Fall lore

By Christine Tailer
HCP columnist 

Over the years, I've heard many old wives’ tales regarding fall, but before I dive into these stories, perhaps I should share just why an old wives' tale became known as such. 

These tales first appeared during the days before most folk could read or write, and knowledge was shared by telling stories. The tales were often told by older women, to their daughters and grandchildren. They shared the lessons they had learn over their long lives about things such as birth, coming of age, and even growing old and dying. They shared what they had learned about life, but alas. With just a bit of research, I've learned that many of the old wives' tales I've listened to over my life, could more aptly be termed tall tales. 

All of us have likely heard that goldenrod, the tall yellow wildflower that blooms from late summer and well into fall, is the main cause of hay fever. This is simply not so. Goldenrod is not only beautiful, but beneficial. Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators feed on goldenrod's large and heavy pollen at a time when most other flowering plants are no longer in bloom. All plants are pollinated in one of two ways, either by pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, or by the wind. 

Goldenrod pollen is simply too large and too heavy to be carried by the wind, and so are not the cause of our fall allergies. What we call hay fever is in fact caused by wind pollinated plants and trees, such as maple, elm, oak, birch, timothy, orchard grass and ragweed. It is this last, a tall green flowering plant that looks nothing like beautiful goldenrod, that is likely the cause of my current runny nose and itchy eyes.

Every fall, I remember being told by my mother to button up my jacket and put on my warm hat before I went outside to play. I even told my own children the same thing. I kept their hats and scarves on a rack by the door. For time immemorial, we have all heard that a head covering is a crucial piece of cold weather attire, because if not worn, all of our body heat will escape through the top of our heads. This is not quite so. True, it is important to wear a hat in cold weather, but no more heat escapes from our heads than escapes from any other part of our bodies. Heat simply escapes from our bare skin, wherever that skin might be, head, hands, feet, arms, or legs. Thus, the bottom line is, cover everything up!

I also remember when my little brother and I would head back to school in the fall, that we often caught what seemed to be the inevitable cold or fever. Our mother would recite the old adage "feed a cold, starve a fever."

Alas, our dear mother was quite wrong. This saying dates back to a dictionary published by in 1574, in which it was noted that "fasting is a great remedy for fever.” The reasoning, handed down for generations, was that the body needs food to generate warmth in order to cure a cold, while avoiding food helps to cool the body down when a fever is present. Now we know that calories provide strength to fight off any illness, and liquids assure that the body remains healthily hydrated. Hence, chicken noodle soup provides both calories and hydration, and is good for both colds and fevers, as well as, perhaps, our souls.

Have you heard of the persimmon fruit’s ability to predict the severity of the approaching winter? The trees do grow in our neck of the woods, though curiously I have not found any here in the creek valley. Lore has it that when the seeds are cut in half, they will display one of three symbols. A knife shape foretells an icy cold winter, during which the wind will cut through our coats, while a spoon shape indicates that we'll need our shovels to dig through the deep snow. 

A fork shape, on the other hand, indicates a mild winter. This myth obviously dates to a time when knives, spoons, and forks were all common cutlery, which did not occur until the 1800's. As to the correctness of the persimmon seed prediction, this myth actually has some validity. The Jefferson County Extension Office in Missouri, collected and sliced persimmon seeds for 20 years, and found that the seeds’ predictions were accurate about 75% of the time! Perhaps our local weather forecasters might give persimmon seeds a try.

And then we have all heard about the wooly worm’s predictive abilities. If the caterpillar sports a light brown sweater across his middle, the winter will be mild, but if he has donned a thick black winter hat, wears tall black boots, and maybe even a black winter coat to cover his midsection, then the winter will be severe. 

This is assuredly not so. The tiger moth caterpillar's coloring is entirely dependent on his age, the younger ones being completely black, while older individuals sport relatively large brown midsections. I suppose this is why the wooly worms I've encountered this fall can't seem to agree on their winter attire. Some are older and wear more brown, while the younger ones are clothed more in black. Interestingly, wooly worms can stay in their caterpillar form for as long as 14 years, depending on their environment. In extremely cold parts of the world, the creatures can spend as much as 90% of their lives frozen solid, maturing more slowly, and sporting more and more brown in their fuzzy attire.

And as for me? I am always living and learning, and today I'll spread persimmon jam on my muffin, pull my warm cap down over my ears, and head out for a walk with the dog in search of wooly worms. I'll be sure to put a tissue in my pocket in case I sneeze.

Christine Tailer is an attorney and former city dweller who moved several years ago, with her husband, Greg, to an off-grid farm in south-central Ohio. Visit them on the web at straightcreekvalleyfarm.com.