594 BRITISH HUSBANDRY, 



latent heat witli which it was combined in its elastic form, and thus prevents an 

 excess of depression which might, in many cases, prove injurious to vegetation. 

 The excess of either solar or terrestrial radiation is injurious to many tender 

 plants and flowers, and for this reason the careful gardener guards against 

 them by mats and screens. 



That the different Phases of the Moon have some connexion with changes 

 in the atmosphere is an opinion so universal and popular as to be, on that 

 account alone, entitled to attention. No observation is more general, and 

 on no occasion, perhaps, is the Almanac so frequently consulted as in 

 forming conjectures upon the state of the weather. The common remark 

 goes no further than the fact, that changes from wet to dry and from dry 

 to wet generally happen at the changes of the moon. "When to this result 

 of universal experience we add the philosophical reasons for the existence of 

 tides in the aerial ocean, we cannot doubt that such a connexion exists, and 

 that the moon exerts a considerable influence upon the currents of the atmo- 

 sphere, according to her position. The subject, however, is involved in great 

 obscurity, and is one which can only be elucidated by long and careful 

 observation. 



The moon's age is calculated in days, and the nearest tenths of days, from 

 the time of change : thus if it be new moon on the 6th of January, at 1 1 h. 

 46 m. in the afternoon, therefore at noon on the 8th she will be 36 h. 14 ra. old ; 

 which is set down as one day and five-tenths. 



The Year is divided into solar and lunar months ; the former consisting 

 of twelve, as named in the calendar, while the latter comprise each nearly — • 

 and for legal and practical purposes precisely— four weeks. The alteration of 

 the Julian year, as it was formerly called, to our present new style, was adopted 

 in this country in 1752, in consequence of the calculation of solar time havnig 

 been found erroneous, and the date, as then existing, was, changed from the 3rd 

 to the 14th of September ; thus forming a difference of eleven days in the cur- 

 rent year. The necessity of any future alteration of date is, however, guarded 

 against by the recurrence of a leap-year once in four, in order to check the 

 annual excess of a few hours in the solar year: for although it does not exactly 

 correct the error, yet a long period must elapse ere the difference of time will 

 be so great as to cause the change of a day in the date. 



The changes of the seasons are considered to commence in quarters, with very 

 little variation : those of the present year, 1 837, begin as follows : — 



Spring . . . March 20, at 7 h. 23 m. afteni, 



Summer . . . June 21, at 4 h. 37 ra. ditto. 



Autumn . . . September 23, at 6 h. 31 m. morn. 



Winter . • . December 21, at 11 h. 53 m. afteru. 



No. V. 



A promise was made in the Memoranda annexed to the Introduction that a 

 Glossary of the common technical terms used in provincial husbandry, and the 

 botanical names of the plants mentioned in the work, would be given in the 

 Appendix: it was, however, found move advisable to explain the provincial 

 terms as they occurred, and to the list of grasses is added their botanical appel- 

 lations. To this we now add the enumeration of a few of the most common and 

 troublesome weeds — as inserted in Alton's Survey of Ayrshire ? 



Weeds. 



Whins, Vlex Europetis, covered in former times a very large proportiou of the county 

 of Ayr, and wherever cultivation is neglected, especially on the dense clay soils, this 

 plant springs up in great force. 



Broom, Spurtium Scoparium, never fails to establish itself on dry open ground, when 

 cultivation is neglected ; and to cover the soil so close as to overwhelm and banish the 

 more valuable herbage. 



Hazel, Co?'y/;« Aiellana ; bramble, Utihiis Fructicosus ; and fern, Pleris Jquilhm ; 

 occupy dry ground that has never bi'eu broken up, the two lurmerin the banks and braes, 

 and the latter everywhere. Wherever the two first grow, the oak would grow if planted 

 and protected. And wherever fern is met with, forest wood would also grow. 



