This day commemorates the patron saint of Wales, St. David, who was born in the sixth century at Henfynw, Cardigan.
St. David’s Day also celebrates the Welsh victory over the Saxons in 640. Legend has it that the clever Welsh farmers pinned leeks to their coats so they could recognize one another in the melee; the Saxons killed many of their own kind, not having such a sign to tell friend form foe.
Today, St. David’s symbol is the leek. In honor of St. David, plant a bulb of aromatic leek as soon as the ground can be worked. See our page on planting leeks.
An old adage suggests eating leeks all month to keep the doctor away all year!
Daily Calendar for Wednesday, March 1, 2023
March is named for the Roman god of war, Mars. Read all about the merry month of March!
Question of the Day
I recently moved into a very old home that came with a very old raspberry patch. I pruned and cleaned it out last year, but it didn’t do well. Is there anything in particular that raspberry bushes like that may give my berries a boost for the coming summer?
Pruning is the key. Make sure that you prune out all the old brown canes. Lop them off at ground level. Leave only six of the strongest green canes per 12 inches of running row, or nine canes per 18 inches. And don’t let plants grow outside an 18-inch-wide row. Mow down new unruly shoots, or you’ll end up with a jungle instead of neat rows.
Advice of the Day
March comes in with adders’ heads and goes out with peacocks’ tails.
Home Hint of the Day
To reduce moisture in any basement crawl space, be sure to install at least two vents, and locate them on opposite walls. One vent on every wall is better.
Word of the Day
Semidiurnal Tide
A tide with one high water and one low water every half day. East Coast tides, for example, are semidiurnal, with two highs and two lows during a tidal day of approximately 24 hours.
Puzzle of the Day
What is the difference between a professor and a mosquito?
One is a mentor, and the other is a torment.
Born
- Frederic Chopin (composer) –
- Glenn Miller (musician) –
- David Niven (actor) –
- Yitzhak Rabin (Israeli politician) –
- Harry Belafonte (singer) –
- Robert Conrad (actor) –
- Roger Daltrey (lead singer for The Who) –
- Alan Thicke (actor) –
- Ron Howard (actor & director) –
- Tim Daly (actor) –
- George Eads (actor) –
- Chris Webber (basketball player) –
- Mark-Paul Gosselaar (actor) –
- Lupita Nyong'o (actress) –
Died
- Peter Barlow (mathematician) –
- The Earl of Minto (Canadian Governor General 1898-1904) –
- Gabriele d'Annunzio (Italian poet and novelist) –
- Jackie Coogan (actor) –
- Edwin Land (inventor) –
- Jack Wild (actor & singer) –
- Bonnie Franklin (actress) –
Events
- Salem Witch Trials began in Massachusetts with the conviction of West Indian slave, Tituba, for witchcraft–
- First U.S. Census authorized by Congress–
- Ohio became the 17th state of the union–
- Georgetown College (now University) chartered; had been established in 1789 as first Catholic college in the U.S.–
- Nebraska became the 37th state of the union–
- Congress created Yellowstone National Park, the nation’s first national park–
- The son of Charles Lindbergh was kidnapped–
- Canned goods rationed–
- Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! made its television debut–
- Joe Louis announced his first retirement–
- Klaus E.J. Fuchs, a British atomic scientist, found guilty of communicating information to the Soviets concerning atomic research–
- Several Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire in the U.S. House of Representatives, injuring five people–
- President Kennedy created Peace Corps–
- Ticker-tape parade in New York City for John Glenn and fellow astronauts–
- Russian spacecraft Venus 3, launched November 16, 1965, crashed on Venus, the first man-made object to reach another planet–
- Johnny Cash and June Carter were married–
- Mickey Mantle announced retirement–
- Seven former White House and Nixon campaign officials were indicted by a grand jury investigating the Watergate Incident–
Weather
- Bridge between Hanover, New Hampshire, and Norwich, Vermont, collapsed from heavy snow weight–
- Avalanche hit trains in Wellington, WA. 96 people died–
- Heavy, wet snow fell in a New York and New Jersey blizzard–
- Thirty-two degrees below zero F in Minneapolis, Minnesota–
- Norfolk, Virginia, received 13.7 inches of snow–