_Valentine's Day--Superstition in Devonshire._--The peasants and others
believe that if they go to the porch of a church, waiting there till
half-past twelve o'clock on the eve of St. Valentine's day, with some
hempseed in his or her hand, and at the time above-named then proceed
homewards, scattering the seed on either side, repeating these lines--
"Hempseed I sow, hempseed I mow,
She (or he) that will my true love be,
Come rake this hempseed after me;"--
his or her true love will be seen behind, raking up the seed just sown,
in a winding-sheet. Do any of your readers know the origin of this
superstitious custom?