June 24. THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 185 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
M W 
D D 
JUNE 24—30, 1352. 
Weather near London in 1851. 
Barometer. Thermo. Wind. Rain in In. 
Sun Sun 
Rises. Sets. 
Moon 
R.&S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bcf. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
24 Til 
Mids. Day. Nat. Jw. Bap. 
30.207 — 
30.242 
73—45 i 
W. | — 
45 a. 3 19 a. 8 
0 
4 
3 
2 
6 
176 
25 F 
Great Knapweed flowers. 
30,200 — 
30.246 
77—4 7 
w. — 
46 1 19 
0 
2 7 
8 
2 
19 
177 
26 S 
Common Mallow flowers. 
30.207 — 
30.200 
85—40 
s. — 
46 10 
0 
48 
9 
2 
31 
178 
2/|Sun 
3 Sunday afterTrinity. 
30.109 — 
30.125 
91—52 
s. — 
47 19 
1 
8 
10 
*2 
44 
179 
28 M 
Queen Victoria’s Cor. 1838. 
30.147 — 
30.137 
84—51 
E. | — 
4 7 19 
1 
33 
11 
2 
56 
180 
2!)[Tu 
St. Peter. 
30.148 — 
30.125 
82—50 
E. — 
48 1 19 
2 
12 
3 
8 
181 
SO W 
Sweezewort flowers. 
30.124 — 
30.001 
82—55 
E. — 
48 18 
2 
37 
13 
3 
20 
182 
Meteorology of the Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-five years, the average highest and lowest tempera¬ 
tures of these days are 72.1° and 50.1° respectively. The greatest heat, 93°, occurred on the 27 th in 1320 : and the lowest cold, 37° on the 25th 
in 1S35. During the period 102 days were fine, and on 73 rain fell. 
Many years are now past since we had an opportunity to 
I be a pilgrim around Petworth, and in the course of our 
wanderings there we came, one summer’s evening, upon a 
small rude church, from the grave-yard of which we looked 
down upon and far beyond Petworth Park, whilst all nearer 
the eye was so beautiful and so picturesque, and the cot¬ 
tagers were so quiet and civil, that we more than ever felt 
the justice of the poet's sketch— 
Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife 
Their sober wishes never learn to stray, 
Along the cool, sequester’d vale of life, 
They keep the noiseless tenour of their way. 
In our note-book, transcribed from a marble tablet, close to 
tlie altar of the church, we find this memorial:— 
“ Near this place lieth the body of Dorothy Meymott , 
eldest daughter of Samuel Meymott , M.A. (the first rector 
of this parish), and Dorothy his wife. She died Sept. 13, 
1734. 
Tliosfc virtues which in Dorcas shone, 
Were, without flattery, her own ; 
With Martha’s care, she had the art 
To join good Mary’s better part; 
Free’d now from care, she wears a crown, 
Which, thro’ her Jesus, is her own ; 
Why, then, should wc her absence grieve, 
Who’s happier now than when alive ? ” 
Now, though there is more of tenderness and truth than 
of poetry in these lines, yet they came upon us with more 
than common interest, because the old dame who opened 
for us the church door, told us that they were written by 
Dorothy Meymott’s father, who survived her forty years. 
That she remembered him well—“and no one could help 
loving him; hut Dr. Milne, who was next rector, never 
lived among us in the parish.” This was said in such an 
artless way, yet conveyed such an intimation, that all felt 
they were then as sheep without a shepherd, that we felt 
j the evil of a non-resident permanent incumbent in all its 
force and truthfulness. 
At that time we little thought that we should ever care to 
know anything further about that non-resident rector, but 
now we find that he was Dr. Colin Milne, author of A 
Botanical Dictionary , and other works which contain much 
On the 14th instant was celebrated the ninth annual 
festival of The Royal Gardeners Benevolent Institution, 
and one hundred and thirty gentleman, all in various 
degrees interested in the progress of gardening, and the 
welfare of its practitioners, were presided over upon this 
occasion by Mr. Charles Dickens. Among those present 
were H. T. Hope, M.P.; Sir J. V. B. Johnston, well 
known in the north for his efforts in promoting the cul¬ 
tivation of the soil; Sir Joseph Paxton; Charles Fuller, 
Esq., the prime and energetic preserver of the Crystal 
Palace; Robert Llanbury, Esq., and C. B. Warner, Esq., 
the well-known patrons of floriculture ; Mr. Mecbi, 
whose never-faulteriug cheer to tlie cultivator is “ For¬ 
ward ! ” Mr. Spencer, the able gardener at Bowood; 
and many others favourably known as excellent horti¬ 
culturists. The assemblage altogether was the most 
successful that had over gathered for tlie support of the 
that was interesting to the gardeners of his day, and, 
indeed, of our own, for he did not die until the early part of 
the present century. He is thus spoken of by a contem¬ 
porary biographer. 
On the 2nd of October, 1815, died at Deptford, in his 
72nd year, the Rev. Colin Milne, LL. D., rector of North 
Chapel, Sussex, evening preacher to the City of London 
Lj'ing-iu Hospital, and lecturer of the Old and New 
Churches, Deptford ; a popular preacher, and celebrated 
botanist. In 1770, he published a “ Botanical Dictionary,” 
12mo ; and afterwards wrote “ Institutes of Botany,” in 
two parts, 4to; a Supplement to his Botanical Dictionary; 
and vol. i. of “ Indigenous Botany,” 8vo, a most useful 
book, published, in 1 ?!)■!, in association with Mr. Alexander 
Gordon. In 1775, he published “Tlie Boldness and 
Freedom of Apostolical Evidence, recommended to the imi¬ 
tation of Ministers: at the death of the Reverend and 
learned James Bate, M.A., late rector of St. Paul’s, Dept¬ 
ford.” In 1778, Dr. Milne preached the anniversary sermon 
for the Iloyal Humane Society, being tlie fourth that was 
preached for that excellent Institution, which has also since 
been indebted to him for many similar exertions in its 
behalf. Besides other single Discourses, he also published 
a volume of Sermons, in 1780.—In the “Literary Anecdotes 
of the Eighteenth Century,” III. 700, is given a curious 
illustration of the art and mystery of Bible-making, as 
formerly not unfrequently practised by speculating book¬ 
sellers. It is the narrative of Dr. llobert Sanders (a 
laborious compiler of popular books) who had been em¬ 
ployed to write a Commentary on the Bible, but whose name, 
as he was not a clergyman, could not with much propriety 
he prefixed to it. Among other respectable clergymen who 
refused to sanction with their name and reputation an un¬ 
dertaking with which they were to have no other connexion, 
was Dr. Colin Milne, who honestly said, that although he 
had no doubts concerning Dr. Sanders’s abilities, yet he 
would not have his name affixed to what he was not to 
write.” 
A third edition of the Botanical Dictionary was published 
in 1805. 
Institution, and £35 1 were subscribed at tlie tables iu 
aid of its funds. 
Wc are quite sure the Chairman felt that tlie man of 
literature is never more gracefully employed, and is 
never better exorcising the gifts which qualify him for 
liis mission, than in pleading tlie cause of charity. In 
this instance lie did so most effectually, and sure are wo 
that those present on the occasion, when gathering 
pleasant and useful thoughts from his “ Household 
Words” at home, will receive them more mindfully as 
they remember the manly earnestness, and the vocal 
eloquence which they witnessed in the author on tins 
day. 
The musical arrangements were under the direction of 
Mr. Gouge, assisted by Miss Wells, Miss J. Wells, Master 
Do Sulla, Mr. Kenney, and Mr. Farquliarsou Smith, who 
presided at the pianoforte. 
No. CXCV., Vol. YIII. 
