THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, March 10, 1857. 389 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
D 
M 
D 
W 
MARCH 10 — 16 , 1857. 
Weather near Lon 
) 
Barometer. Thermo. 
DON IN 
Wind. 
1856. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R.& S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bf. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
10 
Tu 
Lungwort (Pulmonaria). 
30.120—30.0/9 51—35 
N. 
_ 
27 a. 6 
54 a. 5 
rises. 
© 
10 
26 
69 
11 
W 
Elm (Ulmus campestris). 
30.080—29.883 44—19 
E. 
— 
25 
55 
7a 5 
15 
10 
10 
70 
12 
Tb 
Wych Hazel (Ulmus monta). 
30.006—29-944 43—31 
N.E. 
— 
23 
57 
8 15 
16 
9 
54 
71 
13 
F 
Elder (Sambucus niger). 
30.070—29.988 42—31 
E. 
— 
20 
59 
9 2 7 
17 
9 
37 
72 
14 
S 
Squill (Scilla bifolia). 
30.140—30.103 43—28 
E. 
— 
18 
VI 
10 40 
18 
9 
20 
73 
15 
Sun 
3 Sunday in Lent. 
30.144—30.090 46—32 
E. 
— 
16 
2 
11 54 
19 
9 
3 
74 
16 
M 
Whortleberry (Vaccinium). 
30.023-29-949 1 50—39 
E. 
68 
14 
4 
morn. 
20 
8 
46 
75 
Meteorology of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-eight years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these days are 52.4°, and 32.9°, respectively. The greatest heat, 68°, occurred on the 9th, in 1836 ; and the lowest cold, 7°, 
on the 16 th, in 1847, During the period 115 days were fine, and on 81 rain fell. 
WOO'DSIA ILVE'NSIS. 
This Fern has been included by various botanists in 
the genera Acrostichum, Lonchitis, and Polypodium; 
i but they have uniformly retained the specific name 
j Ilvensis, which is one of the illustrations of the absurdity 
j of naming a plant after the country where it was first 
found. Ilvensis, or Elban, refers to the Isle of Elba, 
I where it was originally discovered; but since then it has 
been found in Britain, all over Germany, the Alps, the 
Pyrenees, Siberia, and even Greenland. The true render¬ 
ing of the botanical name, then, is the Elban Woodsia ; 
but it has also been called Oblong Woodsia, Hairy 
j Woodsia, Downy Hair Fern, and Opposite-leaved Poly- 
| pody. 
j jRootstufted, numerous, long, smooth,blackish, fibrous. 
Fronds several, in a tuft or group, erect, spear-heac, 
shaped in general outline, from two to five inches high. 
Stem pale brown, slightly scaly, very elastic and wiry, 
about one-fourth without leaflets, and jointed at a short 
distance from the roots. At that joint it falls off when 
decayed. Leaflets stalkless, egg-shaped, bluntly-pointed, 
deeply cut into segments, somewhat wavy, and rolled 
back at the edge; opposite at the lowest part of the 
frond, but alternate at the top; upper surface milky 
green, smooth, but sprinkled over with a few hairs or 
slender scales; under surface densely covered with 
similarly fine, glossy scales and jointed hairs, and nearly 
covered with fructification. Fructification in round, 
convex masses, variously placed at the points of the 
very irregular and indistinct veins; the masses are 
separated whilst young, but soon become crowded. The 
sori are on a small, membranous, roundish cover, of 
which the edge is fringed with very long, taper, jointed, 
hair-like segments. 
This, one of the rarest of our Ferns, is found only on 
the highest and bleakest of our mountains. It has not 
been found in Ireland. 
In England only on Falcon Clints, Teesdale, Durham. 
In Wales, at Glyder-vawr, near Lyn-y-cwm, and Clog- 
wyn-y-Garnedh, Snowdon. 
In Scotland, between Glen Dole and Glen Phee, in 
the Clova Mountains, Forfarshire, at an elevation of 
between 1,600 and 1,700 feet. 
Mr. W. Reeve states that the two Woodsias require 
the same treatment, and are cultivated chiefly for their 
minute beauty, being so small that they will be almost 
lost upon a rockery or Fernery of any size. They are, 
however, well adapted for cultivating upon small Fer¬ 
neries, with such companions as Asplenium trichomanes, 
Allosorus crispus, the Asplenium rutamuraria, and 
others. They may be cultivated, also, in pots successfully. 
They require a very open soil, composed of equal parts 
turfy peat and light loam, with a very free admixture of 
finely-broken charcoal, sandstone, and silver sand ; the 
pots to be one-third filled with finely-broken crocks or 
sandstone; upon this is to be put a little sphagnum 
or fibry parts of the peat, and the remainder to be 
filled with the above compost, placing the little plant 
in it as you approach towards the top, keeping the 
crown of the plant above the pot’s rim, and round it 
placing a few small stones. Great care must be exercised 
so that the plants do not become water-logged, for this 
is almost sure death to them, they disliking nothing 
more than stagnated moisture. What moisture is given 
is best given by means of placing the pots in a 
saucer of water for a few minutes. When the moisture 
No. CCCCXLI. Vol. XVII. 
