Dr Abe V Rotor
Categorize each item if Folk Wisdom or Superstition. State your basis.
31. Hanging bottles on the trellis of gourd (upo, patola, ampalaya) induces fruiting. Old folks believe in decoy to induce fruiting. This is why they hang bottles on the trellis, and the more, the better the harvest. I have seen a squash trellis appearing like pabitin in fiestas. There is no scientific explanation to this of course, except that the bottles may serve as deterrent against pranks and thieves.
It could be for the reason that the colors, pendulum movement, and occasional chimes of hanging bottles repel fruit flies, a major pest of cucurbits. I would venture in adding to the explanation that water trapped in the hanging bottles breeds mosquito wrigglers and other insects that attract predators such as preying mantis, spiders, and house lizards. In effect these predators protect the crops from its pests, and therefore, more fruits develop.
32. Succulent pods of radish is a local remedy for ulcer.
It is in a public market of Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) where I found young pods of radish (Raphanus sativus) sold by the bundle. We also relish this salad but on a lesser scale. Is it true that it is cure of stomach ulcer as claimed?
Lourdes Jorge tested radish seeds for anti-ulcer properties on albino rats as her masteral thesis in medical technology at the UST Graduate School. Result: Radish seed extract is comparable to commercial Cimetidine or Tagamet in the treatment of gastric ulcer.
33. Water fruit trees with sugar solution to make their fruits sweet.
Plants do not directly take in sugar as some animals do. Besides, sugar, like any organic compound, will break down into simple substances and elements through fermentation and decomposition, becoming ultimately inorganic substances. Some of these compounds and elements, especially nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) are useful to plants. The decomposition process may also alter the pH of the soil that is favorable to the plant.
34. Plant a tree where an animal was buried.
This is a traditional practice in some remote areas, especially when a pet animal dies. In the Philippines the idea of re-incarnation is remote, and I tend to believe that such practice is merely to keep the memory of the animal in the tree that grows on it. On the scientific point of view, the carcass decomposes into rich organic matter that serves as fertilizer. Caution should be taken because during decomposition heat and ammonia gas are produced that may kill the plant. It is recommended that it be planted at a safe distance.
35. Wounding the trunk and branches of a tree induces it to fruit.
There are trees that tend to grow luxuriantly, bearing few or no fruits at all. Imagine how disappointed a farmer is and we can read his mind as he reaches for his bolo. But instead of cutting down the trees, he inflicts wounds on their trunks and branches, resulting in multiple staggered wounds. Sap oozes but in a few days the wounds heal. A transformation ensues: the trees start to bloom.
What could be the explanation to this? Nature has provided a coping mechanism for organisms subjected to stress so that they can pass on their genes to the next generation – reproduction. We may be surprised to see plants under dry condition profusely blooming. Some bamboo species flower during the El Niño. A starved caterpillar soon transforms into pupa, skipping one or two moultings, and soon metamorphoses into butterfly, diminutive it may be. Early sexual maturity is also observed in many animals that are under stress, as compared to their normal counterparts.
To the mango trees, the effect is the same, a phenomenon that is not clearly understood. Physiologically the stored food in the wounded plant will now be used for reproduction, instead of continued vegetative growth, which explains sudden blooming.
36. A tree surrounded by fireflies during the night brings good luck.
Fireflies are biological indicators of a pristine environment and good weather. Letizia Constantino once wrote in Issues without Tears, a moving article –You don’t see fireflies anymore. It is reminiscent of Rachel Carson’s winning novel, Silent Spring, a story when the birds did not return one spring. It is all about man’s growing indifference in protecting the environment from pollution and many other abuses.
37. Flying kites while rice plants are in bloom causes poor harvest.
You risk your precious kite from sequestration and even face beating from the old folks when you fly kites before the rice panicles have fully set. Old folks won’t let you call the north wind too soon because it is the cause of poorly filled grains.
It is not the children’s fault at all. The initiative of kite flying is the Siberian wind (amihan) which may arrive early. In short, kites are an indicator and not the cause of poor harvest. The rainy season (habagat) simply ended too soon, depriving the rice crops of soil moisture they need at maturity, while the chilly Siberian wind affects pollination and grain formation.
38. Siyam-siyam (18 days of continuous rainfall) enhances bountiful rice harvest.
The Northwest monsoon or habagat may be intensified by a series of typhoons and low pressure areas that may last for eighteen days, hence the phenomenon is called siyam-siyam in Tagalog and nep-nep in Ilocano which occurs in July or August. It is usually interspersed by brief good weather. Harvest is enhanced for two reasons: wider rice area is planted, which includes the uplands; and sufficient and longer retention of water in the soil nourishes the grains.
39. Ring around the moon means a storm is coming. High humidity in the air causes an optical illusion of a halo around the moon. It is also observed around bright stars. This means the air is heavily laden with water vapor, which is potential rain. Everything is still, not a breeze is felt. There’s an uneasy feeling. Take heed if the barometer reading drops.
40. Red and gray sunsets are signs it’s going to rain. And maybe a coming storm.
Here is a verse about this belief.
“If the sun in red should set,
The next day surely will be wet;
If the sun should set in gray,
The next will be a rainy day.”
High relative humidity builds clouds. Suspended water vapors reflect the rays of the setting sun red and crimson in many shades and hues, while the cloud form an overcast of gray. ~
No comments:
Post a Comment