Dkokmbeu '-ML 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
23-3 
WEEKLY CALENDAR 
* r j DKC. 29, 1853.—JAN. 4, 1834. 
Weatiikh nicaR London in 
Barometer. Thermo. Wind. 
1 
1852. 
Itainin „ Sun 
Inches. ! Klsea ' 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon Moon’s 
It. & S. 1 Age. 
Clock 
af. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
-‘I-1 
20 Tu Velvet Duck comes. 
29.677—29.6.54 
54—47 
s.w. 
02 9 a 8 
56 a. 3 
7 28 ! 29 
2 25 
363 1 
3 U F Yellow-line Quaker; trees. 
30 .Ol 6 - 29 . 73 i 
5‘2—33 
s.w. 
— ) 9 
57 
sets. g) 
2 54 
364 
21 S Incomplete ; woods. 
30.119—30.071 
50—44 
s. 
- 9 
53 
5a 16 ! 1 
3 23 
365 
1 Sun ll Sunday after Christ. Cir. 
30.039—29. «98 
52—47 
s,w. 
03 9 
IV 
6 41 2 
3 51 
I 
2 M (Oniscus asellus ; walls. 
29 . 863 — 29.703 
51—44 
s.w. 
18 8 
0 
8 6 3 
4 20 
2 
3 Tu (Porcellio scaber; under stones. 
29 . 798 — 29.663 
49—30 
w. 
— 8 
1 
9 28 4 
1 4 48 
3 
4 W '.Armadillo vulgaris. 
29 . 657 — 29.463 
52—38 
s.w. 
12 8 
2 
10 46 5 
! 5 15 
4 
RIktkorolocy of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-six years, the averatre highest and lowest tem¬ 
peratures of these days are 42.8’ and 32.3° respectively. The greatest heat, 5(i°, oecurredon the 30th in 1833 j and the lowest cold, 12°, on the 
1st in 1837. During the period 111 days were fine, and on 71 rain fell. 
BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 
(Continued from page 173.) 
Arabis hispida : Alpine, or Welch Rock Cress; Alpine 
Lady's Smock. 
Description .—It is a perennial. Hoot woody, tapering, 
running deep into the ground, subdivided and tufted at the 
crown, not at all creeping. Stem one, or more, three or 
four inches high, erect or ascending, simple or slightly 
branched, cylindrical, leafy, frequently quite smooth, some¬ 
times rough towards the base, with simple spreading hairs. 
Rout-leaves numerous, about half-an-inch long, composing 
several lax tufts, slightly succulent, deep green, sometimes j 
nearly or quite smooth, but most frequently rough, especially 
on the upper side, with short, spreading, cloven or three¬ 
forked bristly hairs; their outline, more or less, perfectly | 
lyrate, sometimes merely hatchet-sliaped, rarely only | 
reversed-egg-shaped, and slightly piunatifid, always tapering 
at the base into a slender footstalk , longer than the leaf. j 
Stem-leaves scattered, spear-head, blunt, mostly quite entire i 
and smooth, sometimes hairy ; the lower ones having now j 
and then a lateral notch, and more or less of a footstalk. 
Flowers in terminal, solitary, erect, lax, very smooth clusters, 
much elongated, and somewhat wavy, after flowering. Calyx 
smooth, slightly spreading, membranous at the margin. 
Petals twice as long, pale purple, or white, with a horizontal, 
reversed-egg-shaped, entire border. Pods spreading, smooth, 
line-like, tipped with the round-headed, somewhat elevated, 
stigma ; their valves separating at the top and bottom, 
slightly curved back at each end, but not rolled back; in 
Ehrhart’s specimen they have a slender, not very prominent 
keel, which may also be perceived in some British ones, 
though not so far advanced. Seeds disposed in a simple row. 
Ptaccs where found. —On moist, lofty rocks in II ales, 
Scotland, and Cumberland. 
Time of flowering. —July. 
History. —This was flrst discovered in Wales by Mr. ; 
Lhwyd, at the close of the seventeenth century. It has , 
been much mistaken by botanists, and confounded not only 
with other species but with another genus. Hence De- I 
candolle calls it Arabis petrtea; Crantz describes it as 
A. tlialiana; and it is the A. Crantziana of Ehrhart, Sisym- i 
briiun arenosum of Linnaeus, in his “ Flora Suecica,” but not 
of his “ Species Plantarum; ” Cardaminc petrtea, of Hudson, 
and others; Cardamine hastulata, of Sowerby; and Nas¬ 
turtium petrteum Cambro-britannicum Johnsoni of Ray, who, 
in the third volume of his “ Historia Plantarum,’’ page 
413, describes the places near Lhanberis, where it was 
observed by Mr. Lhwyd. Donn, endeavouring to adopt all 
former names, makes Arabis petrtea, the species, and Crant¬ 
ziana, hispida, hastulata, feeroensis, and runcinata, as its 
varieties. IVe believe that all the trivial variations on which 
these are founded arise merely from the varied soils and 
climates in which they are found. (Smith, Withering. 
Donn. Ray.) j 
May the year which is now withdrawing have to our 
readers no remembrance more poignant than the thorns 
of the Holly-leaves with which he is crowned at his 
departure; and may the gifts of the New Year have a 
faithful emblem in the incrustation of the cakes which 
seem bowled about his arrival. May the inscription on 
the mantle of the departing year he, “Peace” to all; 
and that on the breast of its successor he, “Good¬ 
will,” as general. May its blossoms ho uufrosted, its 
leaves without slugs, and its fruits ungruh-eaten! May 
its crops he abundant, prices low, and employment 
unfailing! 
Our worthy friends! 
A pude new year, 
To you, an* a’ your hearts haud dear, 
At hame or far awa! 
Thouph Fortune scrimpet favours yield, 
Hale he your hearts, at hame, a-field ; 
Nor ever lack a cozie bield, 
Frae a* the storms thatblaw. 
Wi* milk an’ meal, for bread an’ brose ; 
Aye gude clean sarks, hale coats an’ liose; 
Content in ilka e’e ; 
When years on years have rowed around, 
An* you wi’ age an’ honours crowned. 
May you lie down to slumber sound, 
An’ blythe your wakin’ be. 
Our incidental allusion to the Holly of this festive 
time, Mr. Beaton’s seasonable allusion to the treatment 
No. CCLXX1V., Xox. XI. 
