THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, May 5, 1857. 63 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
Weather near London in 
1856. 
D 
M 
D 
W 
MAY 5—11, 1857. 
Barometer. 
Thermo. 
Wind. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R.&S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bf. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
5 
Tu 
Speedwell (Veronica). 
30.172—30.044 
53—35 
N.E. 
— 
26 a. 4 
27 a. 7 
3 11 
11 
3 29 
125 
6 
W 
Meadow Orchis (0. morio). 
29.917—29.568 
52—41 
S.E, 
24 
24 
28 
3 20 
12 
3 34 
126 
7 
Th 
Dwarf Orchis (0. ustulata). 
29.609—29.409 
44—39 
N. 
16 
23 
30 
3 30 
13 
3 39 
127 
8 
F 
Man Orchis (0. militaris). 
3 O.li 5 - 29.792 
49—41 
N. 
— 
21 
32 
3 42 
14 
3 43 
128 
9 
S 
Hand Orchis (0. latifolia). 
30.151—30.099 
54—43 
N.E. 
—v 
19 
33 
rises. 
© 
3 46 
129 
10 
Sun 
4 Sunday after Easter. 
30.015-2p.898 
68—44 
• • 
— 
18 
35 
9 a 56 
16 
3 49 
130 
11 
M 
Bird’s-nest Orchis. 
29.970—29777 
71—43 
N. 
— 
16 
30 
11 3 
17 
3 51 
131 
Meteorology of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-eight years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these days are 61 . 9 °, and 40.2°, respectively. The greatest heat, 81°, occurred on the 6th, 
on the 8th, in 1855. During the period 106 days were fine, and on 90 rain fell. 
in 1830; 
and the lowest cold, 21°, 
ORNAMENTAL GRASSES. 
DIGIT A'RIA SAN GUINA'LIS. 
s % 
(Cocksfoot Finger Grass.) 
" 
I 
This is an annual, and a native of England, but it is 
very rare and very pretty. Its roots are fibrous. Stems 
numerous, reddish, sometimes branched, bent and 
resting on the ground near the base, and often striking 
root from the joint which touches the ground. The 
; stems are about a foot high, usually four-jointed, leafy, 
| marked with small streaks, smooth. Leaves about two 
I inches long and a quarter of an inch broad, pointed, 
marked with small streaks, wavy, and very minutely 
saw-toothed at the edges, sprinkled, as are their long, 
rather swelling sheaths , with small warts, many of 
which bear bristly hairs. Floiver-spikes varying in 
number from three to eight, alternate, thread-shaped, 
spreading, about three inches long, crowded at the top 
of the stem, dark purple, or purple and green mixed, 
many-flowered. Stalk of each spike flat, wavy, winged, 
rough-edged, with a flat mid-rib at one side, the other 
side beset with two rows of unequally cloven, two- 
flowered, short, erect, partial flower-stalks, all growing in 
one direction. Flowers dark purple, erect, oblong oval. 
Galyx tliree-valved, permanent, largest valve usually 
five-ribbed, its edges rough, or downy, lowest valve very 
small and short. Stigmas and the anthers often violet- 
coloured. Valves of the corolla equal and smooth, the 
one receiving the other, having a small membrane at 
the base. Seeds very small, and inclosed by the glumes 
of the calyx as well as of the corolla. This Grass 
belongs to Triandria Digynia class and order of the 
Linnaean System. 
This was known as a native Grass by the earliest of 
our writers upon plants, for Gerarde describes it as 
Ischemum vulgare, found near Queenliithe, in Kent. 
It has been detected in a few other parts of the British 
Islands, but being an annual it is not always found in 
the same place during two years successively. It has 
been gathered near Battersea, Surrey; near Martha’s 
Chapel, Guildford; near ITenham, between Beccles and 
Saxmundham, Suffolk; on Sunderland Ballast Hills; 
and Ray says, “ In Justice Eves his pastures at Great 
Witchingham, seven miles from Norwich, towards 
Lynne; also plentifully in the ploughed fields about 
Elden, in Suffolk.” In Ireland a few specimens have 
been found on the sand hills of Doagb, in the county of 
Clare. 
Its names of Digitaria and Finger Grass refer to the 
finger-form flower-spikes; Cocksfoot has reference to 
the arrangement of those spikes; and sanguinalis 
alludes, it is said, to the practice boys have in Germany 
of causing a flow of blood by passing it up the nostrils 
I of their playmates. It is quite as likely that it may 
refer to its old Greek name, for Ischaimos was stanching 
of blood; and Parkinson says, “ Cockes-foot grasse, 
bruised and layd to any place that bleedeth, doth stay 
the blood presently, whether from the nose or wound.” 
Sinclair states that it “ produces much seed, of which 
birds are very fond, and requires to be protected by nets, 
or otherwise, during the time of ripening. The smaller 
birds pick out the ripe seed, even when only a small 
quantity is formed among the blossoms. Schreber 
informs us the seeds are not only collected from this 
No. CCCCXLIX. Vol. XVIII. 
