| Item Description: | "Abraham Hutchins" is a pseudonym intended to exploit the popular reputation of the New York state calculator John Nathan Hutchins. - Comparison with The New England farmer's almanack for 1794 by Samuel Stearns (Springfield, Mass.) indicates that Stearns was probably the calculator of "Father Hutchins" for this year. The eclipse predictions are partly identical in their wording and almost entirely so in their calculations. Identical times are given for the moon's phases. The only astronomical notes in the calendar pages of The New England farmer are for the rising, southing, and setting of the "7 stars" or Pleiades, and these are duplicated here as to day and time. The other calculations vary because of the difference in meridian. Eclipses, lunar phases, and calendar notes are the usual points of identity in early almanacs calculated by the same author for separate regions. - Drake, M. Almanacs, 6012. - Drake, M. Almanacs, 6013. - English Short Title Catalog, W22595. - Evans, 25644. - Evans, 25645. - Reproduction of original from Boston Public Library. - The Anatomy is the only illustration. - Two states of gathering A noted. In one, the note "*s denotes the sun will be too slow .." appears at the foot of p. [7]; and the note "Venus will be morning star .." on p. [6]. In the other state, the Venus note appears at the foot of p. [7] while the note "*sl denotes the sun .." appears under the heading "Explanation of the calendar pages" on p. [7] |
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