December 20. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
140 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
1 ( 
Ml W 
D| D 
DECEMBER 20-26, 1849. 
Weather near London 
in 1848. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R. & S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bef.Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
1 20 ,Th 
Long-tailed Poclier comes. [mences. 
T. 40°—24°. 
N.E. 
Fine. 
6 a. 8 
50 a. 3 
9 
46 
6 
2 
3 
354 
121 F 
St. Thomas. Shrtst.D. Wint.Qr.com- 
T. 34°—23°. 
E. 
Fine. 
6 
51 
10 
52 
7 
1 
33 
355 
22'S 
Sun’s declin.23°27's. Wild Swan comes. 
T. 39 0 — 22 °. 
E. 
Fine. 
7 
51 
morn. 
1 
3 
356 
23!Son 4 S. in Advent. Daisy flowers (White). 
T. 33°—21°. 
E. 
Fine. 
7 
52 
0 
1 
9 
0 
33 
357 
|24,M 
White Nun comes. 
T. 40°—26°. 
E. 
Rain. 
8 
52 
1 
12 
10 
0 
3 
358 
25 Tu 
Christmas Day. Chaffinches in flocks. 
T. 49°—35°. 
N.E. 
Fine. 
8 
53 
2 
26 
11 
0 
27 
359 
^elw 
St. Stephen. Scaup Duck comes. 
T. 51°—40°. 
S. 
Fine. 
8 
54 
3 
42 
12 
0 
57 
360 
St. Thomas, the apostle, we may consider was a twin, for that 
name in the Greek, and Didymus, his name in the Syriac, each bear 
that interpretation ; but we know little more of his personal history 
from the Scriptures beyond those facts recorded in the 11th and 20th 
chapters of St. John’s Gospel, testifying to the energy of his character. 
This energy sustained him in journeyings among the most idolatrous 
of nations—the Bactrians, Ethiopians, and Hindoos, by the last- 
named of which he was murdered, a.d. 73. The instrument of his 
martyrdom was a lance, and the place of his death Meliapore, on the 
western shore of India. His body is believed to have been there in¬ 
terred, as recorded by Marco Polo, who visited the place in 1 269 ; and 
the researches of the llev. Claudius Buchanan, Bishop Heber, and 
others, demonstrate the existence of Christian churches in that region, 
who trace their foundation to this apostle. The earliest evidence 
we have of the existence of these churches is to be found in our 
Chroniclers, who give a general testimony that Alfred the Great sent 
an embassy to India to visit the shrine of St. Thomas. William of 
Malmsbury says, “ He (Alfred) sent many presents over sea to Rome, 
and to St. Thomas in India.” Sigelm, bishop of Sherbourne, sent as 
ambassador for this purpose, penetrated successfully into India, which 
even now is a subject for wonder. Returning thence, he brought 
back many foreign gems and aromatic liquids, the produce of that 
country.” This was at the close of the 9th century, different years 
being stated, varying from 883 to 893. 
This, the shortest day, or middle of the Winter Solstice, is only 
7 hours, 44 minutes, and 17 seconds long. It has, consequently, the 
longest night. It was by the periods of darkness that our Saxon 
forefathers measured their time, and we still retain this mode in such 
words as fortnight and se’ennight, which are abbreviations of four¬ 
teen nights and seven nights. This longest night was held in great 
veneration, and was called the Mother Night, the year being consi¬ 
dered to issue from it, and that it was the parent of all those days 
and nights which followed until the anniversary again came round. 
Christmas Day has once more arrived, and again say we heartily 
—may it be a joyous one to all our friends—aye, and to all our ene¬ 
mies too ; for we would not willingly know of a sad heart in this 
season “ of great joy” provided for man by God. If ever we can be 
at peace and in charity with all men, it is on this day; and we would 
not have even a ceremony omitted which our fathers cherished to 
make “ a cheerful countenance,” and symbolical of the seasonably 
glad heart. 
Come bring, with a noise, 
My merry, merry boys, 
The Christmas log to the firing ; 
While my good dame, she 
Bids ye all be free, 
And drink to your heart’s desiring. 
With the last year’s brand 
Tight the new log, and, 
For good success in his spending, 
On your psalteries play, 
That blessings may 
Come while the log is a teending. 
Drink now the strong beer, 
Cut the white loaf here, 
The while the meat is a shredding 
Tor the rare mince-pie, 
And the plums stand by 
To fill the paste that’s a kneading. 
Meteorology of the Week. —The average highest temperature 
during this week, from the results of the last twenty-two years’ ob¬ 
servations, is 43.9°, and the average lowest temperature 25-7°. The 
greatest heat during the same periods was on the 25th in 1827, when 
the thermometer indicated 58°; and the greatest cold was on the 24th 
in 1830, when the mercury fell to 
10°. During the 154 days of this 
week in the 22 years, rain fell on 59 
only, and 94 were fair. The great 
frosts of 1794 and 1829 commenced 
on the 23rd, and the great frosts of 
1739 and 1819 on the 24th, of this 
month. In 1564 the Thames was 
covered with ice on the 21st, and for 
ten days after. 
Natural Phenomena Indica¬ 
tive of Weather. — Fleeces, or 
clouds like fleeces of wool, intimate 
that rain is forming; and Mares Tails, 
or Curl-clouds, looking like distended 
locks of hair, similarly foretell the 
approach of wind. Aratus, Virgil, 
and Pliny, all speak of these fleecy 
clouds portending bad weather. In¬ 
sects, whether flies or gnats, whether 
those which persecute man or ani¬ 
mals, always are most troublesome, 
and most desirous of feeding on their 
blood, both before and during the 
intervals of wet weather. Why this 
occurs we can no more explain than 
why fish at such times are similarly 
voracious. 
RANGE OF BAROMETER—RAIN IN INCHES. 
I 
Dec. 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
• 1846. 
1847. 
1848. 
20 
B. 
/29.444 
30.397 
30.399 
30.288 
29.019 
29-765 
29.675 
30.301 
129.218 
30.312 
30.297 
30.260 
28.785 
29.655 
29.667 
30.172 
R. 
— 
0.01 
— 
-- 
0.03 
0.07 
— 
— 
21 
B. 
f 29.676 
30.268 
30.404 
30.462 
29798 
29.190 
29.619 
30,334 
I 29.599 
30.234 
30.346 
30.295 
29.421 
29.001 
29.579 
30.315 
R. 
— 
0.01 
— 
— 
0.10 
0.11 
— 
— 
22 
B. 
r 29.851 
30.164 
30.400 
30.239 
29.618 
29.125 
29.948 
30.345 
129.780 
29.853 
30.306 
30.176 
28.983 
29.011 
29732 
30.211 
R. 
0.02 
0.05 
— 
— 
0.20 
0.37 
— 
— 
23 
B. 
f29.854 
29.614 
30.364 
30.238 
29.719 
29.024 
29.910 
30.343 
t 29.793 
29.551 
30.355 
30.095 
29.081 
28.620 
29.658 
30.204 
R. 
0.06 
0.09 
0.01 
— 
0.01 
0.10 
0.05 
— 
24 
B. 
r 30.016 
29-794 
30.483 
30.270 
30.211 
29.332 
30.045 
30.093 
129.902 
29.651 
30.416 
30.245 
30.042 
29.159 
29-786 
29.706 
R. 
0.12 
— 
— 
— 
— 
0.04 
— 
0.02 
25 
B. 
129-769 
29.815 
30.466 
30.260 
30.264 
30.037 
30.185 
30.046 
\ 29.657 
29.659 
30.396 
30.194 
30.176 
29.593 
30.143 
29.836 
R’ 
0.06 
— 
0.01 
— 
0.01 
— 
— 
— 
26 
129.944 
29.548 
30.370 
30.116 
30.076 
30.247 
30.190 
30.024 
B- 
129.755 
29.141 
30.336 
30.072 
29.876 
30.228 
30.141 
29.975 
R. 
0.01 
0.20 
‘ 
~ 
0.01 
Insects. —The Nigger or Black grub sometimes destroys thousands 
of acres of our turnips. Its body is cylindrical, as thick as a crow- 
quill, about half an inch long, greenish black, with a darker line down 
the back ; then a line of dull yellowish grey, and a third of dark slate. 
Underneath the body is paler ; it is wrinkled, and the head is black. 
When alarmed, this grub curls itself together in a somewhat spiral 
form. They feed on the leaf of the turnip, leaving nothing but its 
largest ribs, from the middle of August until about the same period 
of October. They never attack the Swedish turnip. When full-grown 
the grubs bury themselves just below the surface of the earth, each 
forming a small oval cocoon of earth formed into a paste with a gummy 
moisture from its mouth. It remains in the chrysalis state until 
July, when the perfect insect, or Turnip Saw-fly, comes forth. Our 
drawing represents it magnified, the natural size being shewn by the 
crossed lines. It is the Athalia centifolice of some, and A. spinarutn 
of other naturalists. Its colour is bright orange, head black, upper 
lip pale yellow, antennas black, thorax has two large dark spots, and 
other dark marks are about the body and wings. On small plots of 
turnips the Black grub may be easily removed by hand-picking, and 
from larger breadths by turning upon them some broods of ducks. 
I- 
No. LXIV,, Vol. III. 
