May 26. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
133 
WEEKLY CALENDAR, 
M 
W 
MAY 26 —JUNE 1, 1853. 
Weather near London in 1S52. 
Sun 
Sun 
Moon 
Moon’s 
Clock 
Day c.f 
D 
D 
Barometer. Thermo. Wind. Bain in In. 
Rises. 
Sets. 
It. & S. 
Age. 
af. Sun. 
Year, j 
26 
Tii 
Bedford Blue ; clover. 
29.850 -29-790 54—49 N.E. 
35 
56 a. 3 
58 a. 7 
morn. 
18 
3 17 
1 
146 
V 
F 
Ven. Bede. K. Han. b. 1819- 
29.902 — 29.875 54—47 N.E. 
11 
55 
59 
0 15 
19 
3 10 
147 j 
28 
S 
Brown Swift; meadows. 
29.844 — 29.779 57—46 N.E. 
03 
54 
VIII 
0 50 
20 
3 3 
148 
29 
Sun 
1 Sun. after Trinity. K. Chas. 
29.639 — 29.611 51—35; N.E. 
25 
53 
1 
1 16 
€ 
2 56 
149 
30 
ft! 
[II. Best., i860. 
29.763 — 29.686 57—38 N.W. 
01 
52 
2 
1 37 
22 
2 48 
150 | 
31 
Tu 
Mocha; woods. 
29.847 — 29.795 60-34 1 W. 
— 
51 
3 
1 53 
23 
2 40 
151 
1 vv 
Small Tortoiseshell; lanes. 
29 . 8 S 9 — 29.819 60—48 1 W. 
07 
49 
4 
2 m 9 
24 
2 31 
152 ! 
Meteorology of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty 
-six years, the average big 
best and lowest tempera- 
tures of these days are 68.7° and 45.4° respectively. The greatest heat, 91°, occurred on the 28th in 1847 j and the lowest cold, 
in 1835. During the period 117 days were fine, and on 65 rain fell. 
36°, on the 30th 
BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 
( Continued from page 93.) 
Fumaria: Fumitory; Smoke-wort. 
Generic Character. — Calyx below the fruit, of two 
opposite, erect, acute, small, membranous, deciduous leaves. 
Corolla oblong, tubular, gaping, with a prominent palate, 
closing the mouth. Petals four, more or less combined ; 
upper lip flat, blunt, notched, bent back; its base prominent, 
blunt, constituting the nectary ; lower Up like the upper, 
I sometimes with a similar prominent nectary , sometimes only 
keeled, at the base; two interior petals alternate with the 
two lips, narrow-oblong, slightly connected by their callous 
tips. Stamens two, with awl-shaped, flat filaments, shorter 
than the corolla, one within each lip. Anthers roundish, 
three terminating each filament. Germen roundish or 
oblong, compressed, pointed. Style terminal, short. Stigma 
compressed, of two fiat lobes. Pod roundish or oblong, of 
one cell, with one or many polished, crested seeds. 
Fumaria officinalis: Common Fumitory; Purple Fumi¬ 
tory. 
How varied are the communications that weekly grace 
an Editor’s table ! How nobly expanded and philan¬ 
thropic are the contents of some! How the cloven foot 
of selfishness will peep out in others! One seems to 
look at no branch of inquiry as beneath his notice; if 
not conversant with the matter himself, he is glad that 
others feel a gratification in investigating it, and that 
they gather here the information they need. Another 
seems to feel that his favourite subject is the only one in 
creation worth thinking about, and that no other should 
j be discussed ill these pages. Few, more than Editors, 
j possess such opportunities for observing the great and 
Description .—It is an annual. Root tapering. Herb milky- 
green and smooth. Stem much branched, enlarged at the 
joints, spreading, often recumbent, leafy, angular, various in 
luxuriance. Leaves rather fleshy, mostly alternate, twice or 
thrice leafleted; leaflets wedge-shaped, with fiat spear-head 
segments. Clusters of flowers opposite to the leaves, stalked, 
erect, many-flowered, rather scattered. Bractes spe. r 
head-like, acute, not half the length of the flower-stalks , 
especially when in fruit. Flowers rose-coloured, or pale-red, 
deep red at the summit, with a green keel to the upper and 
under petals. Spur very short, rounded. Calyx coloured, 
toothed, deciduous. Pod globose, a little compressed, 
abrupt or notched at the extremity, so as to be inversely 
heart-shaped; its surface smooth; valves united, not 
splitting asunder. Seed solitary, blackish, globose. 
Places where found .—Very common about hedges, and 
near paths in cultivated ground. 
Time of flowering .—May to August. 
History .—Its Greek name, and the name bestowed upon 
it in every European language, agree in considering that it 
is so called because its juice causes the eyes to water as 
when they are exposed to the action of smoke. The genus 
is included in the Diadelpliia Hexandria class and order of 
the Linmean system. The flowers of F, officinalis are some¬ 
times purple, and, as Parkinson observes—“ in the corn¬ 
fields of Cornwall this beareth white flowers,” but such 
whiteness is not confined to that county. Turner, our oldest 
herbalist, says—“ The juice of this herbe, which indeede is 
sliarpe, maketh clere eyes and teres to come furth, where¬ 
fore it hath the name. Layed to with gumme, it will not 
let the double heyres of eye liddes to grow agayne.” Later 
medical authorities, after observing that the leaves are juicy, 
saline, and bitter, state, that in doses of two or three ounces, 
given iu whey, it is useful in hypochondriacal, scorbutic, and 
declining habits; that it corrects acidity, and strengthens 
the stomach. Hoffman prefers it to all other medicines for 
removing ill-humours from the blood. Boerhaave frequently 
prescribed it in black jaundice, and bilious cholic. An in¬ 
fusion of the leaves removes freckles, and clears the skin. 
Dr. Cullen experienced its good effects in many disorders 
of the skin. (Smith. Marlyn. Withering. Parkinson. 
Turner.) 
the weak points of humanity. They may thus be well 
fitted for teaching lessons of forbearance and the polite 
amenities of life. Indulged with a slight peep into such 
matters at times, and looking at one very delightful and 
hopeful class of the readers of this work—the young and ! 
earnest amateur — it requires no great labour to per- I 
ceive that a prevailing failing with them is an intense 
love of variety and quantity. 
Only think of the possessor of a sky-light, or the 
owner of some eight-feet square of a window, burning 
with a desire to rival a Chatsworth or a Trentham ! It ' 
is right at times to cherish lofty aspirations. In mental 
No. CCXLItL, Vol. X. 
