February 38.] 
285 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
M VV 
n n 1 
} 
FEBRUARY 28—MARCH 6, 1850. 
Weather near London 
in 1849. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R.&S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bef. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
26 Th 
Yew flowers. 
T. 50°—31°. 
S.W. 
Rain. 
50 a. 6 
36 a. 5 
8 19 
16 
12 
48 
59 
IF 
Oavid. Heath Snail appears, 
T. 49°—39°. 
N.W. 
Fine. 
48 
38 
9a.33 
17 
12 
37 
Go 
2jS 
Chad. Pilewort flowers. 
T. 51°—34°. 
S.W. 
Fine. 
46 
39 
10 43 
18 
12 
24 
6l 
3 Sun 
3 Sunday in Lent. Rooks build. 
T. 53°—41°. 
S.W. 
Fine. 
43 
41 
11 52 
19 
12 
12 
62 
4 [ M 
Mistletoe flowers. 
T. 58°—21°. 
S.W. 
Fine. 
41 
43 
morn. 
20 
11 
58 
63 
6iTu 
White Dead Nettle flowers. 
T. 54°— 26 °. 
S.W. 
Fine. 
39 
45 
O 56 
€ 
ii 
45 
64 
1 
6'W 
Dor Beetle appears. _ 
T. 55°—41°. 
S.W. 
Fine. 
37 
46 
1 56 
22 
n 
31 
6.5 
St. David, the patron of Wales, is commemorated on the first of 
March ; and the poet not unaptly writes :— 
“ March, various, fierce, and wild, with wind-crackt cheeks, 
By wilder Welshmen led, and crowned with leeks.” 
In the west of England, where March is called Lide, and Ramsin is 
a species of onion, the following lines are popular:— 
“ Eat leeks in Lide, and ramsins in May, 
And all the year after physicians may play.” 
In the north of England this proverb is common, indicating the time 
when heavy soils ought to be lit for sowing:— 
“ Upon St. David’s day 
Put oats and barley in the clay.” 
St. David, who was Archbishop of Minevia, now called by his name, 
flourished at the close of the 6th and early part of the / th centuries. 
St. Chad was a native of Northumberland, and born of Saxon 
parents. He was the chief agent in converting the Mercians to 
Christianity, being at the time a hermit, residing in a cell at Litch¬ 
field, in Staffordshire, on the spot where now its church, dedicated to 
him, stands. He officiated as Archbishop of York whilst Wilfrede 
went to Paris for consecration ; and on the return of this prelate St. 
Chad resigned the office, and soou after was raised to the Bishopric 
of Litchfield. He died on this day, in 673 . 
Meteorology ok the Week. —The average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these seven days, during the last twenty-three years, 
have been, respectively, 48.5° and 35°. During the same period there 
were 96 fine days, and 65 days on which rain occurred. The lowest 
temperature during the period was on the 1st in 1847s on which day 
the thermometer fell to 24°. 
Natural Phenomena Indicative of Weather: The Leech .— 
We are indebted for the following to W. H. Attree, Esq., Surgeon, 
9, New Cavendish-square:—“ 1. If the weather proves serene and 
beautiful, the leech lies motionless at the bottom of the glass, rolled 
together in a spiral form. 2. If it rains, either before or after noon, 
it is found crept up to the top of its lodging, and there it remains 
until the weather is settled. 3. If we are to have wind, the poor 
prisoner gallops through its limpid habitation with amazing swift¬ 
ness, and seldom rests until it begins toblow hard. 4. If a remarkable 
storm of thunder and rain 
is to succeed, forsome days 
before it lodges almost 
continually without water, 
and discovers uncommon 
uneasiness, in violent 
throes and convulsive-like 
motions. 5. In the frost, 
as in the clear summer 
weather, it lies constantly 
at the bottom; and in 
snow, as in rainy weather, 
it pitches its dwelling upon 
the mouth of the phial. 
6. Perhaps it may not be 
amiss to note, lest any of 
the curious should try the 
experiment, that the leech 
was kept in a common 
two - ounce phial, about 
three - fourths filled with 
water, and covered with a 
bit of linen rag. In the 
summer the water is chan¬ 
ged once a week, and in 
the winter once a fort¬ 
night. This is a weather¬ 
glass which may be pur¬ 
chased at a very trifling 
expense. 
RANGE OF BAROMETER—RAIN IN INCHES. 
Feb. 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 
1848. 
1849. 
28 
B. 
/ 29.874 
29.593 
29.434 
29-633 
29.933 
29-952 
30.229 
29.419 
29.624 
i. 29.681 
29.388 
29.004 
29.480 
29.917 
29.664 
30.197 
29.244 
29.331 
March 
H 
0.33 
_ 
0.08 
— 
— 
— 
0.01 
0.84 
529.693 
29.588 
29.851 
29.459 
29.929 
30.056 
30.384 
28.907 
30.026 
1 
B. 
{ 29.585 
29.226 
29.676 
29.339 
29.904 
29.952 
30.275 
28.637 
29.426 
R. 
0.10 
0.02 
— 
0.04 
— 
— 
— 
0.11 
— 
1-29.685 
29766 
30.029 
29.429 
29.858 
29.953 
30.508 
29.106 
30.283 
B. 
\ 29.393 
29701 
29.961 
29.372 
29-858 
29-928 
30.417 
29.540 
30.125 
r. 
0.30 
0.41 
— 
0.04 
0.10 
— 
— 
0.11 
5 29.665 
29.856 
30.159 
29.427 
29-841 
29.869 
30.491 
30.064 
30.461 
3 
B. 
{ 29-315 
29-839 
30.070 
29.359 
29-545 
29-705 
30.488 
29.870 
30.366 
R. 
0.02 
0.01 
— 
0.20 
0.28 
— 
— 
0.03 
r 29.904 
29.957 
30.378 
29.513 
29.908 
29.491 
30.474 
30.122 
30.459 
4 
B. 
129.818 
29.918 
30.298 
29-240 
29.900 
29.403 
30.375 
30.000 
30.447 
R. 
0.08 
r 29.857 
30.036 
30.3/0 
0.48 
29.806 
30.075 
0.12 
29.599 
30.265 
0.04 
29.808 
30.605 
5 
B. 
R. 
1 . 29.299 
529.960 
30.008 
29-992 
30.331 
30.269 
29.762 
29.924 
29.919 
30.229 
29.471 
0.27 
29729 
30.250 
30.170 
29.742 
0.40 
29.859 
30.45/ 
30.618 
6 
B. 
129-723 
29.813 
30.231 
29740 
30.205 
29.549 
30.022 
29.787 
30.280 
R. 
0.02 
_— 
Insects. —The small moth represented magnified in our drawing, but of which 
the natural dimensions are represented by the cross-lines beneath, is one capable 
of being a most severe scourge to the fruit grower. It is the Apple Tortrix, and 
known among naturalists as the Semasia Woelerana, Carpocapsa, and I gratis 
Wotherana, and some other names. The moth appears in June. The fore-wings 
are a dirty orange colour, marked with dark bands, and numerous silvery and 
p-olden lines on their front edge, and fringed with black and dirty orange. The 
hind-wings are greyish-brown, with a pale fringe. They lay their eggs witlnn the 
cracks of the bark of the apple and plum; and their caterpillars, which are dirty 
green, with red heads, feed upon the inner bark and alburnum of the trees, l his 
causes gumming in the plum, and canker in the apple. A very good representation 
of its ravages may be seen in the 86th plate of the second volume of IT- estwood s 
Moths. There are, also, some observations upon the same subject by Mr, Spence, 
in the Horticultural Society’s Transactions, vol. ii. 
We have withdrawn all our editorial observations 
to-day, to make room for the great mass of interesting 
correspondence we have received; hut, although we 
have done this, we have many letters which must 
wait until we can provide room for them. So great is 
the amount of information for which we cannot at 
present provide space, that we must enlarge our 
columns; but it shall be without either altering our 
size or increasing our price. 
THE ERUIT-GAKDEN. 
We must again handle more than one subject, for 
at this particular juncture a host of matters press, 
both out doors and in. 
Pines. —At page 195 we hinted that an increased 
amount of light would be the signal lor an increased 
temperature, and for making what rearrangements 
might become necessary preparatory to a course oi 
summer and autumn culture. In the first place, il 
any new bottom-heats of fermenting material have 
No. LXXIV., Vol TII 
