The almanac, for sure. It has been in continuous publication since George Washington was in the White House.

The 2010 edition hit newsstands last week - second Tuesday in September, regular as clockwork.

And it is the usual collection of sun, moon and tide tables and weather predictions, plus a healthy dose of news, information and humor.

Here is a tidbit from this year's edition.

Best ever container garden?

Lay a bag of potting soil flat. Poke a few drainage holes in the top surface. Roll the bag over. Cut a few holes in the new top surface. Insert seedling plants into the holes. Water and fertilized as you would a bed. For best results, set this sack into a wheelbarrow or a child's wagon and move it into and out of the sunlight as needed.

P.S. The almanac predicts a cold winter for Baltimore with snow by Thanksgiving and a dry spring and summer, despite lots of rain in early June.