July 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
181 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
M 
D 
w 
D 
JULY 12—18, 1849. 
Plants dedicated to 
each day. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon R. 
and Sets. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bef. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
12 
Th 
Magpie moth seen. 
Great Snapdragon. 
59 a. 3 
12 a. 8 
11 
30 
90 
5 
14 
193 
13 
F 
Hoplia argentea seen. 
Blue Lupine. 
IV 
11 
11 
5G 
i 
5 
22 
164 
14 
S 
Drinker moth seen. 
Everlasting Lupine. 
1 
10 
morn. 
24 
5 
28 
195 
15 
Sun 
G. Sun. aft. Trinity. St. Swithiu. 
Small Cape Marigold. 
2 
9 
0 
27 
25 
5 
35 
196 
LG 
M 
Blackbird’s song ceases. 
Large Garden Convol- 
3 
8 
1 
3 
26 
5 
41 
197 
1? 
Tu 
Burnislied-brass moth seen. 
Sweet Pea. [vulus. 
5 
7 
1 
47 
27 
5 
46 
198 
18 
W 
Whitethroat’s song ceases. 
Autumn Marigold. 
G 
6 
2 
40 
28 
5 
51 
199 
St. Switiiin, bishop of Winchester, was horn of noble parentage 
in that city or its vicinity; became a member of the regular clergy 
attached to its cathedral, and, finally, was raised to its mitre, in 852, 
by his pupil king Ethelwolph. There is ample testimony of his learn¬ 
ing, charity, and humility; and we need cite no other than that he 
was the preceptor of king Alfred, as be had been of his father, that 
he built numerous churches where none previously existed, and that 
he directed his body to be buried before the western door of the 
cathedral, esteeming his remains unworthy to repose within its 
walls. His death occurred a.d. 862 . About a century after, being 
canonized by the Romish Church, it was not considered appropriate 
that the relics of a saint should be without a worthy resting place; 
and, a sumptuous shrine being prepared within the cathedral, it 
was proposed to translate them thither on the 15th of July. The 
ceremony, however, was delayed for forty days by the occurrence of 
a series of heavy rains, giving birth to tile lines proverbial through¬ 
out Great Britain :— 
“ St. Swithin’s day, if thou dost rain, 
For forty days it will remain : 
St. Swithin’s day, if thou be fair, 
For forty days ’twill rain no mair.” 
We have seen that a similar saying is applied in other places to the 
anniversary of the translation of St. Martin, July 4. In France it is 
in a like manner connected with the festival of St. Gervais, June 19 ; 
and there is no doubt that it is founded on the observation, made by 
men of science as well as rustics, that if much rain occurs at the 
close of June, or early in July, it is followed by a long series of 
similar weather. There is also reason to know that rain at this period 
is beneficial both to our corn and fruit crops. The cultivators of the 
soil are acute observers of such phenomena, and they have two 
Insects. — Especially during this 
month, but at various periods between 
the end of May and August, a greenish 
white or slaty - coloured caterpillar — 
more than two inches long when full 
grown—may be found feeding on the 
various species of mullein ( Verbnscurn ) 
and figwort ( Scrophularia ). On each 
segment of this caterpillar are four 
large black dots, sometimes separate, 
and sometimes running together; there 
are smaller black clots along the sides, 
and a double row of yellow spots on 
the back, with others on the sides. 
The head is yellow, spotted with black. 
This is the larva of the Mullein moth 
(Cucullia verbnsci, and Noctua ver- 
basci of some). This moth appears 
commonly in May. It is about two 
inches across the expanded fore-wings, 
which are of a dark reddish-brown 
sayings indicative of their opinions upon the point:—“ When it rains 
on St. Swithin’s day, he is christening the apples;” and, 
“ A shower of rain in July, when the corn begins to fill, 
Is worth a plough of oxen, and all that belongs theretill.” 
The small Cape marigold is very appropriately associated with this 
day, because, as is indicated by its botanical name. Calendula plu- 
vinlis, it closes its petals at the approach of rain. 
Phenomena of the Season. —In our last Number we mentioned 
a few examples of the modes in which the stamens are induced to 
scatter their pollen upon the pistil, but we must not pass from the 
subject without mentioning some other extraordinary instances of 
the contrivances adopted by their Creator to secure the impregnation 
of the seeds of plants. Created in every conceivable variety of form 
consistent with beauty, the pollen would not reach the stigma of 
some flowers unless some especial means were provided to effect the 
contact. In the snowdrops and campanulas , whilst the pendant 
corolla serves as a canopy to shelter the parts from rain, the mouth 
of that canopy opens wide to admit the winds for the dispersion of 
the pollen over the stigma. Ruppia maritima, and other aquatic 
plants, float constantly at considerable depths beneath the water’s 
surface ; but, when the season for impregnation arrives, they rise to 
the surface, expand their flowers, and then again sink within the 
waters to perfect their seeds. The female flowers of the Valisneria 
spiralis grow, as the name intimates, on spiral stalks, and remain 
coiled beneath the water until the time for the polleu’s shedding 
arrives—the stalks then uncoil and bring the flowers above the sur¬ 
face. What adds to the wonder of this phenomenon, the male 
flowers are grown on separate plants ; and hence there is further 
occasion to admire the wisdom which provides that the females shall 
always rise to the surface at the appropriate time, and that they 
should never in vain “ call their lost lovers.” After the pollen has 
been scattered over the stigma, the stalk resumes its coiled form, and 
withdraws the flower once more within the bosom of the water. 
July 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1344. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 
1848. 
12 
Cloudy. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Cloudy. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Highest 
& lowest 
64°—44° 
75°—49° 
O 
<0 
40 
1 
O 
f ^ 
78 °—56° 
64° — 48° 
78°— 49 ° 
90°—55° 
81° —48° 
temp. 
Fine. 
13 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Rain. 
Rain. 
Showery. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
68°—42° 
73°—48° 
07°—54° 
71°— 56 ° 
71°—55° 
87 °—58° 
90°—59° 
82°—52° 
14 
Showery. 
Fine. 
Cloudy. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Stormy. 
66 °—45° 
76°—45° 
76°—53° 
75°—47° 
71°—49° 
84°—54° 
93°—59° 
87 °— 60 ° 
15 
Stormy. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Cloudy. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
63°—51° 
74°—46° 
77°— 56 ° 
76 °—46° 
71 °— 46 ° 
76°—55° 
88 ° — 58° 
71°—41° 
16 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
72°—44° 
75°—55° 
80°—58° 
75°—42° 
71°—54° 
O 
»o 
1 
0 
0 
K 
82°—58° 
78°— 49 ° 
17 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Showery. 
Fine. 
Stormy. 
Fine. 
75°—49° 
75°—52° 
81°— 57° 
73°—52° 
75°—54° 
71 °—52° 
72°— 58° 
76°—47° 
18 
Cloudy. 
Fine. 
Rain. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Fine. 
Cloudy. 
Fine. 
75°—43° 
81°—57° 
75°—49° 
73°—45° 
76 °—48° 
71 °—51° 
71°— 49 ° 
80°—51° 
colour, clouded and lined with black, and with a large white spot on 
each resembling the figure 3, as shewn in the annexed drawing. 
The hind-wings are also reddish-brown, but paler, and sofnetimes 
almost white. The female lays her eggs upon the mulleins, and 
their relative species of plants, which eggs are hatched in a few days 
if the weather be warm. The caterpillars when of full growth we 
have already described, and they then descend into the ground at 
the roots of the plants on which they have been feeding, where they 
form cocoons of half-rotted leaves and earth, so firmly bound 
together as to resemble small hard clods. They remain in the pupa 
state until the following May, or even for two years. It is curious that 
the caterpillar of this moth, although its food is usually vegetable, 
eats, with much apparent satisfaction, the skins which from time to 
time it casts in the progress of growth. This strange repast, says 
Mr. Kirby, seems even a stimulating dainty, speedily restoring the 
caterpillar to vigour after the painful moulting by which it has been 
supplied with it. 
As was expected, by all who liave mfi.de tbe diseases 
of plants their study, the month just closed, charac¬ 
terized by great warmth and dryness, succeeding as 
it did to a spring of unusual coldness and wet, has 
been productive of a very prevalent appearance of 
Honey-dew. It is upon our roses, currants, and 
gooseberries, but has exuded in such excess from 
the leaves of lime and filbert trees in Hampshire as 
literally to drop from their surfaces. It has been 
stated by some that, notwithstanding the sweetness 
of this exudation, bees never feed upon it, but we 
can bear evidence of the contrary, and so numerous 
