September 25. COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION. 459 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
D 
M 
D 
W 
SEPT. 25— OCT. 1, ] 855. 
Weather near London in 1853. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R. b S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bf. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
Barometer. 
Thermo. 
Wind. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
25 
To 
Brixton Beauty Moth. 
30.300—30.247 
61—34 
j 
N. 
— 
52 a 5 
52 a 5 
rises. 
© 
8 
13 
268 
26 
W 
Arrack Moth. 
30.312—30.304 
69—34 
N.W. 
— 
53 
50 
6 a 19 
15 
8 
33 
269 
27 
Th 
Green-brindled Crescent Moth. 
30.332—30.219 
70—33 
S.E. 
— 
55 
47 
6 34 
16 
8 
54 
2,"0 
28 
F 
Plain red Minor Moth. 
30.138—30.080 
71—33 
E. 
— 
57 
45 
6 51 
17 
9 
14 
271 
29 
s 
Michaelmas Day. 
30.106—30.070 
76-37 
N.E. 
— 
58 
43 
7 13 
19 
9 
31 
272 
30 
Sun 
17 Sunday after Trinity. 
30.159—30.134 
75—36 
N. 
01 
60 
40 
7 40 
19 
9 
53 
273 
1 
M 
Bembidium Spencii. 
30.222—30.130 
67—41 
S.W. 
01 
3 a 6 
35 a 5 
8 18 
20 
10 
13 
274 
Meteorology of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during tlie last twenty-eight years, the average highest and lowest tem¬ 
peratures of these days are 64.4°, and 44.7°, respectively. The greatest heat, 82°, occurred on the 25th, in 1832; and the lowest cold, 24°, 
on the 27 th, in 1628. During the period 89 days were fine, and on 10" rain fell. 
ASPLE'NIUM RUTA-MURA’RIA. 
This is called ruta-muraria , or Wall Rue, because its 
young leaves somewhat resemble those of the common 
Rue, and because, when away from its native mountains 
it is rarely found growing anywhere hut in the mortar 
on old walls. It is also called White Maidenhair, be¬ 
cause its full-grown leaves slightly resemble those of 
the true Maidenhair Fern, and because they have upon 
their surface a mealy, or glaucous secretion. It is 
sometimes called the Rue - leaved Spleenwort, White 
Spleenwort, and Tentwort. 
The main, cone-shaped tap root is dark brown, scaly, 
furnished with black wiry rootlets, and tufted. From 
the, tuft arise the fronds, which vary in height from 
one to four inches. Our cut represents them in both 
their dwarf and more luxuriant growth. They are 
most dwarf when growing upon walls, and tallest when 
found upon the mountains. Leaf stalk green, except 
quite at its base, and there it is dark brown. About 
one-half of the stalk naked, and the other half clothed 
with leafits mostly in threes, and two threes together, 
the middle branch only being alternately leafleted, and 
that not always. The leafits are stout, deep green, 
wedge-shaped, or partly rhomboid, stalked, spreading 
horizontally, or slightly drooping, their end blunt, or 
rounded, and deeply, irregularly notched. The barren 
leafits are broader and shorter than those which are 
fruitful. All have equal-sized veins spreading in a fan 
form, and extending to the notches or teeth. The fruc¬ 
tification is in lines on the inner side of the veins, and 
when ripe is dark brown, but at first covered with a 
white membrane ( indusium ), which is soon lost as the 
fructification spreads, runs together, and finally covers 
the whole underside of the leafit. The indusium bursts 
with a jagged edge on the inside; but, as Mr. Charles 
Johnson observes, this is of small importance in specific 
distinction unless far more decided than in this in¬ 
stance. 
This Fern sends up its new fronds in May and June, 
and they retain their verdure all the winter. The fruc¬ 
tification is ripe in August. 
It is found in moist, shady clefts of limestone rocks, 
and in the crevices of old walls, abundantly in the 
midland and southern counties, but more rarely iu those 
of the north and east of England. It is a native, also, 
of most parts of Europe, and from New York to Carolina, 
in America. 
It was known to our earliest herbalists as a native of 
this country. Thus, Gerarde says, “ Stone Rue groweth 
upon old walls near unto waters, wells, and fountains. 
I found it upon the wall of Dartford Church, in Kent, 
hard by the river side, where the people ride through ; 
and also upon the walls of the churchyard of Sitting- 
bourne, in the same county, in the middle of the town, 
hard by a great lake of water; and also upon the 
church walls of Rayleigh, iu Essex; and in divers other 
places.” Matthiolus was the first to call it Ruta muraria, 
or rather Ruta muralis, and Gerarde names it after him, 
« Wall Rue, or Rue Maiden-hair,” as well as Stone Rue. 
Others, says Gerarde, call it “ Salvia vita (Preserver of 
Life), but wherefore I know not, neither themselves, if 
they were living.” 
The best mode of raising this Fern, if desired for 
cultivation, is to collect the spores, or seeds, when ripe 
in August, and to sow them in a mixture of limey 
No. CCCLXY. Voi. XIV. 
