November 3. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
73 
M 
n 
T) 
W 
j NOVEMBER 3—9, 1853 
Weatiier near London in 
Barometer. Thermo. Wind. 
1 
1852. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
1 
3 
Th 
Drab Dav Moth ; woods. 
1 
29748—29.(158 
56—32 S.W. 
16 
4 
F 
iLaburnum leafless. 
29.840—29.689 
60—44 S. 
01 
5 
S 
Gunpowder Plot, 1605. 
29.391—29.306 
03—40 S. 
05 
6 
Sun 
24 Sunday after Trinity. 
29.843—29./37 
58—52 ! S.W. 
05 
7 
M 
Lombardy Poplar leafless. 
29-979—29.86-2 
60—54 S.W. 
15 
8 
To 
[Mayor’s 
day. 
30.146—30.048 
62—56 ; S.W. 
— 
9 
W 
Pr. Wales born, 1841. 
Lord 
30.164—30.045 
59—48 1 S.W. 
— 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
M oon 
R. & S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
af. Sun. 
Dav of 
Year. 
59 a. 6 
28 a. 4 
5 
50 
2 
16 
18 
307 
VII 
26 
1 6 
35 
3 
16 
17 
308 
3 
25 
1 7 
34 
4 
K) 
16 
309 
5 
23 
8 
47 
5 
16 
13 
310 
6 
21 
10 
6 
6 
16 
10 
311 
8 
20 
11 
26 
) 
16 
6 
312 
10 
18 
morn. 
8 
16 
0 
313 
Meteorology of tue Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-six vears, the average highest and i 
peratures of these days are 56^ and 40.1° respectively. The greatest heat, 63°, occurred on the 6th in 1834 ; and the lowest cold 
nod 80 davs wp.re finp. nnd <vn 09 pain coia, 
3rd in 1845. During the period 89 days were fine, and on 93 rain fell. 
lowest tem- 
20°, on the 
NEW PLANTS. 
Alonsoa acutifolia ( Pointed-leaved Alonsoa). 
This was raised by the Horticultural Society fro-m seed sent 
; from Bolivia, by J. B. Pentland, Esq. Its merit is founded 
on its bright scarlet flowers, which grow in loose terminal 
clusters. It is a shrubby greenhouse plant, about two feet 
! high. To any one but a botanist it would seem to he 
Alonsoa incisasfolia, from which it differs in its anthers being 
equal to their filaments in length. (Horticultural Society’s 
. Journal , viii. 318.) 
Xanthokrhcea hastile (Spear Yellow Gum). 
It is also known as X. rcsinosa, and as “ The Yellow 
I Resin Tree." The genus, which is popularly called “ the 
I Grass Trees” and “ the Gum Trees,” belongs to the Natural 
Order of the Lilyworts, and to Hexandria Monogynia of 
j Linnaeus. Though known as long since as 1803, yet the 
i specimens of the species before us seem to have died 
1 without living long enough to have attracted much notice. 
; “ At length, says Sir W. J. Hooker, we received a healthy 
plant from Port Jackson, in 1815, through Mr. Kidd, then 
placed in temporary charge of the Botanic Garden at 
Sidney. This blossomed with us in the spring of 1853, 
while still, we apprehend, comparatively a small plant, the 
whole height, including the scape and spike, being barely 
six feet. The scape alone, in its native country, attains a 
height of 18 or 20 feet, and is used by the natives for 
making spears (whence the specific name hastile) and fish- 
gigs, being pointed with the teeth of fish or other animals.” 
It looks more like a large Bull-Rush than any other 
familiar plant with which we can compare, and its desig- 
' nation “ Tree,” gives a very erroneous idea of its appearance, 
which is that of a gigantic grass .—(Botanical Magazine, 
t. 4722.) 
Littonia jiodesta (Unassuming Littonia). 
This is a new genus, named in memory of the late Dr. 
Samuel Litton, who for twenty-one years was Professor of 
Botany in the Royal Dublin Society, and the specific name 
is excellently applicable, for “ Dr. Litton’s unassuming and 
retiring disposition prevented his taking that rank in general 
society to which his acquirements entitled him.” It belongs 
to the Natural Order of Melanths, and to Hexandria Mono¬ 
gynia of Linnaeus. It is a native of Natal, where it was 
At a meeting of the Entomological Society, on the 3rd 
of October, Dr. Lankester exhibited some insects taken 
at Newcastle, last month, during the prevalence of the 
cholera, and forwarded to the Epidemiological Society. 
He read, also, a letter from a gentleman resident in that 
town, describing their advent as in thousands. The 
President said these insects were Aphides *, and remarks 
were made by several members, to the effect that, at 
this season of the year, the migrations of the winged 
females occurred often in great numbers, and there was 
no reason to think they were local in Newcastle, or had 
any reference to the cholera, as had been inferred in the 
* Since determined, by Mr. Walker, to be of more than one species ; 
but chiefly A. rumicis, one of the commonest of the genus. 
discovered by John Sanderson, Esq., was sent to Kew by 
Mr-. MeKen, from the Natal Garden, and bloomed there in 
April of the present year. 
It is a tuberous-rooted stove plant. “An old, fully- 
formed tuber is larger than a Spanish Chesnut, and some¬ 
what of the same shape, but having two projecting lobes or 
horns pointing downwards, with a few hair - like fibres 
beneath. When planted, a new white tuber is formed from 
the apex of one of these.” From the broad end of this 
new tuber the stem rises and roots from the pointed end. 
The stem is climbing, and about three feet long. The 
flowers are formed of six orange-coloured sepals. It climbs 
by means of the tendril-like terminations of the leaves. 
(Botanical Magazine, t. 4723.) 
newspapers, but the hot, moist, stagnant atmosphere, 
which had been noticed was favourable to the spread¬ 
ing of that disease, would probably induce their rapid 
development, and would certainly lead to their being 
more observed than in windy weather. Mr. Saunders 
remarked, that in India vast numbers of Diptera were 
seen on hot, damp mornings, there termed “ cholera 
weather;” and Mr. Daily observed, that in Warwick¬ 
shire, in 1849, during the presence of cholera, the 
people had noticed great swarms of “ flies,” hut he 
knew not the species, and it was not to be supposed 
there was any connection between them and the disease. 
Mr. Ingpen sent for exhibition leaves of Chrysan¬ 
themums infested with Dipterous mining larvae, to a 
No. CCLNVI., Vox,. XL 
