Maboh 3. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
415 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
si: w 
SIARCH 3—9, 1853. 
Weather near London in 1852. 
Moon’s 
Clock 
Day of 
Year. 
D n 
Barometer. 
Thermo. 
Wind. Rain in In. 
Rises. 
Sets. 
R. &S. 
Age. 
bf. 
Sun. 
3 Th 
Large Tortoiseshell; elms. 
30.20.3—29.957 
45—19 
N.E. 
43 a. 6 
42 a. 5 
2 41 
23 
12 
9 
62 
4 F 
Small Tortoiseshell; lanes. 
30.538 — 30.312 
46—15 
N.E. 
_ 
41 
43 
3 50 
24 
n 
56 
63 
5 S 
Speckled Wood (larva). 
30.739 — 30.648 
45—19 
S.E. 
— 
38 
45 
4 49 
25 
11 
42 
64 
6 Sun 
4TH, or Midlrnt Sunday. 
Red Chestnut; nettles. 
30.740 — 30.699 
46—25 
N.E. 
— 
36 
47 
5 34 
26 
11 
28 
65 
7 Sf 
30.665 — 30.579 
50—28 
N.E. 
_ 
34 
48 
6 9 
27 
a 
14 
66 
8 Tu 
Blossom Underwing. 
30.543—30.459 
49—31 
N.E. 
_ 
32 
50 
6 35 
28 
10 
59 
67 
9 W 
Dwarf Quaker ; oaks. 
30.446 — 30.286 
62—30 
N.E. 
— 
30 
52 
sets. 
@ 
10 
44 
68 
Metbobology of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during: the last twenty-six years, the average highest and lowest tempera¬ 
tures of these days are 49°1, and 32.8° respectively. The greatest heat, 68°, occurred on the gth in 1820 ; and the lowest cold, 13°, on the 5th 
in 1845, During the period 11/ days were fine, and on 65 rain fell. 
MR. THWAITE’S BEGONIA. 
{Begonia IViuaitesii.) 
Fob some jear.s past there has been a regular progressive 
accession of beautiful species to this fashionable genus, and 
the one before us may well bear comparison with any species 
which belongs to the same section of the genus—that with 
creeping or underground stems. The leaves, which are of 
medium size, and are borne on comparatively long, hairy foot¬ 
stalks, are as handsome as those of any species which has ap¬ 
peared since hydrocoUjlifolia was introduced. The general tint 
of the leaves is a rich coppery-colour, from a mixture of rich 
green and reddish-purple, over which are dispersed irregular 
white blotches, and the underside is purplish-red, after the tint 
of the same parts in B. argyrosligma. The flowers are as large 
as those of B. nilida, and, like them, are white, with the 
addition of a rich blush suffused over the while ground¬ 
colour. It was sent to the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, by 
Mr. Thwaites, superintendent of the Botanic Garden at 
Taradenia, Ceylon, after whom it has been named by Sir W. 
J. Hooker, who has given a very good figirre of it in the last 
January number of the J5ohtmc«Z jIfayaziHe. B. J. 
Propayation and Cullure. —No plants are more readily in¬ 
creased, both by seeds and cuttings, than these Begoniads ; 
and this new and very handsome one from Ceylon is no 
exception to the rule. The seeds of the whole order, 
however, are among the smallest we sow; therefore, they 
require a particular treatment, which is this—Have the seed- 
pots thoroughly watered before the seeds are sown; a safe 
practice not adopted half so much as it deserves. The 
old rule-of-thumb, is still as perseveringly followed out, by 
soft-headed sowers, as ever the sucking of thumbs and 
Angers were in the days of bubbles and soiled pinafores. 
! But, for the twentieth time, let me urge on our readers, at 
least, to go more scientiflcally to work, now that they are on 
the threshold of the great sowing season. To say nothing 
about fern seeds, or whether they have seeds or no, let us 
say, that seeds of all the Rhododendron and Azalea tribes, 
whether Indian or American, English, Scotch, or Irish ; aU 
the Heaths and Heathworts, in fact; and all the Lobeliads, 
with Calceolaria, Begonia, and all such and similar seeds, 
ought to have the pots, pans, or boxes, well watered, after 
being thoroughly well supplied with drainage, and before 
the seeds are sown. Then such very small seeds ought to 
be sowed very thinly, and a very small sprinkling of sand to 
be scattered over the seeds, after that the top of the seed- 
pot or pots should be darkened with some covering, such as 
double folds of an old newspaper, or brown paper, or any 
thing of that sort, and in a few days such seeds will 
vegetate under a high moist temperature. 
Besides all this in general, we know in particular, that 
every Begonia delights in a close, damp atmosphere from 
the moment of its birth until the end of the growing season. 
Therefore, pots for Begonia seeds should have a layer of 
clean sand on the top to sow the seeds on, and after the 
seeds are bedded by another layer of sand, a pane of glass 
should be placed over the pot to keep in aU the damp, in 
addition to the covering for darkness sake. The creeping 
underground stems of this, and of most of the kinds, have 
eyes like those of potatoes, and they may be cut accordingly 
for propagation. The whole family delight in a rich, light 
compost, and plenty of pot room. Good strong loam, 
reduced with equal quantities of leaf mould, peat, and sand, 
will do to grow this new plant to perfection. It flowered, for 
the first time in this country, at Kew, last June, and very 
likely, from the effects of the journey, that was later than 
will be the general run after the plant is inured to our style 
of cultivation. At any rate, it cordd be forced so as to come 
into flower at the same time as B. manicatci and hydrocuty- 
lifolia, and a cross obtained from either of them by its 
pollen would give as fine plants for spring-flowering as any 
of the new beautiful crosses which come in in the autumn. 
The whole tribe are as easy to cross as ridged Cucumbers. 
• D. Beaton. 
Although, practically, it may often amount to the same 
thing, yet it is not without its use to remember that 
it is more proper to speak of keeping-iw heat than of 
keeping-oMt cold. Let not this be thought to sound too 
much of pedantry, for it cannot be questioned that sound 
views are most likely to lead to favourable results. 
Frost and cold in bodies are merely the consequence 
of their losing heat from the radiation of that heat into 
a clear, cool atmosphere. The amount of heat lost will 
be determined by the season of the year, the brightness 
of the sky, and the time it remains without clouds. 
Thus, in a dull, cloudy night in summer, you may 
search in vain for a drop of dew, because the earth 
and its herbage have not become sufficiently cooled to 
condense the invisible vapour contained by the air in 
its vicinity, the cloud acting as a protector to the earth, 
and just sending hack about as much heat as it receives- 
But, during summer, after a clear night, unless the 
atmosphere is more dry than we have ever found it, you 
might wash yourself, and so become fair, with pearly 
drops on any open meadow at early morn. K the sky 
was very clear, and you went very early for this purpose, 
even at midsummer, you might have to wait a little 
until the icy drops were melted. We often retire to 
rest in spring and autumn, the evening cloudy, dry, 
and beautifully serene, and when we go out in the 
No. CGXXXI., Voi. IX. 
