The Natural History of Selborne

Vast shower in the evening towards Odiham.  Wheat on the strong lands looks finely.  The crop in the Ewel looked so thin, as if there would be nothing all spring: but now there is fine even wheat.  Fine rain at London.

Bramshot-place

My vines are nicely trimmed: not a superflous shoot left.  Cleared the cherry-trees, & took-in the nets.  Mr Richardson’s garden was not so much burnt-up as might be expected.  There was plenty of pease, & kidney-beans; & much fruit, such as currans, gooseberries, melond, & cherries.  The wheat at Bramshot looks well; but the spring-crops are injured by they drought.  Turnips come-up pretty well.  The pair of Fly-catchers in the vine are preparing for a second brood, & have got one egg.  This is the first instance that I remember of their breeding twice.

The down is so burnt, that it looks dismally.

The spring in Kimber’s mead is dry; & also that in Conduit-wood; from whence in old time the Priory was supplyed with water by means of leaden pipes.  The pond on the common is also empty.  All the while Well-head is not much abated, nor the spring at the bottom of the church -litten closes, where you pass over the foot-bridge to the Lithe.  Perserved cherries, & currans; & made curran-jelly.  Not one mess of wood-strawberries brought this year.

Ants swarm on the stairs: their male-flies leave them, & fill the windows: their females do not yet appear.

Ricked my hay, which makes but a very small cob.  All the produce of the great mead was carried at two loads; & all that grew on the slip was brought up by the woman & boy on their backs.  My quantity this year seems to be about one third of a good crop.  In a plentiful year I gat about seven good Jobbs.  Thatched the rick.

Some young Swifts seem to be out: they settle on, & cling to the walls of houses, & seem to be at a loss where to go; are perhaps looking for their nest.

Young cocci abound again on the vines.  Began to cut the meadow-grass: it is very scanty, not half a crop.  Men sow turnips; but the seeds lie on the ground without vegetating.  Those that sprout are soon eaten by the fly.

Gathered several pounds of cherries to preserve: they are very fine.

The heat at noon yeasterday was so great that it scorched the white cucumbers under the hand-glasses, & injured them much.  Annuals die with the heat.  Took away the moss from the white cucumbers, because it seemed to scald them.