OCT. 28, MONDAY: Statue of Liberty dedicated, 1886. Saints Simon and Jude.
OCT. 29, TUESDAY: Concord, N.H., forest fire drenched by man-made rain, 1947. Charleston dance introduced, Broadway, 1923. "Black Tuesday," 1929.OCT. 30, WEDNESDAY: Charles Atlas born, 1893. "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast, 1938.
OCT. 31, THURSDAY: All Hallow's Eve. Harry Houdini died, 1926. Moon rides high. Mt. Rushmore Memorial completed, 1941.
NOV. 1, FRIDAY: All Saints. Niagara Falls International Rainbow Bridge opened, 1941.
NOV. 2, SATURDAY: All Souls. Daniel Boone born, 1734. Marie Antoinette born, 1755.
NOV. 3, SUNDAY: Great Flood, Vermont, 1927. Packaged yeast patented, 1863.
Ask the Old Farmer's Almanac: I've read about taking vinegar-based tonics for fatigue. Any truth to it?
- D.S., Greenwich, Conn.
Answer: Well . . . depends whom you ask, I guess. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Dr. D.C. Jarvis, a Vermont physician, sold hundreds of thousands of copies of his book "Folk Medicine" (published by Holt, Rinehart & Winston), based largely on the premise that apple-cider vinegar is good for most of what ails you. And it IS good, and certainly highly safe, but its powers are probably more preventive and supplemental than curative. Apple-cider vinegar is a fermented food from the apple, high in pectin (a water-soluble fiber), high in vitamin A, full of desirable enzymes, and a source of boron (helpful against osteoporosis), and potassium (an anti-fatigue agent).
Our guess is that your fatigue remedy is referring to correcting a low level of potassium, which can indeed be a cause of tiredness. In truth, however, there are many better sources of potassium than apple-cider vinegar, such as orange juice (about twice as much potassium per ounce), raw mushrooms (four times), roasted peanuts (seven times), and especially blackstrap molasses (30 times!). Other foods containing potassium are green beans, beet greens, dandelion greens, collards, spinach, parsley, squash, yams, walnuts, cantaloupes, dates, figs, raisins, and dulse. Still, you may enjoy getting at least some of your daily intake of potassium through apple cider vinegar, and there might be other benefits, as well.
Many old-timers swear by a vinegar tonic as a digestive aid at the end of a day, or with meals (three tablespoons of apple-cider vinegar in 8 ounces of hot water, sweetened with honey, as desired). Vinegar is aromatically relaxing, too, especially if inhaled through the steam of a hot drink. It is also naturally antiseptic and often used externally for bites and stings, itchy skin or minor cuts.
Ask the Old Farmer's Almanac: Which stains are the ones to treat with bleach? I can never remember.
- Y.T., Boston
Answer: Well, first, there are various types of bleaches, including the most common chlorine bleach (not safe for wool, silk, polyurethane foam, spandex, or blends of these; not safe for embossed, durable press, or flame-retardant finishes; and not safe for certain dyes). When in doubt, do a patch test! Some bleaches are intended as color removers, and are safe for most fabrics but will obviously remove, or partially remove, the dyes.
Commercial rust removers, hydrogen peroxide, and lemon juice are all varieties of bleaching agent, as well, and can damage some dyes and fabrics. Then there are the oxygen bleaches, which are meant to be safe for most fabrics and colors, with the exception of flame-retardant finishes.
With any bleaching agent, dissolve well first, and make a test, if possible.
In general, treat perspiration stains and deodorant residues with bleach.
Graying or yellowing laundry, oily-looking buildup from fabric softeners, or black spots can be helped with bleaching. Lemon juice and salt are sometimes effective on mildew stains and rust. Urine stains can also be bleached, depending on the fabric. Hydrogen peroxide works for mild scorches.
Ask the Old Farmer's Almanac: I remember my parents taking us kids for a "spin" (literally) in the old Volkswagen over the winter ice at a nearby lake. What thickness of ice would that have required?
- N.S., Caribou, Maine
Answer: Probably 7 or 8 inches, depending on how many of you were piled into that Volkswagen, whether it was a "bug" or a bus, and what sort of ice conditions prevailed. Clear blue pond or lake ice has more strength per inch than slush ice, for instance, and currents or outflows in the body of water can create hazardous areas near an otherwise safe span. River ice is about 15 percent less strong. A moving load, over the ice, requires less strength than a parked load. Ice will sustain even a very heavy load if it can be adequately distributed over a large area. For instance, there are records of loaded freight trains crossing rivers on the ice.
The U.S. Army, in the 19th century, performed ice tests and ascertained that two inches of ice would sustain properly spaced infantry, four inches for cavalry, six for heavy field guns, and eight for a battery of artillery with carriages and horses.
The American Pulpwood Association published a guide with similar permissible loads. They figured 2 inches for one person on foot, 3 inches for a group (single file), 71/2 inches for a 2-ton passenger car, 8 inches for a 21/2-ton light truck, and 10 inches for a 31/2-ton medium truck.
Keep in mind, though, that ice conditions are constantly changing, so safe ice one day does not guarantee it for the next. "If ice in November will bear a duck, There'll be nothing thereafter but sleet and muck." Get out your ice auger and make a few test holes.
Send your questions to: Ask the Almanac, The Old Farmer's Almanac, Main St., Dublin, NH 03444. Every day the editors of The Old Farmer's Almanac answer a question on the Internet. All questions are archived there as well. On the World Wide Web, the address is http://www.almanac.com.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
THIS WEEK WITH The OLD FARMER'S ALMANAC
OCT. 28 - NOV. 3 1996
ALL SAINTS' DAY, NOV. 1
MUM'S THE WORD
Painted daisy, Nippon daisy, feverfew, shasta daisy, rainbow daisy, or any number of others . . . they're all chrysanthemums, the bane of spelling bee contestants. Florists love them for their fall bounty and wide range of colors, including yellow, orange, red, rust, purple, cream, rose, lavender, and white. Feverfew self-sows freely; others can be easily divided or grown from seed. Few buds make for larger blooms, if that's your intent. The chrysanthemum in November's flower, and it's said that the unfolding of her petals represents human perfection.
. . . all looks yellow to the jaundiced eye. - Alexander Pope
TIP OF THE WEEK
Remember to pinch chrysanthemums back for a bushier look.
YAM AND PECAN MUFFINS
1-3/4 cups sifted flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
3 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 cup milk
1 cup cold, cooked, mashed yams
1 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
Preheat oven to 400 F. Sift together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and add melted butter, milk, and yams. Combine liquid and dry ingredients in a few quick strokes and fold in nuts and orange rind. Pour batter into well-greased muffin tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins.
The OLDS FARMER'S WEATHER PROVERBS
Simon and Jude (Oct. 28) all the ships on the sea home they do crowd.
On the first of November, if the weather holds clear, an end of wheat-sowing do make for the year.
When the wind goes opposite the Sun, trust it not, for back it'll come.