Bits of February Trivia

Ruth Kirk, the author of “Snow“:

“Snow not only insulates against low minimum temperatures but also against fluctuations.
A bare soil surface may be heated by direct sunshine, then cooled in seconds as clouds pass overhead, and its temperatures often surge drastically from day to night. Snow moderates these swings and that can be a crucial advantage.”

She also corroborates the old saw that snow is the poor farmer’s fertilizer. Ms. Kirk found evidence that snow, drawing on ions from the upper atmosphere, adds nitrates as well as some sulfates, calcium and potassium to the soil. – NYTimes

The beginning of Groundhog Day extends back to the Imbolc, by the Druids.

It has also been called the festival of the lactating sheep. It is derived from the Gaelic word “oimelc” which means “ewes milk.” The festival is celebrated on February 2 and marks the midway point of winter.

The name “February” is from the Latin word “februa” which means “expiatory offerings? An expiatory offering is an offering to atone, or cleanse. – Jean Wise

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© 2010 written for Ilona’s Garden Journal. Copyrights apply.