Old Wives' Lore for Gardeners

I've just found Old Wives' Lore for Gardeners by Maureen & Bridget Boland which has many useful tips, such as:


"Candlemas Day stick beans in the clay,
Throw candle and candlestick right away.


The second part of this admonition may not have been magical so much as economical in intent: the thrify Old Wife perhaps considered that by 2nd February one should not need candlelight to get up by, dinner would have been eaten at three o'clock, the evening stew, already prepared, could be eaten by firelight, and one should go to bed early and certainly not read in bed.


Roll seeds of beans and peas in paraffin to deter mice."

Another interesting quote:
"Every Old Wife will tell you to sow see and to transplant only with a waxing, never a waning moon. The scientists have now caught up with this ... "


And, finally:


Sow Seed Generously
One for the rook, one for the crow, 
One to die and one to grow.

There are lots of copies of this book on Amazon 

priced from very cheaply to collectors' copies.