Lots of interesting tidbits and hints in the August entries of The Farmers’ Almanac. I found these in the 2011 and 2012 editions of the Engagement Calendars. Enjoy!

IN THE GARDEN
Drape netting over your ripening blueberries so that the birds won’t make off with your entire crop.
Remove water sprouts (vigorous vertical shoots less than an inch in diameter) from apple trees.
Place a board under melons to deter wireworms and prevent decay.
Take cuttings from outdoor annuals such as geraniums, coleus, and impatiens. Begonias can be rooted in a glass of water before potting.
Cut out raspberry and blackberry canes that have just finished fruiting.

TIPS
Heat wave? A taste of honeycomb helps to lower body temperature.
Add a pinch of salt to a carton of milk to keep it fresh longer.
To eliminate paint odor, stir 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract into each pint of paint.
To help your pets repel fleas, add brewer’s yeast to their food.
To repel insects, rub crushed lemon thyme or lemon balm on your skin.
Tomatoes will stay fresh longer if stored with their stems pointing down.
To cut mushrooms easily, use an egg slicer.

ODD SUGGESTIONS
To protect against evil spirits, leave a large red tomato on your windowsill.
For every fog in August, there will be one snow in the coming winter.
For luck and a safe trip on an airplane, touch a living tree before takeoff.

PHILOSOPHER’S CORNER
Hold fast to dreams, For if dreams die, Life is a broken-winged bird That can not fly. (Langston Hughes)
You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind.

DID YOU KNOW?
An average pencil has enough graphite to draw a line 35 miles long.
A group of bears is a sleuth; goats, a tribe; horses, a remuda.

Visit www.almanac.com for more information.