1

egg.

Massage

into hair

and

1

in

rinse.

tight barrettes

and

Herbal Rinses tor

split

Oii> Hairs Steep a handful

friction

from

Contrary to advertising claims, split ends cannot be healed or glued back together; they can only be cut off. trichoptilosis).

$- Infrequent shampooing, insufficient rinsing, improper diet, and poor scalp circulation are thought to cause dandruff, technically known as pityriasis; treatment includes scalp massage, mild shampoos, and daily use of an antiseptic scalp lotion if needed. t"

Steep

in

abrades the cuticles and can cause

shampoos, and rollers) also

the only solution.

is

Dgg Shampoos ounce fresh rosemary

Don't brush wet

hair.

Comb it out gently with a

wide-tooth comb (especially for long hair), and let it

of

lemon grass,

nettle,

peach

leaves, rosemary, southernwood,

or yarrow flowers in a quart of hot water. Cool and pour over wet hair after shampooing.

Herbal Rinses tor

Dry Hairs Steep a handful of comfrey, chamomile, clover, el-

der flowers, or papaya leaves

in

a

quart of hot water. Cool and pour

over wet hair after shampooing.

dry before brushing.

To Enliven Colors For blonds add lemon juice,

chamomile

t

Race or nationality determines the basic shape (round, oval, or

flat) of hair. (Truth:

These categories overlap among all racial groups.)

tea, or white vinegar

color. For dark hair use cider vinegar, rosemary, or

¥

Clipping and shaving encourage hair growth. (Truth: The rate and

thickness of growth

I

Ointments and

is

unaffected by cutting.)

oils

ments only lubricate the hair

I

(Truth:

These treat-

in

the rinse

adds reddish highlights to

blond or light brown

hair.

Hair Oinf mem: Blend

shaft.)

Hair grows after death. (Truth: The flesh and skin contract, caus-

ing hair to protrude slightly more.

sage

water. Green pekoe tea used as a rinse

can make hair grow faster.

enhance

to the final rinse water to

Same

is

2 tablespoons castor

oil,

spoons

true of fingernails.)

2 table-

lard,

and a

few drops of i-

Singeing the ends of the hair seals

in natural oils. (Truth:

The

oils

rosemary originate in tiny glands beside each follicle

and are distributed on the

outside of the hair shaft only. Singeing simply

f

Baldness

is

and extent of balding can come from either

t

damages the hair shaft.)

inherited from the maternal side. (Truth: The timing side.)

Hair can turn gray overnight. (Truth: This has never been docu-

oil.

Or add several drops of

rosemary

oil

or lemon

oil

to 1/4

cup

almond or mented. The pigment already

in

the hair

is

unaffected by inactive pigolive

ment

causes pigmented hairs to in

108

oil.

cells at the root. A rare condition called alopecia areata fall

out while gray ones stay behind,

all

a short period of time.)

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1994

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Old Farmer's Almanac

U S

109

frill lUfi

Ei

i

November

VI i

12,1933 s

It

began

in

South Dakota with

:'

^

a clear sunrise and a crisp breeze, but by 11 a.m. the city of Sioux Falls

had been

plunged into darkness. Not long thereafter a plume of dust stretched from Oklahoma to

the Great Lakes

- and that was

just the beginning...

by Michelle Seaton

HI^^^^^^P

When

the people of Sioux Falls,

South Dakota, looked to the northern horizon on the morning of November 12, 1933, they saw a vast dark cloud, but it was not the rainstorm they would have welcomed. It was a dry plume of soil rolling toward the small town, fueled by winds of more than 50 miles per hour. They didn't know then that the dust in that cloud was thick enough to

By the fall of 1933, the farmers of the northern plains had grown accustomed to disaster.

Meat and grain prices had collapsed

with the stock market in 1929, but for most

farmers the economy had been depressed throughout the 1920s. Fewer than eight inches of rain fell in the

summer of 1933. As

— even the pas— had burned and

a result, every single crop ture grass

and hay

died.

In September, exhausted by work and worry,

suffocate cattle or that the approaching wind was strong enough to overturn buildings. This was the storm that would usher in the Dust Bowl era, and by the time it passed, it would take several lives and set a new

midwestern farmers had no choice but to plow their bare, powdery soil and plant again, praying that winter wheat would save them. Sunday morning, November 12, 1933, began with a clear sunrise and a crisp

standard of destruction.

breeze.

110

A

light snowfall the

Old Farmer's Almanac

week before 1994

i^itiiiii

,:

The Sioux

Falls

Storm of 1933 presaged the destruction that

had left much of the Minnesota and eastern

point of low pressure or

Dakota landscape dressed in white. The weather bureau in Huron, South Dakota, had first noticed what it called "a disturbance moving rapidly southeastward" over Canada on Saturday morning. A bubble of low pressure, it looked to be a harmless air mass of moderate winds. Weather predictors had no way to know that it would inflict more damage than any

cyclone wanders too

midwestern windstorm to date. Three types of windstorms are common along the Plains states: whirlwind storms or tornadoes; shift-wind storms or cyclones; and straight-wind storms, the rarest of the

low pressure point raced south through

three. Straight-wind storms erupt

1994

when

a

close to a point of high

pressure or anticyclone.

The clash

of the two

storms will raise galeforce winds as the baro-

would create the Dust Bowl.

In

a

later storm, a

"Black Blizzard" brought darkness at noon to north Texas.

metric pressure fights to equalize

itself.

In the early hours of

November

12, that

Manitoba, past Winnipeg, all the while getting closer to a strong anticyclone east of

Boise, Idaho.

The point of friction between

the storms occurred over South Dakota. The wind began to rise just after the Sun

Old Farmer's Almanac

111

Fence posts buried by

blowing dust

had to be

dug out and raised to keep cattle

in.

and Sunday mer-

did, quickly reaching 35 miles per hour. It

drove with

didn't take long to scatter the light covering

chants and housekeepers spent the day un-

of snow. Then, as the wind increased, it swept

der

across the furrows, the roads and ditches, the

By noon the Sun had dim blue disk behind a blanket of dirt. Communities throughout the state reported zero visibility. Dust and static elec-

windmills and barns like an angry broom.

The first thin cloud of dust billowed up from the Dakota plain at around 8:00 a.m., then darkened quickly as the wind pushed seeds and sprouts, gravel and small rocks, tumbleweeds and sticks ahead of it. It picked up freshly plowed topsoil by the ton. That day the clouds grew to a height of 9,000 feet. The cyclone continued to move south and east, as did the windstorm. By the time it reached Sioux Falls, South Dakota, its first urban area, it had grown to a churning mass of grit and gravel 100 miles wide and was careening along at 60 miles per hour. When seen from afar, the approaching storm looked like a dense thundercloud rolling along the ground. The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported that by 11:00 a.m., the city had been "plunged into darkness." The most striking feature of the storm was the noise. The Argus Leader wrote that the wind "howled throughout the day, snapping off telephone poles and trees, smashing ." Dust windows, and grounding fences fine hail, and and gravel hit the houses like some say that above the roaring wind and the sound of falling trees and breaking glass,

lights ablaze

artificial light."

Outside, streetlights

flickered in confusion.

become

a

tricity interfered

drivers

with car motors, so that

were forced to abandon

where they stopped. The Argus Leader called vere storm "in the

it

memory

their cars

the most se-

of the white

man in South Dakota." An emergency crew consisting of "every available man" worked frantically clearing trees from the streets as they

fell.

In

mid afternoon the

men had blocked off one area of the city, as the wind ripped heavy shingles off the roof

of

St.

Joseph Cathedral and pitched them

into the street.

The storm gathered momentum

as

it

traveled south and east. In Iowa, winds

were recorded at 70 miles per hour, strong enough to pry bricks from the city's chimneys. In Sioux City a woman's roof was lifted from her house and carried, intact, across the street. In Whitehall, Illinois, a

tered helplessly, trying to escape the dust.

man walked in front of a car while blinded by dust and was killed. In Des Moines, where the wind was clocked at 69 miles per hour, a construction worker was killed when the scaffold he was working on collapsed beneath him. As utility poles fell all

The haze became

around, the

.

.

they could hear birds screaming as they flut-

112

so thick that "motorists

Old Farmer's Almanac

live

wires started small grass

1994

fires. The fire department in Des Moines was called out 27 times to fight them. The storm pressed on into Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, and Illinois. Throughout the region, the reports of damage were almost too bizarre to be believed. Windmills and small barns were not only toppled by the wind, but they were also said to be crumpled by it. Gusts overturned cars along the highways and rolled them into the ditches. In

Tracy, Minnesota, a busful of passengers stalled four miles outside

tor

gummed up

town when the mo-

with dust.

The Associated

Press reported that the wind itself pushed the rest of the way into town. As far away as Chicago, hundreds of peo-

bus the

ple sought left

emergency eye treatment as they

the closing night of the Century of By Sunday evening the

Progress exposition.

Outside, the dust had settled in piles on fence posts and drifted around barns and houses. Tumbleweeds covered the barbed wire.

On main streets some storefronts had

caved

even

in;

plays inside

if

they were intact, the dis-

— candy, groceries, flowers —

were covered in a fine grit. In rural areas the damage was more permanent. Hay, corn fodder, and straw had scattered beyond salvaging. The Argus Leader reported that area farmers who had depended on a harvest of winter grains faced ruin: "The wind exposed the roots so that winter killing is inevitable even where the grain was not completely blown from the ground. ... It is estimated that farmers, already hard hit by economic and climatic conditions, will not be able to receive seed back

from

their fields."

plume of dust stretched from Oklahoma to the Great Lakes. The winds subsided as the

the worst news: This was just the begin-

cyclone continued to move east, carrying hun-

ning.

dreds of tons of topsoil and seeds toward the

tinued to plow the

seaboard. The cloud, diffused in the long trip

crop. Before long the soil

across the country, would bring black rain to Tennessee and brown snow to New York. In Sioux Falls the darkness lifted at around 3:00 p.m. The wind weakened and finally fell silent. The dirt hovered in the air and then slowly began to settle. In northern South Dakota the sky lightened enough for a blazing red sunset, then fell into a hazy dusk. That night the temperature dropped from 50° to 18° F. Monday morning dawned brightly. Midwesterners woke to find their world thick with grit. Gravel, twigs, and earth had to be swept from porches and sidewalks, pushed off roofs, and scrubbed from windowpanes. Fine silt had to be shoveled from living rooms, brushed from sheets and drapes, dusted from walls, shaken from rugs, and washed from closetsful of clothes. Anywhere air could reach, the dust had gath-

completely, taking on the consistency of

ered, either covering objects with a film or settling like a

drafty rooms.

some and

cases

it

gummed

1994

dry snow in the corners of

The dust was so fine that in had seeped into watch faces up the mechanisms.

The Argus Leader could not

yet report

The drought continued; farmers coneach failed had broken down

soil after

ash. In these conditions even slight breezes would lift dark clouds over the plains. In the spring of 1934, wrote Stuart Chase in Rich Land, Poor Land, "the farms of the Dust Bowl blew clear out to the Atlantic Ocean, 2,000 miles away. On a single day 300 million tons of rich topsoil was lifted from the Great Plains, never to return." In 1935 the Soil Conservation Service was .

.

.

established to try to halt the terrible erosion.

Using techniques such as contour plowing, strip cropping, and gully control, SCS technicians worked with farmers and ranchers in a desperate attempt to keep the land from blowing away. But normal levels of rainfall

By that time, drought and blowing soil had turned 100 million acres of farmland into a wasteland of shifting sand and abandoned farmhouses. It was estimated that more than 3 At million people had lost their livelihoods. It would didn't return until 1939.

l

take several years of good rain and millions of dollars in

many

government aid to turn

the desert back into productive land.

Old Farmer's Almanac

113

GENE RAL WEATHER FO RECAST 1993-1994 (For details see regional forecasts beginning on page 116.) NOVEMBER THROUGH MARCH

states, the

is

lower Great

expected to be warmer than

Plains, the eastern

normal in the Northeast and west of the Rocky Mountains and slightly warmer than normal in the

Plains to western Great

Great

through the Ohio River val-

Lakes, and across from southern California through northern Texas; dry in New York down through eastern Pennsyl-

The South and

vania, the south Atlantic

eastern Great Lakes

ley.

lower Great Plains

down the be

normal or just below. Southern California and central and southern Florida will be below normal; the upper Great Plains and western Great Lakes will be much colder than usual. Precipitation will be variable: Well above normal amounts are expected in much of New England, the Ohio River valley, and the Northwest; slightly above over the rest of the Northeast, the Great Lakes, and the far North through the northern Rockies. Much of the southern half of the country may be significantly dry, and a large part of the Great Plains may receive slightly below normal precipitation. Snowfall will be below normal in New England, the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, and southern California, but above normal in northern California, Utah, the Cascades, most of the Rocky Mountains, and across the far north of the country through the northern Great Lakes. close to

APRIL THROUGH OCTOBER: Spring

is

antici-

pated to be significantly cooler than nor-

mal over most of the country; exceptions are a few sections in the South and West that will be only slightly below normal. Precipitation will be extremely variable: wet in New England, the middle Atlantic

114

western Great and northern California; and very dry in the Northwest, the lower Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, southern Texas, and Florida. Summer will be warmer than normal from the middle Atlantic states to the Mississippi River and north through the eastern Great Lakes and the Northeast, states, the

will

Plains,

many sections of the NorthThe Deep South can expect hot conditions. Relatively cool weather may as well as in

west.

occur in the Great Plains, western Great

Lakes, and along the California coast. Except for parts of the Northeast, much of the eastern third of the country, the

Deep dry.

South, and the Northwest will be

Most of the

cluding

much

rest of the country, in-

of the Northeast, will re-

ceive well above normal rainfall.

Early

fall will

be

warm

east of the

Mississippi River, in Texas, parts of the

Rockies, and the Northwest; and cool in the northern Great Plains, northern Rockies, and California. Much of the

country east of the Rockies will be fairly dry; exceptions are the northern Great Plains and sections of the Northeast,

which will be wetter than normal. The Northwest will be quite wet, while other sections of the West will receive abovenormal rainfall.

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

F"

REGION

NEW ENGLAND

D

For regional boundaries, see map page 115

November through March is expected to be milder than normal, with slightly above normal precipitation in the south, but well above normal north. Snowfall may average about ten percent below normal. November through mid- December should see alternating mild and cold spells, with severe storms the end of November and mid-December. Seasonable weather will then prevail through January except for a cold wave at year's end and mild spells mid- and late January. Cold waves and snow are expected through February, with a possible Northeaster before midmonth. March may come in like a lamb, but go out like a lion. SUMMARY:

April through June should be slightly cooler than normal, with below-normal precipitation north but wet in the south. April may be quite wet, with above-normal snowfall at higher elevations. May should be drier than normal with near-normal temperatures the first half while cold waves and rain will alternate with sunny, warm spells the latter half. cool mid-June will be partially offset by warm spells at the beginning and end, with heavy rains in southern sections the latter half. July through September should see close to normal temperatures, with above-normal rainfall north, but below normal south. Few heat waves are expected, and southern sections may be fairly dry, except for heavy showers toward the end of August. In the north, heavy thundershowers in July and late August should bring ample rainfall. October may see alternating cold and warm spells before closing with a storm.

A

NOV. 1993: Temp. 50° (5° above avg.); Precip. 6" (1.5" above avg.). 1-5 Showers then clear mild. 6-9 Rain, colder. 10-14 Mild; showers

&

north. 15-18 Flurries, cold. 19-23 Sprinkles, snow mountains; then clear cold. 24-25 Rain, snow north. 26-28 Cold. 29-30 Severe storm.

&

Temp.

MAY 1994: Temp. 58.5° (0.5° above avg.; 1° below 1 " below " above avg.; warm. 3-4 Rain. 5-10 Warm, 11-13 Sprinkles; clear & warm. 14-16 Rain,

north); Precip. 4.5" (1 north). 1-2 Sunny, dry.

cold. 17-20 Clear, hot. 21-23 Cold, rain. 24-26

Warm; showers. 27-31 Temp. 65.5°

Rain; cool.

below avg.); Precip. above avg.; 1 " below north). 1-3 Rain. 4-5 Clear, warm. 6-9 Cool, rainy. 10-13 Clear.

36.5° (3° above avg.); Precip. 2.5" (1.5" below avg.; 2" above north). 1-4 Rain, snow mountains; turning cold. 5-7 Flurries. 8-

JUNE 1994:

10 Rain, then clearing. 11-13 Storm, gale coast. 14-16 Rain, snow mountains. 17-19 Clearing, cold. 20-23 Showers, snow inland. 24-25 Clear, milder. 26-29 Snow. 30-31 Severe cold.

14-17 Cool, showers. 18-20 Rain, cold. 21-25 clearing; showers north. 26-28 Rain, cooler. 29-30 Sunny, warm; showers.

DEC. 1993:

JAN. 1994:

Temp. 35°

(6.5°

above

avg.); Precip.

4" (0.5" above avg.). 1-4 Clear, cold; snow. 5-6 Seasonable. 7-10 Mild, drizzle. 11-12

16-20 Clear & cold, then snow. 21-24 Sunny, very mild. 2527 Rain, then turning to snow, cold. 28-31 Rain, snow inland; clearing. FEB. 1994: Temp. 31° (1° above avg.); Precip. 4.5" (1 " above avg.; 3" above north). 1-3 Snow;

Snow. 13-15 Cold,

clearing. 4-6

flurries.

Snow, rain south. 7-9 Clearing,

snow inland. 13-15 16-18 Mild, sprinkles. 19-21 Cold. 22-26 Sleet. 27-28 Clearing; snow north.

cold. 10-12 Northeaster,

Cold,

flurries.

MAR. 1994: Temp. 38.5° (Avg.); Precip. 3.5" (Avg.). 1-2 Sunny, mild. 3-6 Flurries, cold. 79 Rain, snow north. 10-12 Clear, mild. 13-16 Cold; rain, snow north. 17-19 Mild; rain, snow north. 20-22 Showers. 23-25 Storm, heavy rain,

snow mountains. 26-29 Freezing

rain,

snow

north. 30-31 Clearing, cold. APR. 1994: Temp.

11-13 Warm, sprinkles. 14-16 Heavy rain. 17rainy, mild. 22-25 Sunny, sprin21 Cloudy kles. 26-27 Storm south, rain north. 28-30 Rain.

116

"

Warm,

JULY1994: Temp. 73.5° (Avg.; 1° Precip. 1.5" (1" below avg.; 1"

below north); above north). 1-5 Rain, cool. 6-7 Sunny, warm. 8-10 Rain,

cooling. 11-15 Clear, hot. 16-17 Rain, coolhot. 20-23 Thundering. 18-19 Clear storms, cool. 24-26 Sprinkles; seasonable. 27-30 Clear, very warm. 31 Rain. AUG. 1994: Temp. 70° (2° below avg.); Precip. 4"

&

(0.5"

above

avg.; 2"

below north).

1-2

Heavy

Sunny, warm; showers. 7-8 Rain, cooling. 9-11 Clear, very cool. 12-19 Some showers; sunny, warming. 20-23 Thunderstorms, then clearing; cool. 24-26 Rain, seasonable. 27-31 Sunny, then sprinkles. SEPT. 1994: Temp. 68° (3° above avg.); Precip. rain, cool. 3-6

2" (1

"below avg.;

1"

above north). 1-4 Clear,

very warm. 5-7 Cold, rain. 8-11 Sunny, then rain. 12-18 Warm & sunny, sprinkles. 19-20 Rain, seasonable. 21-24 Clear. 25-27 Cloudy, showers; warm. 28-30 Rain, cooling. OCT. 1994:

49° (1° above avg.); Precip. 4"

(0.5" above avg.; 2" above north). 1-2 Clear, warm. 3-7 Rain, snow north; mild. 8-10 Clear.

&

4" (1

(2°

Temp.

55° (0.5° above avg.; 2° above

north); Precip. 3.5" (Avg.). 1-2 Rain, cool. 3-5 Cold wave, freeze inland. 6-9 Showers, warm.

&

10-14 Heavy rain; clear cold. 15-16 Rain, snow mountains; very cool. 17-20 Indian Summer-like. 21-23 Sprinkles, seasonable. 24-26 Cold wave. 27-29 Rain, milder. 30-31 Sunny, seasonable.

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

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Old Farmer's Almanac

Phone

117

"

r—

REGION

"

GREATER NEW YORK-NEW JERSEY

H

For regional boundaries, see map page 115.

November through March is expected to be warmer and considerably wetter than norbelow south, with below-normal snowfall. November may begin with a heat wave, then turn cold; watch for a storm at the close of the month. December will be wet in the north, drier in the south, with cold spells at the beginning, just before Christmas, and at year's end. January will be mild and dry except for northeastern sections. In February and March, warm spells will balance cold waves, with above-normal precipitation in the north, near SUMMARY:

mal in

the north, but slightly

normal south. Snowfall is expected to be below normal. In April through June, frequent showers are anticipated, with northern sections receiving normal precipitation. Frequent warm spells will offset cold periods in April and May, but a cold wave before mid-June will bring monthly averages below normal. July through September will average slightly warmer than normal in the north but slightly below south; rainfall may be well below normal in the north, slightly below south. Few heat waves are anticipated, but warm spells and cool periods are expected during August and September. Heavy showers are expected in eastern sections during August. Warm periods early and late in October will easily offset cold spells during the month. Heavy rains will accompany a cold wave at mid-month. An offshore tropical storm will bring rain to coastal areas near the end of October. well above

N0V.1993: Temp. 51.5° (4° above avg.); Precip. 6" (2" above avg.; avg. south). 1-2 Showers,

mild. 3-7 Hot, clear. 8-10

Heavy

rain. 11-14

Sunny, warm. 15-19 Cold, showers. 20-23 Rain milder then clearing. 24-25 Rain, mild. 26-28 Cold. 29-30 Heavy rain, snow mountains.

Temp. 36°

DEC. 1993:

(1°

south); Precip. 4.5" (1

"

below avg.; 3° below above avg.; 1" below

snow

north. 4-5 Cold. 6-8 Rain. 9-10 Cold. 11-15 Rain, snow north. 1618 Clearing, cold. 19-20 Rain, snow. 21-25

south). 1-3 Cold,

Clear, cold. 26-29 Rain. 30-31 Cold, snow. JAN.1994: Temp. 37° (6° above avg.); Precip. 3

(Avg.;

1

"

below south). 1-4 Snow then freez-

ing rain. 5-7 Sunny, cold. 8-11 Rain, mild. 12-

14 Cold. 15-17 Freezing rain then clearing. 1820 Rain, snow north. 21-26 Clear, warm. 27-28 Snow, cold. 29-31 Milder then light snow.

Precip. 5" (1"

3 Rain. 4-7

above

Cold. 12-14 Clear

avg.; 1"

&

18-21 Hot, sunny. 22-25 Cold, rain. 26-28 Rain;

warm

then cool. 29-30 Clear, warm. 31 Rain.

below avg.); Precip. 3 above south). 1-3 Cold,

JUNE 1994: Temp. 69° (2°

(0.5"

below

avg.; 1"

rain. 4-6 Clear, hot. 7-9 Rain, cool. 10-11

Clear, cool. 12-16 Rain, cool, then clearing.

17-19

Heavy

rain, cool. 20-25 Clear,

JULY 1994:

Temp. 76° (0.5° below avg.); Precip.

below avg.). 1-5 Rain, cool. 6-7 warm. 8-9 Rain, cooler. 10-14 Clear. 15-17 Showers, warm. 18-19 Clear, warm. 2023 Few thunderstorms. 24-25 Clear, warm.

2.5" (1.5"

Clear,

26-27 Light rain. 28-30 Hot. 31 Rain.

1-5

6-10 Sunny; sprinkles south.

below south); above south). Rain, snow north. 6-8 Mild then flurries.

9-10 Sunny, mild. 11-12 Rain. 13-15 Clear, cold. 16-19 Sunny, warmer. 20-26 Rain snow, turning heavy. 27-28 Clear, cold.

&

MAR. 1994:

Temp. 41.5°

(Avg.; 2° below south);

Precip. 3.5" (Avg.; 0.5 below south). 1-3 Warm, showers. 4-8 Cold, rain. 9-10 Sunny, mild. 11-12 Sprinkles, cold. 13-15 Cold. 16-19

Rain; cold south. 20-22 Cold. 23-28 Rain, snow mountains then milder. 29-31 Cold. APR. 1994:

5" (1

Temp.

above

52.5° (1°

above

avg.); Precip.

Clear then rain, cold. 8-13 Clear, warm. 14-19 Seasonable. 20-22 Showers, colder. 23-25 Sunny, "

avg.). 1-4 Rain, milder. 5-7

cool. 26-27 Rain, cool. 28-30

MAY

118

1994:

Temp. 62°

Warm,

rain.

(Avg.; 1° below south);

warm.

26-27 Rain. 28-30 Clear, warm; few showers.

AUG. 1994:

Temp.

1-

warm, showers. 8-11 warm. 15-17 Rain, cool.

33.5° (Avg.; 2° Precip. 5" (2" above avg.; 0.5" FEB. 1994:

below south).

&

Sunny

Temp.

74.5° (1°

5 " (1 " above avg.).

1

below

avg.); Precip.

Rain, cool. 2-5 Clearing, hot. 1

1-14 Rain, mild. 15-

17 Thundershowers, hot. 18-19 Sunny, warm.

20-21 Thunderstorms. 22-26 Clear then rain.

27-28 Sunny, milder. 29-31 Showers, warming. SEPT. 1994:

Temp. 70°

(2°

above

avg.; 1°

above

south); Precip. 2" (1.5" below avg.; 0.5" below south). 1-5 Clear, hot. 6-7 Rain, cool. 8-9

Sunny, mild. 10-11 Light Clear. 15-18

Warm.

rain, cooler. 12-14

19-20 Rain, heavy south.

21-26 Sunny, warm. 27-30 Showers, mild. OCT. 1994:

Temp. 60°

(2.5°

above

avg.); Precip.

4" (1" above avg.; 1.5" below south). 1-5 Cool, rain. 6-9 Showers, warmer. 10-13 Storm then clear-

ing.

14-16 Rain, cool. 17-20 Clear, warm. 21-23

Cooler. 24-26 Clear. 27-29 Rain. 30-31 Clear, warm.

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

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- Mrs. Nat Collins, "The Cattle Queen ofMontana"

denim

skirt.

needs. Decadence having set in, the descent from the existing standards of female modesty to purely human comfort and convenience was swift. A man's saddle and a divided skirt (awful monstrosity that it was ) were inevitable. " 'I won't ride in the same canyon with you,' protested my brother Ray. "He denied only a few months later ever having said

it,"

Agnes wrote.

Morley successfully ran Morley

Agnes enterprises with her brother Ray and then by herself for many years, but the

West of the open range and the long drives was disappearing forever. By 1894 barbed wire was inexpensive, and the homesteaders who had been pouring west began to fence off their lands. The railtrail

1994

it,

that

was

it!

to laugh!"

nowheres now, 'thout run-

bob-wire fence and meetin' up with some feller drivin' a Jersey cow." "I was listening," she wrote, "with only half my mind. With the other half I was trying to span the gap between me and that young girl and her life, which was not what the world calls a lady." The country may not have had a word for women such as Melie Dunn or Agnes Morley, but it found one in the rodeo-show girls whose acts were inspired by the women who did the work of cowboys. Lucille Mulhall was roping, branding, herding, and breaking horses by the age of ten on her father's ranch. It was Teddy Roosevelt who watched her perform in a Wild West show when she was only 14 and who gave her the name that would make her famous. He called her "Cowgirl." nin' into a

.

Old Farmer's Almanac

.

.

153

1936 the

Age

of the

Gangster was almost

Bonnie and

over.

ByClyde and Dillinger

spotted in

THEDAY J.EDGAR

version of events, Karpis

and Baby Face Nelson were dead. Al Capone and

George "Machine Gun" Kelly were in prison. Public

Enemy Number One was Alvin "Old Creepy" Karpis

— born Alvin

Karpowicz

Montreal in 1908. Karpis had been leading a life of crime since he was ten years old, when he robbed a grocery store in in

mm

Kansas. He robbed stores and ware-

Topeka,

houses, bootlegged, then

joined the Ma Barker Gang and moved on to bigger crimes.

"My profession

GREATEST

was robbing banks, knocking off payrolls, and kidnapping rich men," Karpis bragged. Among other achievements, he revived the art of train robbery.

had undergone

facial

surgery and had his fingerprints altered with acid.

In 1936

agents located him, Hoover would arrest Public Enemy

Number One

—

personally.

has it that Hoover was hiding nearby.

by Chris Kelly

go for a sawed-off shotgun in the backseat. "Put the cuffs on him, boys,"

Hoover told

his agents.

There are a few problems with this story. For one, a 1936 Plymouth coupe has no backseat. For another, according to ex-agents and Karpis, it was actually an agent named Clarence Hurt who made the arrest.

bered to bring handcuffs. tied Karpis's hands with a necktie. Out-oftowners, they had no idea how to get to the New Orleans FBI office. Karpis had to give them directions. Alvin Karpis served 33 years in Alcatraz and in McNeil Island Penitentiary. In 1969 he was paroled and deported back to Canada, where he died ten years

They

later at age 71. In

.1 Alvin Karpis, nee Karpowiczy in a

1935 mug shot.

On April 30, Karpis was 154

up to the car and put his gun to Karpis's head, just before Old Creepy could

Hoover stayed in hiding uneverything was over. No one had remem-

Old Creepy

evaded FBI traps in three states, embarrassing the Bureau. That April, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover was humiliated in front of a Senate subcommittee when he was asked, repeatedly, if he had ever personally made an arrest. He had not. Hoover ordered Karpis found at any cost. When

climbed behind the wheel of his 1936 Plymouth coupe for a getaway. Hoover ran

til

A But another version

celebrity criminal, Karpis

New Orleans. He

was placed under constant surveillance, and Hoover was called. On May 1 the FBI moved in. In Hoover's

Old Farmer's Almanac

director of the

1936 the

FBI had

sat

back of a police car and called Karpis a hoodlum. Old Creepy had corrected Hoover: "I'm a thief. I'm no lousy hoodlum." in the

DD 1994

FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, with plenty of backup firepower, hauled Public Enemy Number One into court, May 1, 1936. Karpis was convicted and sent toAlcatraz. photos courtesy San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, Associated Press Collection

1994

Old Farmer's Almanac

155

BUDDY,

Among

the most famous and valuable of all United

States rare coins are the 1894 San Francisco dimes,

known as the

1894-S dimes. That year the United Mint in San Francisco produced millions of quarters, half-dollars, and silver dollars, as well as gold coins worth $5, $10, and $20. Why, after making coins with

CAN YOU

States

a face value of more than $25 million, did they strike only

SPARE

$2.40 in silver dimes? One story says that mint superintendent John Daggett made 24 dimes to balance out the fiscalyear accounts. Others have speculated that the mint struck the coins as a test in anticipation of a formal order to

AN

ufacture dimes.

man-

When no such order materialized, the dime

mintage remained

Another more

at

24 pieces.

is that a few influbankers persuaded their friend, Superintendent Daggett, to make some instant rare coins for them. All the 1894-S dimes apparently were produced as "proof specimens, specially struck with exceptionally brilliant re-

conspiratorial theory

ential California

DIME?

and sharpness of detail. Conflicting stories dimes were privately distributed among seven bankers, or were quietly placed into circulation, or that some were melted down. Rare-coin historians know that three of the 1894-S dimes were given by Superintendent Daggett to his young daughter, Hallie, with instructions to keep them until she was much older because they would be valuable. According to rare-coin researcher R. W. Julian, the little girl spent one coin on the way home to purchase a dish of ice cream! "Hallie did keep two of the coins until 1954, when they were sold to a San Francisco rare-coin dealer," Julian explained. One of her pedigreed dimes sold at auction in Orlando, Florida, in August 1992 for $165,000. Two other specimens of the 1894-S dime are well worn, obvious victims of long circulation. Perhaps the dime deliberately spent by Hallie Daggett was eventually found in pocket change by an anonymous but astute collector who realized flective surfaces

assert that the

Of 24 dimes struck in

San

Francisco in 1894, only 1 1 have been

accountedfor

and the

—

rest,

somewhere around (maybe in your attic!),

are worth

at least $100,000 each!

BY DONN PEARLMAN

—

that the coin could

The

buy more than just 31

flavors.

highest price paid so far for an 1894-S dime

is

$275,000, a record for any United States dime that was set in

January 1990 at a New York City auction conducted by

Stack's Coin

Company. Harvey

firm, believes there are only 11

Stack, a partner in the

known

specimens. Over

the years his firm has sold six of them. Dealer Q. David Bowers of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, has sold four of

The first time he purchased one, in 1957, host Dave Garroway of the NBC-TV "Today Show" inter-

the dimes.

viewed him, fascinated that someone would pay $4,750 for a dime.

156

Bowers

later sold

it

Old Farmer's Almanac

for $6,000.

1994

The rare 1894-S dime (shown enlarged here) is distinguished by the "5" on the back of the coin.

For more information

The 1894-S dime is deceivingly similar in appearance to

common dimes

struck between 1892 and

about the coin search, write

1916, the type usually described by collectors as a "Bar-

for a free copy of the booklet The Pleasure of Coin Collecting to PaulL. Kop-

the millions of

ber dime," named after its designer, former U.S. Mint chief engraver Charles E. Barber. Most Barber dimes are not scarce. They can easily be obtained from dealers,

some for a dollar or two. Ronald J.

Gillio, president of the

—

coin dealers' group) emphasized that only 1894 dimes

with the distinctive San Francisco mint

back of the coin lic service, the Guild will provide free authentication for any newly discovered, genuine 1894-S dime. So, take a close look at those old coins stashed in a desk

Somewhere, perhaps buried in a forgotten coffee can of loose change, someone may have one of the 13 missing thin dimes, each worth a fat $100,000. drawer or hidden

in the attic.

mismatists Guild, P.O. Box

430, Van Nuys, CA 91408. For a free copy of Coin

Professional Numismatists Guild (an international rare-

mark "S" on the are the sought-after rare ones. As a pub-

penhaver, Professional Nu-

Collecting A Fascinating Hobby for Young and Old, write to the American

Numismatic Association, 818 N. Cascade, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. The

ANA is the world's largest organization for collectors

of coins, paper money, and tokens.

medals,

OTHER RARE AND "FUNNY" MONEY 1804

Silver Dollar

» The U.S. Mint did not tually

ac-

produce dollars dated

1804 in the year 1804

— but

decades later some were "officially"

made

for special pre-

and others were produced at the mint under sentations,

A total of 15 specimens are

known to exist until 1962. The entire set sold for

known, one of which holds

$1,815,000 at a February

questionable circumstances.

the record for the highest

1993 auction in Beverly

price paid at auction for any

Hills, California.

U.S. coin: $990,000 in 1989.

abouts of a similar coin set

Another 1804

given to the Sultan of Muscat

King of 1836, was not even

(now Oman) are unknown.

nally given to the

Siam

1994

dollar, in a set

with eight other coins origi-

The where-

in

Old Farmer's Almanac

(continued on next page)

157

1913

HTY

1 ibi

Head

Nickel v& The Philadelphia Mint

wreath. Value: $300 to $50,000 or more, depending

than their weight in gold. Value: $60,000 to $90,000.

on condition. (Note: Experts warn not to clean a rare coin. Harsh abrasives will only

Money

making nickels with an Indian and buffalo design reduce the value.) in 1913, but someone produced five nickels with 1955 Doiibled-Die: started

the previously used "Miss

Lincoln Cent

Liberty" motif. Three of the

*

five are in

museums.

Two

are in private hands, but

there are persistent rumors

"Funny" Folding s* U.S. paper money

is

printed in sheets of 32 notes,

and each sheet

is

printed

A

production error caused sharply doubled lettering

around President

Lincoln's portrait and

one of those two is unaccounted for. Value: that

the date

on some 1955

cents. Value:

$500,000 to $750,000.

$200 to

$3,000.

1787 Bkasihh

1972

DoiiBLOON

Dm iui

i>~

Dm Cent w Only coins with

** Produced by George Washington's neighbor,

sharp, vivid doubling

New York goldsmith

are valuable. Value: $50

Ephraim Brasher, the coin was made famous as the

to $200.

subject of a 1940s detective

1870-S Half-Dime

movie, The Brasher

Doubloon. Six specimens are known; one of these was nearly tossed into a melting

pot at the Philadelphia Mint in 1838. Value:

The

last

three offered at auctions since 1979 brought $430,000,

$625,000, and $725,000.

1893-S

Silver

Many collectors love

this coin, also called the

"Morgan

dollar,"

after designer

Morgan and

named

George

nickels, silver half-dimes

were issued from 1794 to 1873. Although there is no record of any being struck by the San Francisco Mint in 1870, one 1870-S half-dime was discovered in 1978 by a Chicago coin dealer sorting through a collection of

"common" silver pieces. Are there more somewhere? Value: The so-far

DOLJL-U! «^

** Before there were

T.

distributed

unique specimen sold 1986 for $253,000.

in

1933 $10 Eagle

from 1878 to 1921. Because only 100,000

Morgan

dollars

More than 300,000 $10

gold coins were struck in

demand

circulation before President

supply.

1933, but only a few got into

them outpaces Check those old

silver dollars

handed out

Grandma

at birthdays,

and

Roosevelt prohibited most ownership of gold in August of that year. Each Eagle

look for the "S" mint mark

contains less than a half-

on the back below the

ounce of gold, but the 1933 $10 coins are worth more

158

Lincoln penny.

three times:

first

the back,

then the front, then the

numbers are added. Sometimes the sheets are

serial

misfed into the high-speed presses, resulting in

misplaced or upside-down serial numbers. Look at both sides of the bill, too. In 1976 a shopper in a Dallas supermarket check-

out line was handed a note

mistakenly printed with $20 «5f

were struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1893, for

The lettering was mistakenly stamped twice on this 1912

Old Farmer's Almanac

$10 on the notes from that currency sheet, only 16 have been discovered. Value of misprinted money: $20 to thousands of dollars, depending on the type of error and the condition of

on one other.

the

side,

Of the 32

bill.

DD 1994

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1994

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Old Farmer's Almanac

\

159

)

Secrets of the Zodiac Famous Debowelled Man

of the Signs

Ancient

astrologers associated each of the

signs with a part of the

body over which

they felt the sign held some influence. The first sign of the zodiac Aries was attributed

—

—

moving

to the head, with the rest of the signs

down the body, ending with Pisces at the feet. Aries, head. ARI Mar. 21-Apr.

20

Taurus, neck. TAU Apr. 21 -May 20

Gemini, arms.

GEM May 21-June 20

Cancer, breast. CAN June 21 -July 22 Leo, heart. LEO July 23-Aug. 22 Virgo, belly. VIR Aug. 23-Sept.

22

Libra, reins. LIB Sept. 23-Oct.

22

Scorpio, secrets.

SCO

Sagittarius, thighs.

Capricorn, knees. Aquarius, legs. Pisces, feet.

Astrology and Astronomy ancient times, astrology and astronomy Inwere the same science. "Wise men" looked into the heavens, noted the passage of plan-

through the vault of the sky, and summarily attached meaning to these events; their counsel was sought by kings. During the Middle Ages and beyond, the separation of church and state and the rise of science had a negative effect on astrology. Matters of the spirit were given over to religious institutions, and the business of everyday living was subjected to the scientific model. Astronomy became solely the study ets

of the physical properties of the universe. Yet astrology persists. This ancient art attempts to explain human behavior and even predict the future according to the astrological placement of the two luminaries (the Sun and the Moon) and the eight known planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) in the 12 signs of the zodiac. It is important to note that the planetary placements through the signs of the zodiac are not the same astrologically as they

are astronomically. This is because astrologers figure according to a 26,000-year cycle they have identified as the Great Ages; astronomy takes into account precession of the equinoxes and the actual placement of the planets and constellations in the heavens. Astrologers believe we have spent the past 2,000 years in the Age of Pisces, exploring the realm of compassion and reli-

160

Oct. 23-Nov. 22

SAG Nov. 23-Dec. 21

CAP Dec.

AQU

22-Jan. 19

Jan. 20-Feb. 19

PSC Feb. 20-Mar. 20

We are now poised on the brink of the of Aquarius. Astrologers believe this age will be one of intuition and self-knowledge. As Aquarius is concerned with all of gion.

Age

humanity, global awareness and malefemale equality

will increase.

Astrology as a Tool Astrology is the study of cycles. Just as the

Moon waxes life is

and wanes, everything

in a state of flux.

in

An astrologer can pro-

vide an individual birth chart to describe a person's initial orientation in time and space.

An individual's Sun sign (the astrological sign in

which the Sun was located at

birth) will de-

scribe the active, conscious personality; one's

work should be compatible with the qualities of this sign. The Moon, on the other hand, shows the passive personality as well as the habits.

One's emotional well-being

ished by the qualities of the sign the

cupied at

is

nour-

Moon oc-

birth.

Many

readers have asked us which signs are best suited for various activities. Astrologers use Moon signs for this determina-

month-by-month chart showing appropriate times for certain activities is provided on page 162. (To find the astrologtion; a

ical

place of the

Moon

in the zodiac, as well

as detailed gardening information, see 164.

Do

not confuse

cal position

this with the

page

astronomi-

of the Moon, as listed on the Left-

Hand Calendar Pages [54-80]; because ofprecession

and other factors

the astrological

and

astronomical zodiacs do not agree.

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

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get a

^

uretic.Cleansingtoin-

_

testinal

JrS'flr

and urinary

postmaster.

Single postcards

if

than 3fc by J 5 inches.

St.

Trl.

A

l

inch thick can be mailed

Thickness

Rd.

in shape,

-

Pt.

Road

m

least 3 y2 inches

h h

Note:

than 0.007 of an inch. Point

Rectangular

3)

Note:

Highway

1)

2) is

J

Center

Crescent

The rate

(oz.)

or less

thickness must be:

Forpiecesnot exceeding

% mch

that are

additional

keys

and identification devices)

1.3

and

2.5, in-

g

mails:

All pieces must be at

Via.

a.

Vis.

least 0.007 inch thick.

j

|

a 1994

Old Farmer's Almanac

267

Useful Year

Round

International Postage Rales International Letters and Letter

Card Rates

Packages

Weight not over

Canada

Mexico

All

other countries Surface Rates

>

$0.40

$0.35

$0.50

$0.50

1

.40

.45

.95

.70

1.5

.63

.55

1.34

.95

0.5 ozs.

$0.30

Mexico

$0.30

All other (surface) $0.35

All other

2

.63

.65

1.73

.95

2.5

.86

.90

2.12

1.20

3

.86

.90

2.51

1.20

3.5

1.09

1.15

2.90

1.45

4

1.09

1.15

1.45

45

132

1

40

3.29 3 68

5

1.32

1.40

4.07

1.70

5.5

1.55

1.65

4.46

1.95

6

1.55

1.65

4.85

1.95

1

Canada

(airmail) $0.40

70 Aerogrammes $0.45 each

Table of Measures Apothecaries' 1 1 1 1

scruple

Dry

= 20 grains

dram = 3 scruples ounce = 8 drams pound = 12 ounces

Mea sure

2 pints =

1

1

quart

4 quarts = 1 gallon 2 gallons = 1 peck 4 pecks = 1 bushel

fathom = 2 yards = 6

1

chain = 100 links = 22 yards

1

link

1 1

Avoirdupois

Liquid

league = 3 miles = 24 furlongs

1

feet

= 7.92 inches hand = 4 inches span = 9 inches

Measure Square Measure

1 1 1

1 1

ounce = 16 drams pound = 16 ounces hundredweight = 100 pounds ton = 2,000 pounds long ton = 2,240 pounds

Cubic Measure 1

cubic foot = 1,728 cubic inches

4

2 pipes =

1

cord = 128 cubic feet

1

1

U.S. liquid gallon = 4

1

quarts = 231 cubic inches 1

= 277.420 cubic

inches

hogshead

1

1

pipe or butt

square foot = 144 square

1

square yard = 9 square feet

1

square rod = 30!4 square

1

yards = 27214 square feet acre = 160 square rods =

1

43,560 square feet square mile = 640 acres

1

= 102,400 square rods square rod = 625 square

1

square chain = 16 square

1

acre = 10 square chains

inches

tun

1

= 12 inches yard = 3 feet rod = 5^2 yards mile = 320 rods = 1,760 yards = 5,280 feet nautical mile = foot

1

knot =

1

nautical mile

links

rods

Household Measures

per hour 1

furlong =

!/s

mile = 660 feet

= 220 yards

268

1

gallon

1

6,076.1155 feet

board foot = 144 cubic inches

quart

Linear Measure

cubic yard = 27 cubic feet

1

1

2 hogsheads =

1

gallons

pint

1

63 gallons =

1

Imperial gallon = 1.20 U.S.

=

4 quarts =

1

1

gills

2 pints =

Old Farmer's Almanac

120 drops of water

=

1

teaspoon

1994

Round

Useful Year

What Should You Weigh? Women (Medium

Weight

Height 5'0" 5'

5'

5'

113 -126

2"

4" 6"

5'

8"

5'

10"

6'0"

1

5'

lbs.

124 -138

lbs.

5*6"

130 -144

lbs.

5'

5'

142 -156

lbs.

6'0" 6'

lbs.

9 eggs =

1

1 1

16 egg yolks =

=

1

tablespoon

1

1

2 pints =

1

4 quarts =

cup

=

quart gallon

3 tablespoons flour

=

1

2 tablespoons butter =

ounce ounce

1

2 cups granulated sugar

=

3%

1

ounce yeast =

1

scant

pound

1

= 1 bushel 56 pounds tomatoes =

bushel

54 pounds sweet potatoes

pound 5'/3 cups dry coffee = 1 pound 4 cups cocoa = 1 pound 6V2 cups dry tea = 1 pound 2 cups shortening = 1 pound 1 stick butter = Vi cup 3 cups cornmeal = 1 pound 2 tablespoons sugar = 1 ounce 2 3/s cups raisins = 1 pound 3/4 cups walnuts

=

1994

1

pound

(chopped)

lbs.

135

-

145

lbs.

139 -151

lbs.

145

-

157

lbs.

151

-

163

lbs.

157 -170

lbs.

164 -178

lbs.

1

kilometer = .62 mile

1

square inch = 6.45 square

1

centimeters square yard = 0.84 square

1

square mile = 2.59 square

1

kilometers square kilometer = 0.386

1

acre = 0.40 hectare

1

hectare = 2.47 acres

1

cubic yard = 0.76 cubic meter

1

cubic meter =1.31 cubic

1.61 kilometers

square mile 1

55 pounds turnips =

1

141

meter

=

pound 2% cups brown sugar = 1 pound 3V2 cups wheat flour =

-

mile = 1,609.344 meters

pound

60 pounds potatoes = 1 bushel 52 pounds onions = 1 bushel 24 pounds string beans

cups confectioners' sugar 1

131

1

=

cup cup

tablespoon 3 cups fresh, sliced peaches

pint

1

2"

pound

8 egg whites =

dessertspoon

2 cups =

10"

lbs.

1

1

8"

136 -150

2 teaspoons =

16 tablespoons =

4"

5'

teaspoon

3 teaspoons

2"

lbs.

148 -162

Weight

Height

118 -132

60 drops thick fluid

=

Men (Medium Frame)

Frame)

1

bushel

= 1 bushel 45 pounds parsnips = 1 bushel 50 pounds carrots = 1 bushel 60 pounds beets = 1 bushel 60 pounds beans = 1 bushel 48 pounds apples = 1 bushel 196 pounds flour = 1 barrel

yards 1 liter

=1.057 U.S. liquid

quarts 1

U.S. liquid quart = 0.946

1

U.S. liquid gallon = 3.78

liter

liters

Metric 1

1 1 1 1

inch = 2.54 centimeters centimeter = 0.39 inch

meter = 39.37 inches yard = 0.914 meters

Old Farmer's Almanac

1

1 1

gram = 0.035 ounce ounce = 28.349 grams kilogram = 2.2 pounds pound avoirdupois = 0.45 kilogram

269

Useful Once in a While States of the U.S. State

State

Nickname

Capital

Entered Union

Alabama

(AL)

Heart of Dixie

Montgomery

Dec.

Alaska

(AK) (AZ) (AR) (CA) (CO)

The Last Frontier State Grand Canyon State Land of Opportunity State

Juneau

Jan. 3, 1959

Golden

Sacramento

Sept. 9, 1850

Centennial State

Denver

Aug.

Connecticut

(CT)

Jan. 9, 1788

(DE)

Nutmeg State; Constitution State First State; Diamond State

Hartford

Delaware

Dover

Dec.

7,

1787

Sunshine State

Tallahassee

Mar.

3,

1845

Atlanta

Jan. 2, 1788

Arizona

Arkansas California

Colorado

State;

Camellia State

Phoenix Little

State

Rock

14,

1819

Feb. 14, 1912

June

15,

1836

Florida

(FL)

Georgia

(GA)

Peach

Hawaii

(HI)

Aloha

Honolulu

Aug.

Idaho

(ID)

Gem State; Spud State

Boise

July

Illinois

(IL)

Prairie State

Springfield

Dec.

3,

Indiana

(IN)

Hoosier State

Indianapolis

Dec.

11,

Iowa

(IA)

Hawkeye State

Dec. 28, 1846

Kansas

(KS)

Sunflower State; Jayhawk State

Des Moines Topeka

Kentucky

(KY) (LA)

Bluegrass State

Frankfort

June

Pelican State; Creole State

Baton Rouge

Apr. 30, 1812

(ME)

Pine Tree State

Augusta

Mar.

(MD) (MA)

Old Line

Annapolis

Apr. 28, 1788

Empire

State;

State

|

1876

1,

of the South

Louisiana

Maine Maryland Massachusetts

Michigan

(MI)

State

State;

Free State

21, 1959

3,

1890 1818

1816

Jan. 29, 1861 1,

1792

15,

1820

Bay State; Old Colony

Boston

Feb.

Great Lake

Lansing

Jan. 26, 1837

State;

Wolverine State

6,

1788

May 11, 1858

Minnesota

(MN)

North Star State; Gopher State

St.

Mississippi

(MS)

Magnolia State

Jackson

Dec.

10,

1817

Show-Me

Jefferson City

Aug.

10,

1821

Helena

Nov.

8,

1889

Lincoln

Mar.

1,

1867

Carson City

Oct. 31, 1864

(MO)

Missouri

State

Paul

(MT) Nebraska (NE) Nevada (NV) New Hampshire (NH)

Treasure State

Granite State

Concord

June

21,

1788

New Jersey New Mexico

Garden

Trenton

Dec.

18,

1787

Santa Fe

Jan. 6, 1912

Albany

July 26, 1788

Montana

!

(NJ)

(NM)

Cornhusker Sagebrush

Land

State;

Beef State

State; Battle-Born State

State

of Enchantment;

Sunshine State

New York

(NY)

Empire

North Carolina

(NC)

Tar Heel

North Dakota

Oklahoma Oregon

(ND) (OH) (OK) (OR)

Pennsylvania

(PA)

Keystone State

Ohio

Rhode

Island

South Carolina

270

State

Raleigh

Nov.

21,

Peace Garden State

Bismarck

Nov.

2,

1889

Buckeye State

Mar. Columbus Oklahoma City Nov.

1,

1803

Sooner State Beaver State

Salem

State;

(RI)

Ocean

(SC)

Palmetto State

Old North

State; Little

State

Rhody

Old Farmer's Almanac

16,

1789

1907

Feb. 14, 1859

1787

Harrisburg

Dec.

Providence

May 29, 1790 May 23, 1788

Columbia

12,

1994

Useful Once in a While

State

State

Nickname

Entered Union

Capital

South Dakota

(SD)

Coyote

Pierre

Nov.

Tennessee

(TO)

Volunteer State

Nashville

June 1,1796

Austin

State;

Rushmore

State

2,

1889

Texas

(TX)

Lone

Utah

(UT) (VT) (VA)

Beehive State

Montpelier

Mar.

4,

Old Dominion

Richmond

June

25,

1788

(WA) (WV)

Evergreen State

Olympia

Nov.

11,

1889

Mountain

Charleston

June

20, 1863

Vermont Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

[

1

Wisconsin

(WI)

Wyoming

(WY)

Star State

Green Mountain

Salt

State

State

Dec. 29, 1845

Lake

Jan. 4, 1896

City

1791

Badger State

Madison

May 29,

Equality State

Cheyenne

July 10, 1890

1848

General Rules for Pruning What

When

How

Apple

Early spring

Prune moderately. Keep tree open with main branches well spaced. Avoid sharp V-shaped crotches.

Cherry

Early spring

Prune the most vigorous shoots moderately.

Clematis

Spring

Cut weak growth. Save wood as possible.

After flowering

Remove dead wood only.

Flowering

Dogwood

Forsythia

After flowering

Remove

as

much

old

old branches at ground.

Trim new growth. Lilac

After flowering

Remove

diseased, scaly growth,

flower heads, and suckers.

Peach

Early spring

Remove Keep

half of last year's growth.

tree

headed low.

Plum

Early spring

Cut dead, diseased branches; trim rank growth moderately.

Rhododendron

After flowering

Prune judiciously. Snip branches from weak, leggy plants to induce growth from roots.

Roses

Spring, after frosts

Roses, climbers

Cut dead and weak growth; cut branches or canes to four or five eyes.

(except climbers)

After flowering

Cut half of old growth; retain new shoots

for

next year.

Rose of Sharon

When buds begin

Cut all winter-killed wood to swell growth back to live wood.

Trumpet Vine

Early spring

Prune

Virginia Creeper

Spring

1994

Spring,

main stem.

Clip young plants freely. Thin old plants

Wisteria

side branches severely to

summer

and remove dead growth.

Cut new growth to spurs

Old Farmer's Almanac

at axils of leaves.

271

Useful Once in a While Gestation and Mating Table ..„.-:.:- /;-:-v

Proper age for first

90

Ewe

lbs.

mating or

fertility, in

well

Range

for one male

years

days

in

Average

142-154

147

/

151 8

50-752/35-403

7

matured

Mare

3yrs.

10-12

Stallion

3yrs.

12-15

15-18 mos. 1

10-14

Cow

Period of gestation

6

1 yr.

12-14 mos..

Ram

No. of females

Period of

40-45 4

310-370

336

279-2906

283

Record 2525

/

262-300 7 well matured

Bull

1 yr.,

Sow

5-6 mos. or 250

Boar

250-300

6

6

lbs.

Well matured

5

Bitch

16-18 mos.

8

Male dog

12-16 mos.

8

Buck goat

110-120

115

145-155

150

58-67

63

502 / 35-40*

6

lbs.

10 mos. or 85-90

Doe goat

504 / Thousands 5

10-12

lbs.

30

She cat

12 mos.

6

60-68

63

Doe rabbit

6 mos.

5-6

30-32

31

Buck rabbit

6 mos.

5-6

30

^olstein & Beef: 750 lbs.; Jersey: 500 lbs. 2 Handmated. days shorter for Angus. 7 Dairy. 8 For fine wool breeds.

Bird

and Poultry Incubation Periods,

Chicken Turkey

Duck

21

28 26-32

Goose Swan

30-34

42

Pheasant ..22-24

Parakeet

18-20

210

in

14-15

Days 330 44 480

Seal

Hippo Moose

225-250

Squirrel, gray

240-250

Whale, sperm

Otter

270-300

Wolf

Reindeer

210-240

Maximum

Days 26-28

Gestation Periods, Wild Animals,

Black bear

in

Guinea Canary

60-63

3

Box

Pasture.

Life

4

Natural.

Spans of Animals

5

Artificial. 6 Beef;

in Capitivity, in

Elephant

...84

8-10

Years

Giant Tortoise

.190

Oyster (Freshwater)

16

Giraffe

...28

Pig

10

Camel

25

Goat

...17

Polar Bear

41

Cat (Domestic)

23

Gorilla

...33

Cheetah Chicken

16

Grizzly Bear....

...31

20

14

Horse

Rabbit Rattlesnake Reindeer

Turtle

138

(Eastern) Bullfrog

Estrual eye e incl.

not bred

heat period (days)

15

37

(Domestic)

Sea Lion

28

Cow Dog (Domestic)

20

Kangaroo

...16

Sheep

22

Lion

...30

Tiger

20 25

Dolphin Eagle

30

Moose Owl

...20

Timber Wolf

15

...68

Toad

36 25

Reproductive Cycle if

13

Chimpanzee

55

..

50

Zebra

Recurs

80

in

Farm Animals In

I

Usual time

heat for

of ovulation

Days

Ave.

Range

Ave.

Range

Mare

21

21

10-37

5-6 days

2-11 days

Sow

21

21

18-24

2-3 days

1-5 days

24-48 hours before

end of estrus 30-36 hours after start of estrus

Ewe

16V*

16*

14-19

30 hours

24-32 hours

12-24 hours before

end of estrus Goat

21

21

18-24

2-3 days

1-4 days

Cow

21

21

18-24

18 hours

10-24 hours

Near end of estrus 10-12 hours after

end of estrus Bitch

Cat

272

pseudopregnancy pseudopregnancy

7 days

24

5-9 days

1-3 days after first

15-21

3-4

if

mated

9-10 days in absence of male

Old Farmer's Almanac

acceptance

24-56 hours after coitus

1994

Useful Once in a While

Manure Guide Primary Nutrients (pounds per ton)

Type of Manure

Cow, horse Sheep, pig, goat Chicken: Wet, sticky, and caked Moist, crumbly to sticky

Crumbly Dry Ashed

Water Content

Nitrogen

Phosphate

60% -80% 65% -75% 75% 50% 30% 15%

12-14

5-9

9-12

10-21

7

13-19

30 40

20 40

20

60

55

90

70

30 40

none

135

100

Best Type of Manure

Type of Garden

Potash

10

Best Time to Apply

Flower Vegetable

cow, horse

early spring

chicken, cow, horse.

fall,

Potato or root crop

cow, horse

fall

Acid-loving plants

cow, horse

early

laurel,

Calories burned per hour

Bicycling (5 miles per hour)

150-250

TA inches

Cooking

8 inches

Dancing

250-450

10 inches

Gardening

250-325

12 inches

single file

passenger car (2-ton gross) light truck (2/4-ton gross)

medium truck (3^-ton gross)

....

heavy truck (8-ton gross

15 inches

10 tons

200-250

20 inches

25 tons

75-125

30 inches

70 tons

36 inches

110 tons

450-500

200-250

Scrubbing floors

group in

3 inches

125-200

Reading

one person on foot

2 inches

200-250

Making beds

Permissible load

Ice Thickness

Bowling

Jogging (5 miles per hour)

Skiing (downhill)

350-500

Swimming

230-325

Tennis (doubles)

250-350

* Solid clear blue/black pond and lake ice

*§*

Slush ice has only one-half the strength of blue

ice.

75-125

Typing

"^ Strength value of river ice (3 miles

per hour)

Washing dishes (by hand) Watching

1994

Safe Ice Thickness*

Calories,

Scrubbing Floors or Bowling?

Walking

or

all

rhododendrons)

Which Burns More

Activity

fall

not at

(blueberries, azaleas,

mountain

spring

television

is

15

200-250 percent

less.

125-200 75-125

Source: American Pulp wood Association

Old Farmer's Almanac

273

Useful Once in a While

Where

the

Sun Rises and Sets

and sets south of west. Here's how it works. you can determine accurately where on Say you live in Gary, Indiana, and need to the horizon the Sun will rise or set on a know where the Sun will rise or set on Ocgiven day. The top half of the table is for tober 10. Use the Time Correction Tables those days of the year, between the vernal (see "Contents") to determine the latitude of and autumnal equinoxes, when the Sun rises your city or the listed city nearest to you. north of east and sets north of west. March Gary is at 41° latitude. Find the 40° latitude 21 through June 21 are listed in the left col- column and you see that on October 10 the umn, June 21 through September 22 appear Sun rises 8° south of east and sets 8° south of in the right column. Similarly arranged, the west. Of course, you can determine figures bottom half of the table shows the other half for other latitudes and days not actually of the year when the Sun rises south of east shown in the table by using extrapolation. using the table below and a compass,

By

0°

Latitude

10°

20°

30°

40°

50°

60°

Latitude

0°

0°

Sept. 22 Sept. 14 Sept. 4

Date

Mar. Mar. Apr. Apr.

Date

21 31 10

0°

0°

0°

0°

0°

4°N 8°N

4°N 8°N

4°N 8°N

4°N 9°N

5°N

20

11°N

12° 16° 18° 21° 22° 24° 25°

N N N 21° N 23° N 24° N 25° N

N N 20° N 23° N 26° N 27° N 27° N

May 1 May 10 May 20 June 1 June 10 June 21

15° 17° 20° 22° 23°

N N N N N

23'/2

°N

Sept. 22

0°

Oct. 1 Oct. 10 Oct. 20

3°S 6°S

Nov. 1 Nov. 10 Nov. 20 Dec. 1 Dec. 10 Dec. 21

10° S 15° S 17° S

20° S 22° S 23° S

23 /2 ° S 1

N N N

N N N N

0°

3°S 7°S 11°S 15° S 18° S

21° 23° 24° 25°

S S S S

12° 16° 19°

13° 17°

10° 15° 20° 23° 26° 29° 31° 31°

6°N

N N N N N N N N

12° 18° 23° 28° 32° 36° 37° 38°

N N N N N N N N

8°N 15°

23° 31° 37° 43° 48° 51° 53°

N N N N

N N N N

0°

0°

0°

0°

0°

3°S 7°S

3°S 7°S

4°S 8°S

5°S

6°S

11° 15° 18° 21° 23° 24° 25°

12° 16° 20° 23° 25° 27° 27°

S S S S S S S

S S S S S S S

13° 18° 22° 26° 29° 30° 31°

S S S S S S S

10° S 16° S

22° 27° 31° 35° 37° 38°

S S S S S S

13° 20° 29° 36°

S S S S 42° S 48° S 51° S 53° S

Aug. 24 Aug. 14 Aug. 4 July 25 July 13 July 4 June 21

Mar. 21 Mar. 14 Mar. 5 Feb. 23 Feb. 12 Feb. 2 Jan. 23 Jan. 13 Jan. 4 Dec. 21

1994 Atlantic Hurricane Names

274

Alberto

Helene

Oscar

Beryl

Isaac

Patty

Chris

Joyce

Rafael

Debby

Keith

Sandy

Ernesto

Leslie

Tony

Florence

Michael

Valerie

Gordon

Nadine

William

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

Useful Once in a While

Beaufort's Stale of Wind Speeds

"Used Mostly scale of wind velocity

A

at

Sea but of Help

was devised by Admiral

12 were arranged by Beaufort

who are interested in

is

used by the

the

Beaufort of the British Navy

to indicate the strength of the

This adaptation of Beaufort's scale

Force

to all

Sir Francis

wind from a calm, force

U.S. National

Weather

in

2 3

4 5 6 7

8 9

Service.

Description

Statute Miles Pe r Hour

less

Light air Light breeze Gentle breeze Moderate breeze Fresh breeze Strong breeze

Whole Storm

12

Hurricane

1

to 3 4 to 7

8 13 19 25

to 12 to 18 to 24

to 31

32 to 39 to 47 to 55 to 64 to more than

Fresh gale Strong gale

11

than 1

Moderate gale

10

to

0, to a hurricane, force 12.

Calm 1

Weather"

1806. The numbers

gale

38 46 54 63 73 73

Wind/BarometerTable Wind Direction

Barometer (Reduced to Sea Level)

30.00 to 30.20, and steady

westerly

30.00 to 30.20, and rising rapidly

westerly

Character of Weather Indicated

changes in temperature, for one to two days.

Fair, with slight

Fair, followed within

warmer and

two days by

rain.

30.00 to 30.20, and falling rapidly

south to east

Warmer, and

rain within 24 hours.

30.20 or above, and falling rapidly

south to east

Warmer, and

rain within 36 hours.

30.20 or above, and falling rapidly

west to north

Cold and clear, quickly followed by warmer and rain.

30.20 or above, and steady

variable

30.00 or below, and falling slowly

south to east

30.00 or below, and falling rapidly

southeast to

30.00 or below, and rising

29.80 or below, and falling rapidly

No early change. Rain within 18 hours that will continue a day or two. Rain, with high wind, followed

northeast

within two days by clearing, colder.

south to west

Clearing and colder within 12 hours

southeast to northeast

Severe storm of wind and rain imminent. In winter, snow or cold wave within 24 hours.

29.80 or below, and falling rapidly

east to north

Severe northeast gales and heavy rain or snow, followed in winter by cold wave.

29.80 or below, and rising rapidly

going to west

Clearing and colder.

Note: it is

1994

A barometer should be adjusted to show equivalent sea-level pressure for the altitude at which inch in the reading. be used. A change of 100 feet in elevation will cause a decrease of

to

'/io

Old Farmer's Almanac

275

Useful Once in a While Guide to Lumber and Nails Lumber Widths and Thickness NOMINAL SIZE

in

Inches

Nail Sizes

The

ACTUAL SIZE Dry or Seasoned

the

x3

3/4

x

1

x4

3/4

x 3 i/2

1x6

3/

o

,.

*

finish nail;

on the right, 20d common. The numerals below the

4X 5*

1

x8

1

x 10

1

x 12

-»,,

% x 71/4 U x W* 34

2x3 2x4 2x6 2x8 2x10 2x12

x

a

5d (penny)

2i/2

1

on

nail

left is

im

nail s iz es

Wi x 2Vi

indicate the

IV2 x

31/2

approximate

Uft x

5*

number of

common nails

mxVA

perpound

MsM

V/ixlVA

Lumber Measure

ir1

Board Feet

LENGTH Size in Inches

1x4 1x6 1x8

4

Uft 4

2 /3

1$ft

18ft

21ft

51/3

6

62/3 10

6

7

8

8

9V3

IOV3

12

I31/3

1x10 1x12

10

11%

13V3

15

162/3

12

14

16

18

20

2x3 2x4 2x6 2x8 2x10 2x12 4x4 6x6 8x8

6

7

8

9

8

9»/3

10x10 12x12

276

12 ft

102/3

9

12

10 I31/3

12

14

16

18

20

16

211/3

24

262/3

20

18% 23%

262/3

30

33i/3

24

28

32

36

40

16

18 2/3

211/3

24

262/3

36

42

48

54

60

64

74%

851/3

96

IO62/3

100

1162/3

1331/3

150

I662/3

144

168

192

216

240

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

Not Particularly Useful but Interesting Nonetheless Formula for Determining the Date of Easter for Any Year in the Gregorian Calendar Step

l.

Example:

N= Numerator

Denominator

N=The Year

19

N/100

100

1994/100

4

N=19 N=(b+8)

4.

25

N=27

N=(19a+b-d-g+15)

30

N=366 7.

8.

N=c N=94

4

N=(32+2e+2i-h-j)

7

451

N=(h+k-7L+114)

31

N=126 in

which Easter

N/4

d

e

19/4

d=4

e=3

N/25

Discard

f

f=2

Discard

18/3

g 6

N/30

Discard

h

h=6

N/4

N=216

m = Month

c

c=94

J

94/4

i=23

N/7

Discard

j=2

k

k=6

76/7

N=(a+llh+22k)

10.

b b=19

366/30

N=76 9.

a

a=18

N/3

3

N=18 6.

Discard

27/25

N=(b-f+l)

5.

Remainder

Quotient

1994/19

N=b

3.

N/19

N=1994

N=The Year N=1994

2.

Equation

occurs.*

m= 4= April Hence, Easter

n -h 1

1

N/451

L

216/451

L=0

Discard

N/31

m

n

126/31

m=4

n=2

= Day of month on which Easter occurs: n+1 =3

994 occurs on

April 3.

March 22 is the earliest possible date for Easter. It has not been celebrated that early since March 22, 1818, and will not be again until 2285. The latest date on which Easter can fall is April 25, on which it was celebrated in 1943 and will be next in 2038.

Is It

Raining, Drizzling, or Misting?

Drops (per sq.ft. per second)

Cloudburst Excessive Rain

Heavy Rain Moderate Rain Light Rain Drizzle

Mist

Fog

1994

Diameter of Drops (mm)

Intensity (in. per hr.)

113

2.85

4.00

76 46 46

2.40

1.60

2.05

.60

1.60

.15

26 14

1.24

.04

.96

.01

2,510

.10

.002

6,264,000

.01

.005

Old Farmer's Almanac

277

Not Particularly Useful

bill

Interesting Nonetheless

How to Find the Day of the Week for Any Given Date To compute the day of the

week for any given date

as far back as the mid-1 8th century, proceed as follows:

the last two digits of the year to one-quarter of the last two digits (discard

Add any remainder

if it doesn't come out even), the given date, and the month key from the key-box below. Divide the sum by seven; the number left over is the day of the week (one is Sunday, two is Monday, and so on). If it comes out even, the day is Saturday. If you go back before 1900, add two to the sum before dividing; before 1800, add four; and so on. Don't go back before 1753.

Example: The

Dayton Flood was on Tuesday, March 25, 1913.

KEY

Jan

Last two digits of year:

13

One-quarter of these two

3

digits:

leap yr.

Feb leap yr.

Given day of month:

25

Key number for March:

4

Mar Apr

May Sum:

45

June July

Aug Sept 45/7

= 6, with a remainder of 3. The flood took place on

Tuesday, the third day of the week.

Oct

Nov Dec

How to Order Two Bun Halves Filled with Cheese, Meat Onions, Peppers, and Other Stuff Place

VA OH

Submarine

Norfolk,

Akron,

"

Jacksonville,

FL

Los Angeles,

CA

"

Philadelphia,

PA

Hoagie

"

Ann Arbor, MI

"

Knoxville,TN Newark, NJ

" "

Providence, RI

"

Grinder

Des Moines, IA

CT PA

Hartford,

"

Chester,

"

Cleveland,

278

OH

"

Old Farmer's Almanac

1994

No! Particularly Useful bul Interesting Nonetheless

A Table Foretelling

the Weather Through All the Lunations of Each Year (Forever)

table is the result of many years' actual observation and shows what sort of weather will probably follow the Moon's entrance into any of its quarters. For example, the weather for the week following October 19, 1994, would be windy and rainy because the Moon becomes full that day at 7:19 a.m., EST.

This

Editor's note:

While the data in

this table

are taken into consideration in the yearlong process of com-

piling the annual long-range weather forecasts for The

Old Farmer's Almanac, we rely far more

on our projections of solar activity. Summer

Time of Change

Midnight to 2 a.m.

Winter

Hard frost,

Fan-

unless

wind

is

south or west 2 a.m. to 4 A.M.

Cold, with frequent showers

Snow and stormy

4 A.M. tO 6 A.M.

Rain

Rain

6 A.M. tO 8 A.M.

Wind and rain

Stormy

8 A.M. tO 10 A.M.

Changeable

Cold rain west;

if wind is snow if east

10 a.m. to noon

Frequent showers

Cold with high winds

Noon to 2 p.m.

Very rainy

Snow or rain

2 p.m. to 4 P.M.

Changeable

Fair

4 p.m. to 6 P.M.

Fan-

Fan-

6 P.M. tO 10 P.M.

Fair

if

wind

rain

10 p.m. to midnight

if

and mild

Fair and frosty

if wind is north or northeast; rain or snow if wind is south or southwest

is northwest; south or southwest

Fair and frosty

Fan-

This table was created more than 160 years ago by Dr. Herschellfor the Boston Courier; appeared in The Old Farmer's Almanac in 1834.

it first

§#fe Name

Place

WI Norristown, PA Madison, Mobile,

Garibaldi

Zeppelin

AL

Poor Boy

Sacramento,

CA

"

Houston, TX

AL New Orleans, LA

"

Montgomery, Gary, IN

Allentown,

PA

Cheyenne,

WY

Cincinnati,

OH

NY Dublin, NH

"

Poor Boy or Musalatta Submarine or Torpedo Hoagie or Italian Sandwich Hoagie or Submarine or Rocket "

"

Buffalo,

1994

or

Bomber

Two Bun Halves Filled with Cheese, Meat, Onions, Peppers, and Other Stuff

Old Farmer's Almanac

279

Nol Particularly Useful but Interesting Nonetheless

Fi Moon Names native Indians of

what are now the northern and eastern United States kept

The track of the seasons by distinctive names given to each recurring full Moon, these names being applied to the entire month in which it occurred. With some variasame Moon names were used throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. tions, the

Name

Month

Other Names Used

Full

Wolf Moon

January

Full

Old Moon

Full

Snow Moon

February

Full

Hunger Moon

Full

Worm Moon

March

Full

Crow Moon, Full Crust Moon, Moon, Full Sap Moon

Full Sugar Full Pink

Full

Moon

Flower Moon

Full Strawberry Full

Moon

Buck Moon

Moon

Full Sturgeon Full Harvest

Moon*

Full Hunter's

Moon

Full

Beaver Moon

Full

Cold

* The Harvest full

Moon

is

Moon Moon

is

always the

Moon, Full Egg Moon, Full Fish Moon

April

Full Sprouting Grass

May

Full

Corn Planting Moon, Full Milk Moon

June

Full

Rose Moon, Full Hot Moon

July

Full

Thunder Moon, Full Hay Moon

August

Full

Red Moon, Full Green Corn Moon

September

Full

Corn Moon

October

Full Travel

November

Full Frost

December

Full

full

usually called the Corn

Moon

Moon, Full Dying Grass Moon

Moon

Long Nights Moon

closest to the autumnal equinox.

If it

occurs

in

October, the September

Moon.

Acceptable Two-Letter Words in Scrabble™

op'

sh

na no nu od oe

or

si

wo

OS

so

xi

ow

ta ti

xu ya

to

ye

aw

do

fa

it

ad

ax

ef

jo

ae

ay

eh

ah

el

ai

ba be

go ha he

em

hi

li

am

bi

en

ho

lo

an

bo by

er

id

of

es

if

ma me

oh

ox oy pa pe

da de

et

in

mi

om

Pi

us

ex

is

mu

on

re

ut

ar as at

280

my

aa

ka la

Old Farmer's Almanac

we

un up

1994

^/

J.

I

.^ yj

This hardbound Special Collector's Edition of the 202nd anniversary issue of The

Farmer's Almanac

is

Old

available in selected

bookstores or direct from the publisher.

The Old Farmer's Almanac Main

Street, P.O.

Dublin, or call

toll free

ask for product

Box 520

NH 03444 800-685-3376 and

number OF94BHC.

The Old Farmer's Almanac

is

published

by Yankee Publishing Incorporated Dublin,

New Hampshire

202nd Anniversary

Issue

The Old Farmer's Almanac

Robert B.

Thomas

(1

766-1 846)

Hannah

B.

Thomas

(1774-1855)

1792 Robert B. Thomas, a bookseller, schoolteacher, and amateur

INastronomer living near Boston, Massachusetts, began a North Amerwhen he published the first issue of his Farmer's AlTo observers at the time this might have seemed a foolhardy ven-

ican institution

manac.

ture since there were already 19 almanacs being published in Boston

Thomas, however, was confident that the breadth of his educaand his superior mathematical skills would enable him to create an almanac that was more useful than all others. He was right, of course. The first issue of 3,000 copies sold out and he tripled his distribution to 9,000 in the second year. The word "Old" was added to the name in 1848, two years after Thomas's death. By that time, his publication had outlasted almost all the competitors. In an early issue, he described his mission to the readers: "We must strive always to be useful, but with a pleasant degree of humor." Certainly that combination of useful and entertaining information has contributed greatly to making The Old Farmer's Almanac an indispensable reference for generations of readers. alone. tion

51495

ISBN D-flTTDT-ESfl-D

9

780899 N 092584