Almanac Trivia
Rodale's Book of Hints, Tips & Everyday Wisdom says, "Small patches of poison ivy can be safely eradicated from your yard by dousing them with boiling water. You can also kill grass or weeds growing between sections of cement walk with salted boiling water."
A Reply from the Editor of Farmer's Almanac, 1949:
Lulu B., New Britain Connecticut: You request the actual number of snowflakes
that fell in New England during the month of December 1947. Our staff reports
that the actual count they made, which came to quite a figure, remains
inaccurate inasmuch as several of the flakes that fell on the eastern side of
Mount Mansfield, near Stowe, Vermont, became mixed up with some that had blown
up from the ground (already counted). Sorry.
Mrs. B.D.R., Spokane, Washington: Your request as to where you may purchase a stone jug foot warmer as a substitute for your electric heating pad has been referred to the Society for the Return of the Double Bed. Editor's Reply from The Farmer's Almanac, 1952
Four trillion gallons of precipitation fall on the United States each day, but only a tenth of that is used, National Geographic says. As water circles from earth to sky, it may be dirtied, but none is lost. The water that John used for baptizing Jesus Christ still exists, its billions of molecules now dispersed around the world. Farmer's Almanac
The perfect husband: a man what is careful of his clothes, don't drink spirits, can read the Bible without spelling out the words, and can eat a cold dinner on washday. Farmer's Almanac 1853
What a man needs in gardening is a cast-iron back with a hinge in it.
Charles Dudley Warner, 1891
Do nothing in great haste except catching fleas and running from a mad dog.
Farmer's Almanac, 1811
Tips on the Gentle Art of Listening
Garnette Wassen, Farmer's Almanac
Basic Posture. Place your left elbow on the table and rest your cheek in the palm of your left hand. Not only does this convey the impression of listening intently, but it allows easy use of one fingertip to prop up a heavy eyelid while drawing the lower lid down with another finger. Further, the position of the palm is appropriate for stifling an oncoming yawn.
If a yawn cannot be suppressed. Either upset a drink or drop a lighted cigarette behind the sofa. While on your hands and knees during the ensuing excitement, you can safely dispense with the yawn. If your timing is precise, it may be possible to continue creeping on all fours out of the room.