October 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
1 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
M 
D 
w 
D 
OCTOBER 4—10, 1849. 
Weather near London 
in 1848. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R. & S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bef. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
4 
Th 
Sloes ripe. [ripe. 
B. 29.9—29.8. 
T. 65—58. 
R. .01 
7 a. 6 
30 a. 5 
7 
5 
18 
11 
16 
277 
5 
F 
Botanical Society’s Meeting. Walnuts 
B. 30.1—29.5. 
T. 67—49. 
R. 
9 
28 
7 
41 
19 
11 
34 
278 
6 
S 
Faith. Buntings flock. 
B. 30.1—30.1. 
T. 74—49. 
R. 
11 
26 
8 
23 
20 
11 
62 
279 
7 
Sun 
18 Sun. aft. Trin. Maple-leaves fall. 
B. 30.1—30.0. 
T. 73—50. 
R. 
12 
23 
9 
13 
21 
12 
9 
280 
8 
M 
White Poplar-leaves fall. 
B. 30.0—30.0. 
T. 68—46. 
R. 
14 
21 
10 
11 
22 
12 
26 
281 
9 
Tu 
St. Denvs. Hazel turns yellow. 
B. 30.0-29.7- 
T. 62—46. 
R. .06 
16 
19 
11 
15 
C 
12 
42 
282 
10 
W 
Oxford and Cambridge Terms begin. 
B. 29.8—29.6. 
T. 69—41. 
R. 
17 
17 
morn. 
24 
12 
58 
283 
N.B. In the above table of the weather near London in 1848, the highest and lowest state of the (B)arometer and (T)herraometer is shewn 
for each day, and the (R)ain which fell in decimals of inches. 
St. Faith, a virgin martyr, and native of Paisde Gavre, in France, 
suffered whilst Dacian presided over that country, about the year 290. 
She appears to have been a favourite saint in England during the 
revalence here of the Roman Catholic religion ; many churches 
eing dedicated to her memory. 
St. Denys, or Dionysius the Areopagite, was converted at Athens 
by the preaching of St. Paul (Acts xvii. 34). It is said that be be¬ 
came first Bishop of Athens, and that he suffered martyrdom there ; 
but little of his history that can be relied upon is known. St. Denys 
has been chosen by the French as their tutelar saint. 
• Meteorology of the Week. —This is one of the periods of the 
year most uncertain in its weather in this our uncertain climate. 
From a register kept at the Chiswick Gardens, and from which we 
chiefly take our meteorological tables, it appears that during 22 years, 
and of the 154 davs occurring between the 4th and Kith of October, 
both included, in those years, 71 days have been more or less rainy, and 
83 have been fair. The greatest amount of rain that fell on any one day 
during those 71 was about three-fourths of an inch ; the average 
highest temperature during these seven days in those 22 years is 
61.7°; and the average lowest temperature 43.5. The thermometer 
during these days never rose above 64.2, nor fell below 41.1°. The 
highest temperature of which we have any record as occurring on any 
of these days was on the 6th, in the year 1834, when the thermo¬ 
meter reached 77° in the shade. The only instance we know of 
snow falling during these days was in 1829, when during the night of 
the 7th it occurred in many parts of England; but, when our climate 
was very different, we find in the Chroniclers that a frost lasted in 
the year 761) from the 1st of October to the 26th of February. In 
order to keep the warmth in the soil about the roots of vines intended 
for early forcing, it is a good plan to keep the border covered with 
litter, and a tarpaulin at night, uncovering it during fine warm days. 
Having thus observed upon the days more particularly under our 
consideration, we will refer briefly to the meteorology of the month. 
In October, it has been truly said by an accurate observer, Mr. 
Webster, great and important changes take place in the whole atmo¬ 
sphere, from the equator to the poles, for it is the shifting of the 
seasons throughout every region of the globe. Winter and darkness 
begin to shroud the arctic circle, whilst light and warmth return to 
cheer the southern pole ; what is withdrawn from one hemisphere is 
immediately transferred in an equal degree to the other hemisphere. 
The rains no sooner cease in one tropic than they begin in the other; 
as soon as snow falls in October on the mountains of Greece, and the 
autumnal rains begin at Algiers, Madeira, &c., the dry seasons set in 
at the Cape of Good Hope, Swan River, Valparaiso, &c. In England 
there is no doubt that the weather which occurs during this month 
has a powerful influence over those which closely succeed to it. Thus 
it is an observation, founded on long experience, that “if the latter 
end of October and the beginning of November be for the most part 
warm and rainy, then January and February probably will be frosty 
and cold, except after a very dry summer. But if in October anil 
November there be snow and frost, then January and February are 
likely to be open and mild.” If the summer and autumn have been 
hot and dry, and the heat and the dryness extend far into September, 
as they have in the present year, then probably the early part of the 
winter will be mild, but the close of the winter and the beginning of 
the spring following will be cold. 
In the latitude of London the night temperature of October most 
usually ranges between 35° and 54°, and the day temperature between 
50° and 65°. The mean height of the barometer is 29.7 inches, and 
its range or variation about one inch and a half. The average depth 
of rain during the month is 2 inches, and the average evaporation 
from the earth’s surface one inch and six-tenths. Yet, let no one 
suppose that this depth of rain is the same throughout England. 
The variableness of the rain in different places of our country is one of 
the most remarkable of the phenomena attendant upon our climate. 
Thus, at Gosport, the average fall of rain in October is 3.25 inches; 
at Exeter, 3.1 ; at Aberdeen, 2.0 ; at Bath, 2.9 ; at Carlisle, 3.0 ; and 
on the western coast it is far greater. Thus, in the October of 1841 
there fell at Liverpool more than 8 inches of rain, whilst at Thetford, 
in Norfolk, there fell but 3 inches. 
Natural Phenomena Indicative of Weather.- —Under this 
head we shall give Mr. Forster’s observations, amplified with those 
made by many other naturalists, being fully convinced that the com¬ 
bined testimony of these never deceive in foretelling an approaching 
change of weather. “ If, after continued fine weather in summer, we 
perceive the sky streaked with clouds, called Mares Tails, and it gra¬ 
dually gets more obscured; if the swallows skim low over the surface 
of the meadows ; if the cattle snuff the air with distended nostrils ; 
and if spiders come out in unusual numbers, we should say rain was 
coming ; ” and we never knew such aggregates of indications prove 
deceptive. 
Ants. —When there is a general bustle and activity observed in ant¬ 
hills, and the ants appear all in motion carrying their eggs, appa¬ 
rently for better shelter, it generally intimates approaching rain. 
This observation was made by many of the ancients, as Aratus, 
Varro, Pliny, and Virgil. The last-named (Georg. I., 3/9) says, the 
shower never comes unforeseen, but that before it arrives, among 
other intimations, may be seen— 
Ants, as from secret cells their eggs they bear, 
Each following each, the tract continuous wear. 
RANGE OF BAROMETER—RAIN IN INCHES. 
Oct. 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
1946. 
1847. 
1848. 
; 29.703 
30.123 
30.330 
29.959 
29.568 
29.707 
30.039 
29.988 
X 29.329 
30.052 
30.256 
29.871 
29.528 
29-532 
29.886 
29.804 
R. 
0,36 
'- 
— 
— 
— 
0.08 
— 
0.01 
N.B. Having in our previous volumes 
R. 
r29.124 
30.238 
30.388 
29.802 
29.969 
20.432 
29750 
30-151 
128.888 
30.190 
30.312 
29.686 
29.891 
29.393 
29-647 
29.588 
given the general aspect of each day, 
R. 
0.22 
— 
— 
0.22 
0.10 
0.00 
and the highest and lowest degrees 
6 
B. 
f28.925 
30.2S8 
30.292 
29.986 
29.871 
29.544 
29.637 
30.143 
128.808 
30.250 
30.251 
29.896 
29.404 
29.430 
29.548 
30.124 
of temperature, we now purpose giving 
R. 
0.04 
— 
— 
— 
0.22 
0.20 
0.15 
0.00 
r29.038 
30.298 
30.2/0 
29.997 
29.491 
29.485 
29-645 
SO.128 
the daily extreme points of the baro- 
/ 
1.28.991 
30.258 
30.246 
29.8/2 
29.433 
29.368 
29.460 
30.030 
meter, and the amount or rain in deci- 
R. 
0.04 
— 
— 
29.916 
0.01 
0.16 
0.22 
0.00 
f 29.224 
30.436 
30.267 
29.450 
29.667 
29.885 
30.002 
mals of inches during the same years. 
X 29.027 
30.348 
30.193 
29.568 
29.339 
29.452 
29.763 
30.011 
R. 
0.03 
— 
— 
— 
0.01 
0.13 
0.03 
0.00 
r 29.372 
30.490 
30.183 
29.291 
29.394 
29.652 
29.897 
30.013 
y 
\ 29.712 
30.447 
30.086 
29.025 
29.295 
29.496 
29.880 
29 758 
R. 
0.03 
— 
— 
0.01 
0.35 
0.20 
0.22 
0.06 
10 
f29.835 
30.451 
30.022 
29.440 
29.431 
29.783 
29.851 
29.803 
I29.6I2 
30.386 
29.956 
29.194 
29.389 
29.447 
29.804 
29-652 
1 
R. 
0.21 
0.52 
0.07 
0.43 
0.12 
0.02 
0.00 
Insects.— The caterpillars of the Large White Garden butterfly, 
Pieris, or Pontia Brassinoe, have been making sad havoc during the 
close of September and even now, upon our cabbage crops. The 
butterfly itself is seen at various times between May and October. 
The following good description is given by M. KollarThe wings are 
white ; the upper wings with broad black tips, and the female has 
No. LIU., Vol. III. 
