B6

by Robert B. Thomas

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May 19, Monday — St. Dunstan. Vesak. Victoria Day (Canada). Full Flower Moon. First Jumping Frog Jubilee in Calaveras County, California, 1928.

May 20, Tuesday — Moon at apogee. A tornado touched ground in Kansas City, Missouri, and traveled 71 miles, 1957. What is bitter to endure may be sweet to remember.

May 21, Wednesday — Social worker Jane Addams died, 1935. Patti Frustaci gave birth to the first septuplets in the United States, 1985.

May 22, Thursday — National Maritime Day. Moon runs low. Train of 100-plus wagons left Independence, Missouri, for Oregon, 1843.

May 23, Friday — Late season snowstorm blanketed eastern Iowa with four to six inches of snow, 1882. Author Mitch Albom born, 1958.

May 24, Saturday — Conjunction of Jupiter and the Moon. Canada's first medical graduate, William Logie, awarded degree by McGill University, 1833.

May 25, Sunday — Corpus Christi. Puppeteer Frank Oz born, 1944. Jay Leno officially replaced Johnny Carson as the host of The Tonight Show, 1992.

Mosquitos hate garlic

Q: It's getting to be bug season again. Any remedies?

— D.W., Darien, Conn.

A: Start with garlic. Mosquitoes evidently don't like the stuff. Some people swallow slivered garlic to help ward off these summer pests. Containing crotonaldehyde, garlic has been shown to be effective against diseases of the nose, throat and intestines, as well. Pet owners often give a small clove of garlic, wrapped in a bit of meat, to dogs or cats to help repel fleas.

Onions, of the same family as garlic, are also considered effective in the prevention of insect bites. Eat a raw onion or two daily, some say — if you can stand it. Rubbing parsley onto exposed areas of your skin is sometimes recommended. Chew a few sprigs of parsley, while you're at it, to get rid of that garlic or onion breath. Adding brewer's yeast to your diet, or to that of your pet, is another common preventative; take about two tablespoons per day. Mixing brewer's yeast with applesauce or yogurt is an easy way to ingest it; for pets, mix it into their wet food.

Rubbing apple-cider vinegar onto exposed skin may help to repel bugs, but you'll have to reapply it frequently. The same treatment is also good for easing the itch of bug bites.

Full Flower Moon

Does the Full Flower Moon refer to one flower in particular? — G.N., Benicia, Calif.

A: No, it denotes spring flowers or May flowers, but those will vary from place to place in the month of May. This May Moon is otherwise known as the Full Milk Moon or the Full Corn Planting Moon. It is followed by the Full Strawberry Moon in June. The origins of these Moon names vary and are somewhat uncertain; some probably came to the New World with the Pilgrims, while others are believed to be from the Native Americans. Almanacs have used the Moon names for centuries.

Gardeners who believe in planting by the full Moon (as many do) take special note of this month's Moon. The theory is that geotropism, the effect of gravity on plants (in this case, lunar gravity), is greater at the full Moon, helping aboveground plants (beans, broccoli, cucumber, corn, lettuce, kale, spinach, etc.) to spring up. Conversely, when the Moon is on the wane and the lunar gravitational forces decrease, root crops (potatoes, beets, leeks, onions, garlic, carrots, parsnips, turnips, etc.) burrow deeper into the ground.

African Daisies

Q: Can I start new African daisies from plant cuttings?

— T.F., Rhinebeck, N.Y.

A: Yes, you can start new plants from cuttings. Snip off a shoot, trim off one of the lower leaves, and stick it into a pot of moist compost. Place the pot out of direct sunlight. Water enough to prevent the compost from drying out. The cuttings should root within a few weeks. To check whether roots have formed, see if there are roots protruding from the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot, or give the cutting a gentle tug to feel whether it is anchored in the pot. A few shoots may wither and die before rooting takes place, so take several cuttings from the same plant.

The Old Farmer's Almanac Weekly Riddle

Q: What is the firefly best known for?

A: Its bright ideas.

Send your questions to: Ask The Old Farmer's Almanac, P.O. Box 520, Dublin, NH 03444. Visit our "Question of the Day" section at Almanac.com for more advice.