November 29. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
105 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
M 
D 
w 
D 
NOV. 29 —DEC. 5, 1840. 
Weather near London 
in 1848. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R. & S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bef. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
29 
Tu 
Tkrusb sings again. 
T. 55—38. 
S.W. 
Rain. 
43 a. 7 
54 a. 3 
6 11 
15 
11 
25 
333 
30 
F 
St. Andrew. Stock-dove comes. 
T. 48—30. 
s.w. 
Rain. 
45 
53 
rises 
© 
11 
3 
334 
1 
S 
Trees leafless generally. 
T. 48—34. 
S.W. 
Rain. 
VII 
III 
5 46 
- 17 
10 
41 
335 
2 
Sun 
Advent Sun. Pipistrelle Bat last seen. 
T. 45—29. 
s.w. 
Rain. 
48 
5£ 
e 49 
18 
10 
18 
336 
3 
M 
Grey Plover goes. 
T. 51—36. 
s.w. 
Rain. 
49 
51 
7 59 
19 
9 
54 
337 
4 
Tu 
Linnean and Hort. Societies’ meetings. 
T, 53—38. 
s.w. 
Rain. 
50 
51 
9 14 
20 
9 
30 
338 
5 
W 
Pin-tailed Duck comes. 
T. 53—39. 
s.w. 
Rain. 
52 
50 
10 30 
21 
9 
5 
339 
St. Andrew was a disciple of St. John the Baptist, and afterwards 
of our Lord, being one of the twelve selected to be his most constant 
companions. He was the younger brother of St. Peter, and the first 
disciple called by our Saviour. An the latter account, and because he 
was the first who brought others to Jesus, it has been suggested that 
his festival was placed nearest to the celebration of Advent, that other 
festival which commemorates the coming of our Redeemer. Although 
it so appropriately happens, yet the best authorities state that it was 
on the 30th of November, a.d. 69 , that Andrew suffered martyrdom, 
and on that account, most probably, he is on this day commemorated. 
Authorities differ as to whether he evangelized in Greece or Scythia, 
but all agree that he was put to death cruelly at Patras, by order of 
Egteus, the pro-consul. The opinion that he was fastened to a cross, 
called decussated, or in the form of the letter X, is of great antiquity, 
but the oldest authorities state that he was nailed to an olive-tree. 
The Scotch have believed that various relics of St. Andrew were 
brought into Fifeshire by Regulus, an ecclesiastic of the Greek 
Church, who was wrecked in the bay of St. Andrews, and that from 
this circumstance the city of the same name was founded, and the 
apostle adopted as the national patron saint. 
Advent, or the coming, now includes the four—as formerly it did 
the six—weeks before the celebration of our Saviour’s birth. The 
first Sunday in Advent, called Advent Sunday, is now always the 
Sunday, whether before or after, which occurs nearest to St. Andrew’s 
day. Except by special license, it is doubted whether marriages can 
be solemnized from the commencement of Advent until after the close 
of Epiphany on the 14th of January. 
Meteorology of the Week.— The average highest temperature 
of the above seven days, according to observations made during the 
last 22 years, is 48,3°, and the average lowest temperature 36,7°. Of 
course, the heat is occasionally much greater, and often much less. 
Thus, on the 3rd of December, 1847, it rose to 57°, and on the 5th, in 
1844, fell as low as 14°. In the 22 years referred to, 79 of these days 
were fine, and on 75 of them rain occurred. It is not often that our 
large and rapid rivers are frozen over, but this occasionally occurs; 
and when they are, the frost usually sets in during November. Thus, 
on the 24th of November, 1716 , a frost commenced, which continued 
until February the 9 th, 1717. during which fairs were held and oxen 
roasted on the frozen-over Thames. In 1788-9, the same river could 
be crossed on the ice opposite the London Custom-house from No¬ 
vember to January; and the same occurred in 1813-14, and in 
1823. 
Natural Phenomena Indicative of Weather.— As rain ap¬ 
proaches, doses become dull and sleepy, and are not easily aroused 
from before the fire. At such times they also eat grass, or “take 
physic,” as children term it, showing that the canine, like the human, 
stomach is liable to be disturbed by change of weather. It is quite 
certain that they are excited by the electrical changes which take 
place as the weather varies, for they howl at night, dig holes in the 
ground, and betray other symptoms of excitement just before the oc¬ 
currence of a change of weather. Drains and cesspools are more 
offensive than usual when rain is near at hand, because all smells are 
conveyed more readily by damp air than by dry air. Ducks fluttering 
about, washing themselves in the water, and being more than usually 
clamorous, indicates approaching rain. Geese and other water-fowl 
are similarly excited by such an approaching change of weather. 
Insects. —At this season of the 
year, in felling fruit and other trees, 
especially the ash, if much decayed, 
the beetle of which we have given a 
drawing is often found in consider- 
RANGE OF BAROMETER—RAIN IN INCHES. 
able numbers. It is of so repulsive 
a form and colour that it is usual to 
consider it as an agent of mischief, 
but it is not so, and we would save 
it from unmerited slaughter. It is 
the Small Stag beetle, Dorcus parallelipipedus of some entomolo¬ 
gists, and Lucanus parallelipipedus of others. It is black, with the 
head of greater breadth than length, and furnished with mandibles, 
or jaws, of a form and position resembling the horns of a stag, from 
whence it receives its popular name. Its horns, or antennae, are gra¬ 
dually thickened towards their end, and are there toothed like a comb 
on the inside: thorax larger than tbe head, and seems to form a part of 
it. It is about an inch long. We are convinced that it does not 
Nov. 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 
1848. 
29 
B. 
/ 29.176 
29.527 
30.366 
30.038 
29.733 
29.799 
29.699 
29.919 
128.948 
29.519 
30.293 
29-958 
29,702 
29710 
29.342 
29742 
R. 
0.54 
0.01 
— 
— 
0.51 
— 
0.02 
0.12 
30 
B. 
/ 29.250 
29.975 
30.381 
30.099 
29.936 
29.994 
29.826 
29.893 
128.845 
29.602 
30.064 
30.073 
29-885 
29.848 
29.720 
29.713 
R. 
0.05 
0.01 
0.06 
— 
— 
— 
0.04 
0.01 
1 
B. 
r 29.536 
30.017 
30.076 
30.123 
29.997 
29.900 
30.353 
29.614 
1 29.301 
29.997 
30.034 
30.083 
29.749 
29.655 
30.188 
29.355 
R. 
0.8 
0.01 
— 
— 
0.02 
— 
— 
0.19 
B. 
129.437 
30.0/9 
30.215 
30.053 
29.952 
29.428 
30.269 
29.612 
129.270 
30.028 
29.991 
29.998 
29.501 
29.631 
30.173 
29.362 
R. 
0.15 
— 
0.02 
— 
0.30 
— 
— 
0.02 
B. 
f29.246 
30.382 
30.368 
30.073 
29.570 
29.716 
30.113 
29.797 
i 28.948 
30.200 
30.348 
30.041 
29-422 
29.564 
29.992 
29.579 
R. 
0.17 
— 
0.01 
— 
0.04 
— 
0.11 
0.01 
B. 
/ 29.922 
30.406 
30.358 
30.223 
29.769 
29.878 
29.943 
29.268 
129.297 
30.341 
30.276 
30.196 
29.541 
29.788 
29.445 
29.116 
R. 
0.13 
— 
0.01 
— 
0.39 
— 
0.28 
0.19 
B. 
f 30.038 
30.297 
30.148 
30.111 
29.514 
30.003 
29.486 
29.215 
129.938 
30.222 
30.044 
30.069 
29.470 
29.811 
28.287 
28.986 
R. 
0.14 
0.02 
0.11 
0.12 
0.01 
injure the living wood, but feeds upon it when decayed. In trees so fail¬ 
ing they are sometimes so numerous that seventy-six have been found 
in the old stump of an oak. Its grub is bluish-white in colour, and 
large in proportion to the size of the beetle, being two inches long, 
and stout in proportion. It is so formed that it will bear a very heavy 
pressure unhurt. Both the grub and the perfect beetle are found this 
month in the interior of old decayed trees, but especially of the willow, 
ash, and elm. 
Often liave we inquired how it is that that good old 
plant Leouotis leonurus is not more generally culti¬ 
vated hy gardeners for late autumn decoration. It 
grows a3 freely as a willow, and its cuttings strike as 
easily as do those of a Salvia. It lasts a long time in 
flower, and is not over particular about winter quar¬ 
ters. It might be treated in a half dry state, like 
fuchsias and other half-hardy plants in an outhouse. 
The answers invariably given are, that the plant soon 
gets “ sticky” and naked below, and that it is pecu¬ 
No. LXI., Vol. HI. 
liarly liable to the attacks of the red spider; so that 
in nine cases out of ten it disappoints the expecta¬ 
tions of the cultivator. To get rid of these objections 
to an old and deserving favourite, we advise the fol¬ 
lowing method of treating it as an annual. About 
the end of February, or early in March, make cut¬ 
tings from the strongest of the side branches; pot 
them singly into five-inch pots as soon as they are 
well rooted, and give them one more shift in about 
five or six weeks. As soon as the plants are well- 
