April 11.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
15 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
M 
)) 
W 
D 
APRIL 11—17, 1850. 
Weather near London 
in 1849. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R.&S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bef. Sun. 
Day of | 
Year. 
1 
n 
Th 
Small White Butterfly appears. 
T. 47°—25°. 
N.E. 
Fine. 
15 a. 5 
47 a. 6 
5 16 
29 
1 5 
101 
12 
F 
Song Thrush lays. 
T. 51°—38°. 
N.W. 
Rain. 
13 
49 
sets. 
© 
0 49 
102 
13 
S 
Stock Dove lavs. 
T. 51°—25°. 
S.W. 
Rain. 
11 
50 
8a. 0 
1 
0 34 
103 
14 
Sun 
2 Sun. after Easter. Redbreast hatches. 
T. 55°—32°. 
S.W. 
Rain. 
9 
52 
9 14 
2 
0 18 
104 
15 
M 
Easter Term begins. Willow Warbler heard. 
T. 50°—36°. 
E. 
Rain. 
7 
54 
10 28 
3 
0 3 
105 
16 
Tu 
Blackcap heard. 
T. 50°—34°. 
N. 
Fine. 
4 
55 
11 38 
4 
Oa.12 
106 
17 
W 
Frog Tadpoles hatch. 
T. 4/°—25°. 
N.W. 
Rain. 
2 
57 
morn. 
5 
0 26 
107 
On the 5th of this month, in 1804, died one of the most classical writers 
in gardening literature, the Rev. William Gilpin. It would not be an 
easy task to select a character to place before our readers, and connected 
with the art we all delight in, so worthy of our study and our imitation as 
this amiable man. In early life he was a poor Cumberland curate; but 
having married his cousin, and their united fortunes being too small to 
maintain a family without some other addition than a curate’s stipend, 
they removed to Cheam, in Surrey, and there successfully established a 
school for boys. It was successful in the fullest sense, for it enabled Mr. 
Gilpin to retire, after saving ^10,000 ; and he had laid the foundation of 
the acquirements of pupils afterwards so well distinguished as Lord 
Bexley, Viscount Sidmouth, and Colonel Mitford, the historian of Greece. 
By this last-named pupil Mr. Gilpin was presented with the living of 
Boldre, in Hampshire, whither he immediately retired. Efficient as he 
had been as a tutor, he now became equally exemplary as a parish priest. 
It is recorded of him, by one who knew him well, that he was a blessing 
to those under his care. We feel the more assured that he was so, because 
we have in our hands his “ Life of Bernard Gilpin,” his great ancestor, 
“the apostle of the north,” and his “Lectures on the Church Catechism”— 
works teeming with that gentle spirit that hopeth all things. He scarcely 
ever left his rural sphere of usefulness ; and a plain tomb, beneath an oak 
in its churchyard, bears this record, which seems as if the last kind mes¬ 
sage from those beneath it 
“ In a quiet mansion, beneath this stone, secured from the afflictions 
and still more dangerous enjoyments of life, rests William Gilpin, toge¬ 
ther with the remains of Margaret, his wife, after living together above 
fifty years in happy union. They hope to be raised in God’s due time, 
through the atonement of a blessed Redeemer for their repented trans¬ 
gressions, to a state of joyful immortality, where it will be a new joy to 
meet several good neighbours, who may now lie scattered around them. 
He died April 5, 1804, at the age of 80*. She died July 14, 1807, at the 
age of 82.” 
Mr. Gilpin’s works entitling him to a place in our pages remain yet to 
be noticed; and these are twelve goodly volumes, in which his pen and 
pencil equally well pourtray the picturesque beauties he had observed in 
various parts of England. His faculty of describing such scenery was 
peculiar, and most effective ; and Dallaway aptly describes that faculty as 
“ painting with words.” He was the guide well suited to the era in 
garden designing during which he wrote. Taste was just escaping from 
the imprisoning formalities of the Dutch and French styles of gardening ; 
and those who were designers in landscape gardening needed some guide 
to point out what in nature deserved copying, and which of her features 
should be veiled. Gilpin was the well-suited guide ; his works are full of 
excellent observations—he offers little of theory ; but judiciously observing 
and selecting picturesque beauties, he very rationally insists that such are 
worthy of imitation. All his observations are illustrated by examples ; 
and in addition to the natural English scenery from which he draws such 
contributions, he also brings before us, for the same purpose, descriptions 
of the grounds around the noblest “ homes of England.” His writings 
are most agreeable ; and they powerfully aided the progress to correcter 
taste in garden designing. 
Meteorology of the Week. —During the last twenty-three years, 
the average highest and lowest temperatures, on the above days, at Chis¬ 
wick, have been 56.6° and 37.6°, respectively. The greatest elevation of 
the thermometer was 71 °, on the 
17th, 1814 ; and the greatest de¬ 
pression 20°, on the l6th, 1847. 
Natural Phenomena Indi¬ 
cative of Weather. —We lately 
observed that at the approach of 
rain distant objects appear nearer, 
so now we may record, that at 
such times sounds from afar come 
most distinctly to the ear. The 
saturation of the air with moisture 
increases its power of conducting 
sound, as well as its magnifying 
power. A Norfolk clergyman, 
writing to us relative to a recent 
note made by us on the moon's 
changes, says, “ In this county the 
opinion of the effect of a Saturday’s 
new moon is carried somewhat far¬ 
ther than Dr. Forster’s in the fol¬ 
lowing saying in the vernacular:— 
‘ Saturday new, and Sunday full, 
Never war (was) fine, nor never 
wull (will): ’ 
a saying which I believe is very 
frequently verified.” 
RANGE OF BAROMETER—RAIN IN INCHES. 
April 
1841. 
;1842. 
1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 
1848. 
1849. 
11 
B. 
/ 29.939 
30.216 
29.983 
29-998 
29.636 
29.542 
29.945 
29.759 
29.800 
129.923 
30.137 
29.971 
29.914 
29-285 
29.337 
29.784 
29.653 
29.691 
R. 
0.01 
0.01 
— 
— 
0.16 
0.06 
0.10 
0.12 
— 
12 
B. 
/ 29.962 
30.104 
29.919 
20 96 s 
29.--0 
29.507 
29.706 
29.540 
29.819 
\ 29.907 
30.023 
29-829 
29.685 
29.607 
29.370 
29.677 
29-432 
29.598 
R. 
— 
0.04 
0.23 
0.03 
0.09 
0.28 
0.16 
0.01 
13 
B. 
( 30.130 
29.992 
29-983 
29.799 
29-787 
29*758 
29.922 
29.675 
29.341 
130.077 
29.957 
29-797 
29.689 
29.354 
29.509 
29-841 
29.540 
29.218 
R. 
0.08 
0.08 
— 
0.02 
0.10 
0.02 
0.01 
0.45 
0.12 
14 
B. 
r 30.088 
30.025 
30.006 
30.026 
29.558 
29.715 
29.947 
30.069 
29.533 
129-983 
29.910 
29.914 
29.886 
29.401 
29.565 
29912 
29-853 
29.288 
R. 
0.01 
0.01 
— 
0.02 
0.10 
0.10 
— 
— 
0.03 
15 
B. 
r 29.899 
30.068 
30.108 
30.117 
30.126 
29.786 
30.025 
29-994 
29.719 
1 29.761 
30.052 
30.091 
30.019 
29.696 
29.590 
29.900 
29.881 
29-548 
R. 
0.05 
— 
— 
— 
0.02 
0.05 
0.01 
0.28 
0.08 
16 
/ 29.762 
30.147 
29.992 
30.187 
30.275 
30.027 
30.026 
29.980 
29.785 
I 29 . 7 I 4 
30.113 
29.818 
30.111 
30.265 
29.939 
29.926 
29.733 
29.719 
R. 
_ 
— 
0.01 
— 
— 
— 
0.29 
— 
17 
f 29 94fi 
30.182 
30.048 
30.206 
30.323 
29.952 
29-824 
29.693 
29.776 
B. 
129.874 
30.164 
29.854 
30.095 
30.190 
29-883 
29.757 
29.619 
29.718 
R. 
— 
■ 
0.09 
0.11 
0.02 
Insects.— “ What is a looper caterpillar?” inquires a correspondent 
(F. F. ); and we place our answer here because we intend at the same 
time to give as an illustration of our definition the portrait of a caterpillar 
1 very likely to be destructive of our gooseberry-tree leaves this season, if 
we are justified in arriving at such conclusion from the large number of 
the parent moths we saw last year. The first three segments of the body 
of the caterpillar of a moth or butterfly have each a pair of simple, short, 
and jointed feet. Behind these are a number of short fleshy tubercles, 
armed with small hooks, and called pro-legs. Caterpillars having these 
pro-legs on nearly every segment of their body crawl upon them all at 
once ; but those having few pro-legs adopt a different mode. They seize 
fast hold with their six true legs of whatever they are walking upon, 
elevate the intermediate segments into an arch or loop, until they bring 
the hind pro-legs close to the true feet; they then disengage these and, 
retaining hold with their pro-legs, thrust forward their body to its full 
length, and repeat the effort until they reach their object. Caterpillars so 
moving are named Loopers. Their progress is well illustrated in the 
annexed drawing of the caterpillar and cocoon of the Magpie moth, 
Abraxas grossularice , a drawing and description of which will be found 
in our second volume, p. 193. 
No, LXXX., Vol. IV. 
