We know from the orientation of many monuments that the equinoxes were crucially observed. An advantage of this is that there would be some indication of when the equinoctal spring and neap tides could be expected. In the UK there is a strong allotment tradition of setting out potatoes at Easter. What use is that ? Yet the growers are inevitably successful. Farmers start lambing on April the 7th, in SW Northumberland, and this date is dependent of when they put the tups with the ewes the autumn before. They stick closely to those dates, despite the obvious global warming and softer winters.