October 18. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
1' 
iM 
|D 
W 
D 
OCTOBER 18—24, 1849. 
| 
Weather near London 
in 1818. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R. & S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bef.Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
f“' 
*18 
Th 
St. Luke. Lime leafless. 
T. 42—36. 
N. 
Rain. 
31 a. 6 
58 a. 4 
6 
30 
2 
14 
45 
291 
19 
F 
Yellowliammer sings again. 
T. 50—41. 
N.E. 
Cloudy. 
33 
5 7 
7 
2 
3 
14 
56 
292 
|20 
S 
Teal arrives. 
T. 50—41. 
N.E. 
Rain. 
35 
55 
7 
39 
4 
15 
6 
293 
21 
Sun 
20 Sun. aft. Trin. Walnut leafless. 
T. 50—29. 
N.E. 
Rain. 
36 
53 
8 
21 
5 
15 
16 
294 
'22 
M 
Sun’sdeclin. ll°7's. Coddv-moddvgull 
T. 58—36. 
S. 
Rain. 
38 
51 
9 
9 
6 i 
15 
25 
295 
23 
Tu 
Privet-berries ripe. [comes inland. 
T. 56—44. 
S.W. 
Rain. 
40 
49 
10 
3 
7 
15 
33 
296 
'24 
W 
Golden plover arrives. 
T. 60—47. 
s.w. 
Rain. 
42 
47 
11 
1 
3 
15 
41 
297 
St. Lcke. —It is believed that this evangelist was of Grecian pa¬ 
rentage, but a convert to Judaism in early life. It is more certain 
that he was a physician by profession (Coloss. iv. 14), but there is no 
early authority as to the place of his birth. The best testimony is in 
favour of his being born at Antioch. Probable surmises are that he 
was one of the seventy disciples sent forth by Christ to spread the 
Gospel tidings, for he only of the four evangelists records the event 
(Luke x.), and that he was one of the two disciples to whom Christ 
appeared on their journey to Emmaus, for St. Luke only mentions 
the name of one, Cleophas (Luke xxiv.), yet is so circumstantial in 
all other respects that the narrative could scarcely come from the pen 
of any but an eye-witness. Besides the Gospei which is known by 
his name, St. Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles, and in this book 
of the sacred writings the first allusion to himself is in the 10th verse 
of the 16 th chapter, where the writer suddenly begins to write in the 
third person plural; hence it is concluded that he joined St. Paul 
about a.d. 53, and accompanied him to Philippi. With a slight in¬ 
terruption, we gather from the sacred writings that he continued St. 
Paul’s constant companion probably down to the end of his first im¬ 
prisonment at Home. After this, tradition says he returned into 
Achaia, where he resided a long time, wrote his Gospel and the Acts, 
and died there at the age of about four score. 
Meteorology of the Week. —It deserves a passing notice that 
N.B. The amount of Rain in inches, and the state of the Barometer during 1348, are shewn in the table below. 
chronologists have surmised that our world was called forth out of chaos 
on the 23rd of October; and Mr. Mackenzie, an old meteorologist, con¬ 
siders that they are about correct, because certain periodical phenomena 
have convinced him by their regular return, “ that the elements were 
set in motion” about the end of our October. But we have to deal 
with facts, not surmises, and we may record that during the last twenty- 
two years the average highest temperature of these seven days is 58.4°, 
and the average lowest temperature 41.1°. The changeful character of 
the season is shown that during these 22 years rain has fallen on 78 days 
of those before us and 76 have been fine. The greatest amount of 
rain falling on any one of the days was .85 of an inch. The highest 
temperature noticed during these days has been 72 °, and this occurred 
on the 21st in 1826. The lowest temperature was 20°, and which oc¬ 
curred on the same day in the year 1842. It is usually the season of 
violent gales of wind, and the one which occurred on the 18th, in the 
year 1834, was one of the most terrific that ever visited our coasts. 
The mean temperature of the year occurs about the 21st of October 
and the 24th of April. Thus, during the last twenty-two years, at 
Chiswick, the average temperature on the 21st of October is 49.8°, 
and of the 25th of April, 49.8°. 
Natural Phenomena Indicative of Weather. Bats .—These 
animals and Bar-beetles flitting about late in the evening in spring or 
autumn foretell that the next day will be fine. But, if bats retreat 
early to their hiding places, uttering 
RANGE OF BAROMETER—RAIN IN INCHES. their peculiar squeaking cry, bad wea¬ 
ther may be anticipated. 
Blue Sky. —It is a proverb, not des¬ 
titute of truth, that “ If during a rainy 
morning there is seen a piece of blue 
sky large enough to make a Dutchman’s 
breeches the afternoon probably will be 
fine.” 
Bones reunited after being broken 
are apt to ache at the point of their re¬ 
union at the approach of rain—to the 
truth of which Lord Bacon gives his 
testimony, though his theory is more 
than doubtful. “Aches and corns,” 
says this philosopher, “do afflict either 
towards ruin or frost: the one making 
the humours to abound more, and the 
other makes them sharper.” Whilst 
“ Hudibras” exaggerating for the sake 
of his satire says :— 
Old sinners too have all points 
O’ th’ compass in their bones and joints. 
Can by their pangs and achings find 
All turns and changes of the wind ; 
And, better than by Napier’s bones, 
Feel in their own the age of moons. 
Oct. 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 
1848. 
129.829 
29.465 
30.157 
29779 
30.218 
29.635 
29.718 
29.636 
129.591 
29.202 
29.855 
29.618 
30.111 
29.449 
29.598 
29.550 
R. 
0 42 
0.40 
— 
— 
— 
0.85 
0.08 
0.04 
1 29.962 
29 .518 
30.343 
29-782 
30.253 
29.750 
29.476 
29.738 
X 29-524 
29.250 
39.312 
29.577 
30.123 
29.668 
29.382 
29.596 
R. 
— 
0.02 
— 
0.03 
— 
0.08 
0.07 
0.01 
f 29.911 
29.739 
30.321 
29.460 
30.148 
29 559 
29.856 
29.789 
\ 29.611 
29-647 
30.104 
29.416 
30.019 
29.536 
29.708 
29.747 
It. 
0.04 
— 
0.25 
0.03 
— 
0.25 
0.20 
0.34 
130.162 
29.980 
30.045 
29.601 
30.341 
29.071 
30.036 
29.887 
t29.818 
29-883 
29.869 
29.510 
30.254 
28.950 
29.748 
29-759 
R. 
— 
— 
0.01 
0.64 
— 
0.37 
0.01 
0.10 
B. 
1 30.124 
29.726 
30.086 
29-897 
30.477 
29.338 
30.155 
29.720 
X 29-861 
29.025 
29.897 
29.766 
30.405 
29-080 
29.932 
29.594 
R. 
0.01 
0.50 
0.11 
0.04 
— 
— 
0.01 
0.12 
23 
B. 
129.449 
X 29.034 
28.956 
28.802 
30.048 
30.012 
29.912 
29.771 
30.510 
30.477 
29.821 
29.614 
29.699 
29.452 
29.624 
29.487 
R. 
0.21 
0.07 
— 
0.04 
— 
0.22 
0.44 
0.56 
128.964 
29.546 
29.868 
29 706 
30.402 
29.523 
29-728 
29.536 
l 28 924 
29.171 
29.544 
29.671 
30.144 
29.479 
29.700 
29.493 
R. 
0.34 
0.88 
~ "* 
0.12 
0.01 
0.15 
Insects. —In May and October, in the shady places of gardens, 
the large Sword-grass moth is occasionally found. ItistheCn/o- 
campa exoleta of some naturalists, and the Nnctua exoteta of others. 
It is one of the finest of our autumn moths, measuring more than two 
inches across its expanded fore-wings. These are partly brown, grey, 
and buff, pencilled with black zig-zag lines towards their base, and 
dotted with black on the veins and margin. There are two somewhat 
ear-shaped, light-coloured spots in the centre of each fore-wing. 
The hind-wings are greyish-brown, with a darker and crescent-shaped 
mark near the base. The front of the thorax is pale ochrous-coloured, 
and its back dark brown, and marked as represented in our drawing. 
The caterpillar is green, dotted with white, with a yellow line down 
each side near the back, and a red line along above the feet. It feeds 
on any species of Iris, and we have found it also on the common Saw- 
wort (Serratula tinctoria). 
Last week we closed our observations with some 
notes upon the consequences arising from roots being 
kept in a heat too high for their healthy growth, and 
we may resume our remarks by observing that if 
the temperature of the soil be unnaturally below 
that in which the branches are vegetating, the effects 
are equally, though differently, disastrous. The sup¬ 
ply of sap obtained by the chilled roots is too much 
diminished in quantity, and the edges of the leaves 
consequently die, or the blossoms fall, or disease at¬ 
tacks some part of the fruit, according to the nature 
of the plant, or the stage of growth in which it oc¬ 
curs. The shanking in grapes appears traceable to 
this cause. 
No. LV., Vol. Ill 
