October 25. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
57 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
M 
D 
W 
1) 
OCTOBER 25—31, 1849. 
Weather near London 
in 1848. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R. & S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
lief. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
25 
Tn 
Crispin. Short-eared Owl comes. 
T. 5fi°—31°. 
W. 
Rain. 
43 a. 6 
45 a. 4 
mom. 
9 
15 
4ft 
298 
2 <: 
F 
Whitethorn-leaves fall. 
T. 6l°—38°. 
S. 
Rain. 
45 
43 
0 4 
10 
15 
54 
299 
2/ 
S 
Wild Geese come in flocks. 
T. 56°—43°. 
S. 
Rain. 
47 
41 
1 11 
11 
15 
59 
300 
28 
Su 
21 S, apt. T. St. Simon & St. Jude. 
T. 54°—37°. 
s.w. 
Rain. 
49 
39 
2 20 
12 
If) 
4 
:io 1 
22 
M 
Red-currant leafless. 
T. 53°—31°. 
s.w. 
Rain. 
50 
37 
3 32 
13 
1() 
8 
302 
30 
Tu 
Woodcock arrives. 
T. 56°—32°. 
s.w. 
Rain. 
52 
35 
4 47 
14 
1G 
11 
303 
31 
W 
Elm-leaves fall. 
T. 50°—38°. 
s.w. 
Rain. 
54 
34 
rises. 
© 
lfi 
14 
304 
Crispin and Crispianus were brothers, horn at Rome, and be¬ 
headed at Soissons by its governor, Rictionarius, when he found that 
they had travelled thither to propagate Christianity. There is a 
Kentish tradition that they were buried near Lydd, in that county, 
and a heap of stones on the beach there, near a place called Stones 
End, is shewn as the monument of their interment. Following the 
example of Paul, and others of the apostles, they adopted a trade, 
that they might not be burdensome to t heir flocks. The two brothers 
learned the art of shoe-making, and hence became its patron saint. 
An old romance relates that an exiled prince named Crispin also be¬ 
came a shoemaker for subsistence, and that thence the trade became 
known as the gentle craft —the French term gentil having reference 
to nobleness of birth. 
St. Simon and St. Jude, —These apostles have been jointly com¬ 
memorated since the year 1091. It is believed they were the sons of 
Joseph—the husband of the Virgin Mary—by a previous wife. That 
they were the reputed brothers of Jesus Christ appears from this 
verse: “ Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called 
Mary, and his brethren James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas f” 
(Matt. xiii. 55.) There are several authorities which shew that our 
forefathers expected that it would invariably rain on this day, and 
our present meteorological calendars demonstrate that the expecta¬ 
tion was not altogether groundless. 
Meteorology op tiie Week. —The average highest temper¬ 
ature during the above seven days, from observations made during 
the last 22 years, is 54.2°, and the average lowest temperature 38.4°. 
The highest temperature observed during the period was on the 30th 
of October, 1833, and the lowest on the 28th in 1836, when the ther¬ 
mometer fell to 23°. It rained more or less on 73 days of the 154, 
and the greatest quantity of rain falling on any one of the days was 
1.06 inch. We must guard our readers from concluding that in dis¬ 
tricts where the greatest amount of rain in inches falls that there the 
climate is most damp, and it would be an equally erroneous conclusion 
for any one to think that where there are the greatest number of rainy 
days that there the amount of rain is largest: the contrary is usually 
the fact. At this period it is very usual for long successions of heavy 
rains to fall, and consequently for the most violent floods on record 
to occur. The greatest flood of the middle ages, during which the 
Severn overflowed, was at this time of October in the year 1483. For 
many years after it was always mentioned as “ the year of the great 
waters.” 
RANGE OF BAROMETER-RAIN IN INCHES. Natural Phenomena Indica¬ 
tive op Weather. — Butterflies 
appearing early sometimes are the 
forerunners of fine weather. Maths 
also intimate the continuance of fine 
weather if they arc numerous during 
the evening. Calms often precede 
violent gales, and the calmest and 
clearest mornings sometimes are fol¬ 
lowed by a blowing showery day. 
Thus, too, there arc a few degrees of 
latitude to the north of the equator 
which seamen endeavour to avoid, 
for though they are proverbially 
known as “ The Calms,” yet it is 
the region of the most violent thunder 
storms. Candles often prognosticate 
truly the occurrence of foul weather 
by flaring, snapping, burning un¬ 
steadily, and having their wicks loaded 
with what are often called “fun¬ 
guses,” :ill which phenomena are 
explicable upon chemical principles. 
The combustion or burning of the 
tallow is more perfect when the air 
is dry and warm than when it is moist 
and cold. 
Insects. —Flying about mallows, lavatcra, and hollyhocks, may 
now be seen occasionally, for it is rather a rare insect, the large 
Mallow moth, Larentia cermnaria of some naturalists, and Geometra 
cervinaria and G. cluvaria of others. It measures nearly two inches 
across its expanded fore-wings. These are reddish brown, banded 
with dark brown, and these bands edged with white, as shewn in our 
drawing. The hind-wings are pale brown, with bands of darker 
brown, and edged by a white line. This moth lays its eggs on the 
plants we have mentioned, but chiefly on the two first named. The 
caterpillars arc found in June and July; they are dull green coloured, 
with darker lines of the same down its sides, and dots of white across. 
Oct. 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 
1848. 
25 
B. 
f29.234 
29.623 
29.404 
29.853 
30.318 
29.864 
30.283 
29.652 
I 29.061 
29.333 
29.391 
29.760 
30.1/6 
29.687 
29.939 
29.163 
R. 
0.01 
0.72 
— 
0.03 
— 
0.08 
— 
0.02 
26 
B. 
(• 29.460 
29.625 
29-614 
30.096 
30.321 
30.149 
30.366 
29.861 
l 29.318 
29.572 
29.479 
29.917 
30.230 
29-91)8 
30.343 
29.812 
R. 
0.11 
0.02 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
0.08 
27 
B. 
129.465 
29.691 
29.730 
30.252 
30.113 
20.260 
30.341 
29.488 
l 29.406 
29.677 
29.440 
30.237 
30.060 
30.136 
30.331 
29.280 
R. 
0.92 
— 
0.17 
— 
— 
0.01 
0.22 
0.39 
28 
B. 
( 29.820 
29.942 
29.380 
30.209 
30.069 
30.211 
30.315 
29.594 
l 29.601 
29743 
29.100 
30.129 
30.036 
30.109 
30.273 
29.488 
R. 
0.10 
— 
0.02 
— 
— 
— 
— 
0.34 
29 
B. 
f29.818 
29.807 
29.640 
30.053 
29.970 
30.028 
30.207 
29.511 
t 29.766 
29.770 
29.620 
29.912 
29.859 
29.971 
30.1G7 
29.493 
R. 
0.09 
— 
0.16 
0.28 
— 
0.01 
— 
0.01 
30 
B. 
f 29776 
30,158 
29.410 
29.821 
29.966 
30.130 
30.282 
29.528 
\ 29.721 
30.101 
29.190 
29.808 
29-884 
30.102 
30.106 
29.498 
R. 
0.06 
— 
0.38 
0.02 
— 
— 
— 
0.07 
31 
B. 
f 29-877 
30.231 
29.440 
29.812 
30.159 
29.131 
30.239 
29.566 
1 29.798 
30.223 
29.390 
29.687 
30.118 
30.071 
30.085 
29.545 
R. 
0.19 
1.62 
~ 
0.01 
0.12 
Continuing our observations upon the probable guide 
that the occurrence of natural phenomena may be to 
the time most beneficial for the performance of horti¬ 
cultural operations, we may remark in confirmation of 
our opinion, that whatever may he the character of 
the season, whether it he unusually cold or preter- 
naturally mild, the same order prevails in the leafing 
of plants, as follows :— 
1. Honeysuckle. 
2. Gooseberry. 
3. Currant. 
4. Elder. 
5. Birch. 
6. Weeping Willow 
7. Raspberry. 
19 . Marsh Elder. 
20. Wvch Elm. 
21 . Quicken Tree. 
22. Ilombean. 
23. Apple. 
24. Ahele. 
25. Chestnut. 
8 . Bramble. 
9 . Brier. 
10. Plum. 
11 . Apricot. 
12. Peach. 
13. Filbert. 
14. Sallow. 
15. Alder. 
16 . Sycamore. 
17 . Elm. 
18. Quince. 
20. Willow. 
27 . Oak. 
28. Lime. 
29 . Maple. 
30. Walnut. 
31. Plane. 
32. Black Poplar. 
33. Beech. 
34. Acacia Robinia. 
35. Ath. 
36. Carolina Poplar. 
This invariable simultaneous change, this consis¬ 
tent adherence to the same order of time, seems to 
demonstrate that the same circumstances, the same 
variations of cold and moisture endured, produce this 
general similar effect; they make all plants delay or 
accelerate their leafing to the most favourable time for 
No. LVI, Vol. III. 
