March 18, Monday — Pure Monday. Schick Inc. introduced the first electric shaver, 1931.
March 19, Tuesday — St. Joseph. Clear today, a fertile year. March grass never did good.
March 20, Wednesday — Vernal Equinox at 2:16 p.m. EST. Conjunction of Saturn with the Moon.
March 21, Thursday — Moon at ascending node. A dry March never brings its bread.
March 22, Friday — Conjunction of Jupiter with the moon. Graft or pollinate today or tomorrow.
March 23, Saturday — Moon rides high. Cookbook author Fannie Farmer born, 1857.
March 24, Sunday — Palm Sunday. Sunday of Orthodoxy. Favorable day for entertaining.
Ask The Old Farmer's Almanac: Did Fannie Farmer invent the measuring cup? — G.T., Vergennes, Vt.
Answer: No, the measuring cup and other culinary measuring devices, including measuring spoons, existed long before Fannie's cooking career.
It is true that many colonial cooks did without such measuring cups or spoons, and home recipes (or "receipts," as they were frequently called) were often written with terms such as "add butter the size of an egg," "a dollop of sour cream," or a "pinch of salt."
Other measurements, such as the gill (about a quarter pint, or half a cup), a tumbler (about a cup), a small coffee cup (about 3/4 cup), a wineglass (about 1/2 cup), butter the size of a hazelnut (about a rounded teaspoon) or butter the size of an English walnut (about a rounded tablespoon) were also used.
Mary Lincoln, who began the Boston Cooking School that Fannie Farmer later attended, wrote in her 1883 edition of "Mrs. Lincoln's Boston Cook Book" that students should "set an egg in their tablespoon . . . then judge how much butter or lard to pile in when reading 'butter the size of an egg.' "
By the 1900 edition, she had revised that advice to read, "this equals about one quarter of a cupful, or 2 ounces, or one heaping tablespoon . . ."
Fannie Farmer is credited for encouraging home cooks to standardize their measurements, so that the difference between one cook's "liberal handful" and another's wouldn't result in highly varied results.
When Fannie Farmer attended the Boston Cooking School in 1887, measuring cups and spoons were already in use during class, but even then, the instructors made little distinction between a rounded measurement and a level one. Fannie, noticing the discrepancies, began to promote the "level measurement" for consistency.
Later, she became affectionately known as the "Mother of Level Measurements."
A brief history of Fannie Farmer and some of her early recipes can be found in an article by Alice Cary in "The 2002 Old Farmer's Almanac."
For more information on books by or about Fannie Farmer, you can also click on the "Article Links 2002" icon at www.almanac.com.
Ask The Old Farmer's Almanac: Is there really such as thing as a March hare? — B.C., Sacramento, Calif.
Answer: "Mad as a March hare" refers to the behavior of a hare in its breeding season, when it exhibits the "March madness" of the mating frenzy, which includes much chasing.
March is the common month, but the hares' madness can begin in February, depending on weather and climate.
Along with rapid chases during this time, hares may also get into boxing matches, when they rise up onto their hind legs and actually box or punch each other.
This can occur when a female hare is not yet in full estrus, and therefore is not receptive to the male. She may engage in boxing to rebuff suitors until she's further along in her cycle, at which point she may then change to the normal mating behavior.
Hares are related to rabbits, and various species are located throughout the world.
Ask The Old Farmer's Almanac: Where can I find information about saints' feast days? — M.K., Dorset, Mass.
Answer: Certainly, local churches would be a good place to start.
They can probably provide you with a church calendar that includes the days certain saints are commemorated at the church, and they may be able to offer additional information concerning the history of each saint.
There are also several dictionaries and other books on saints available; a bookstore salesperson can help you select the title most appropriate for your needs and can order it for you if it isn't in stock.
Your public library may have religious reference materials that would help as well.
Or, if you have access to a computer either at home or through the library, there are several good Web sites on the subject.
Send your questions to: Ask the Almanac, The Old Farmer's Almanac, Main St., Dublin, NH 03444; Web site: www.almanac.com; © Yankee Publishing