November 17. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
113 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
M 
n 
£ 1 NOVEMBER 17—23, 1853. 
Weather ne 
Barometer. 
ar London in 
Thermo. Wind. 
1852. 
ltain in 
Inches. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R. &S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
af. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
i >7 
Th iTitmice near houses. 
29.189—29.070 
56—42 S.W. 
11 
24 a. 7 
6 a. 4 
5 
7 
16 
14 
50 
321 
18 
F Widgeon arrives. 
29.713— 29.279 
40—27 1 S.W. 
— 
2 G 
5 
5 
42 
17 
14 
38 
322 
i 19 
S 
29.763—29.548 
53—36 ' S.E. 
24 
27 
4 
6 
28 
18 
14 
24 
323 
20 
Sun 2fi Sunday after Trinity. 
29.550—29.304 
53—43 i S. 
35 
29 
3 
7 
23 
19 
14 
10 
824 
1 21 
M I’rs. Royal born 1840. 
29 . 09 c— 29.034 
54—45 S.E. 
10 
31 
2 
8 
28 
20 
13 
55 
325 
22 
Tu ISun’s declination, 20° 12' s. 
29.299—29.042 
47-29 E. 
04 
32 
0 
9 
38 
21 
13 
39 
326 
23 
w 1 
29.518—28.965 
44—38 1 S.W. 
38 
34 
III 
10 
52 
€ 
13 
23 
32 7 
Meteorology of the Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-six years, the average highest and lowest tem¬ 
peratures of these days are 49° and 36.1° respectively. The greatest heat, 59°, occurred on the 21st in 1828 ; and thelowestcold, 17°, on the 
l/thin 1841. During the period 85 days were fine, and on 97 rain fell. 
BRITISH WILD BLOWERS. the plant (Th alius), by Lugdunensis and Bauhin. Gerarde 
(Continued from page 17.) calls ^ Paronychia, thinking it might be the plant so called 
ARABIS.—WALL-CRESS. 
Generic Character. — Calyx erect; leaves oblong, egg- 
j shaped, converging, deciduous; two opposite ones rather 
the largest, somewhat protuberant at the base. Petals 
i oblong, reversed-egg-sliaped, undivided, a little spreading, 
I tapering at the base into broadish claws, hardly so long as 
the calyx. Filaments thread-shaped, erect, simple, un¬ 
connected, usually with four glands at their base externally. 
Anthers roundish-heart-shaped, incumbent. German line¬ 
like, about the length of the stamens. Style very short, 
or none. Stigma blunt, simple. Pod line-like, compressed, 
crowned with the permanent stigma; valves almost flat, 
ribbed, or veiny, slightly undulated from the protuberance 
of the seeds, quite as long as the membranous partition- 
Seeds in a single, row, hanging down, oval or orbicular, com¬ 
pressed, with or without a border; cotyledons flat, accumbent. 
Ar.abis tiialiana : Common Wall-cress; Turkey Pod; 
Whitlow Grass. 
Description. —It is an annual. Root tapering, fibrous. Stem 
rather branched, varying greatly in luxuriance, upright, 
simple or branched, hairy, light green, from three to twelve 
inches high. Leaves various in shape and size, spear-head- 
shaped, egg, or reversed-egg-shaped, entire or unequally 
notched, their downiness short, mostly forked; radical 
leaves close to the ground, numerous, stalked; the rest 
smaller, few and scattered, sometimes narrow-spear-head¬ 
shaped. Stem-leaves stalkless. Flowers small, clustered, on 
slender stalks. Calyx generally a little bristly in the upper 
part. Petals twice as long, nearly upright, white. Glands 
minute, and inconstant, curved, hut scarcely protruding 
between the calyx-leaves. Pods ascending, on spreading 
stalks, slender, somewhat curved, smooth, hardly an inch 
long. 
Time of flowering. —April. 
Places where found. —Very common on walls, dry hanks, 
cottage roofs, and sandy soils. 
History. —The generic name has been surmised to have 
been derived from Arabia, in allusion to the sandy soil and 
other dry situations where the first-known species were 
found. Thalia]la is derived from the name bestowed upon 
We do not know that a better definition of Protection 
could be given, than that it is keeping out of barm’s 
way. Such a definition certainly applies most aptly to 
the best mode of protecting fruit-trees. That mode is 
retardation. What is called “ protecting wall trees ” is 
nothing more nor less than saving their blossom from 
being destroyed by frost in early spring. To effect this, 
the usual methods, from time immemorial, have been 
to cover them at night, so soon as the petals begin to 
appear, with mats, nets, evergreen branches, and such 
like. Such shelters are not to be neglected, but stiil 
this is not keeping the blossom out of harm's way. It 
is only sheltering them after they have got into danger. 
To keep the blossoms out of harm’s way would he 
by the Greeks. He says it grew “ upon the brick-wall in 
Chancery Lane, belonging to the Earl of Southampton.” 
It was commonly known in his time, as “ Whitelow Grass, 
Whiteblow, and Nailwort," because “it hath been taken to 
heal the disease of the nails called a Whitlow.” 
best effected by preventing that blossom expanding 
until the spring frosts are passed. That this can be 
effected, there is no doubt, if proper care and precautions 
are taken. Mr. Errington, many years since, made 
this suggestion, and we recur to it now because we 1 
would rouse our readers to try experiments during 
the approaching winter, and because of the following 
letter;— 
“ My Peaches this year, on a W.S.W. aspect, have j 
been abundant. Those on a due S. and S.E. failed. ; 
This aspect has something to do with such result, be¬ 
cause I have always observed that the blossom opens ; 
later there, and the leaves do not blister so much. This j 
last winter, however, remembering what you stated , 
No, CCLXVIII., Vol. XL 
