The Natural History of Selborne

Bottled-out the port-wine which came here in October, but did not get fine.

John Carpenter brings home from the Plashet at Rotherfield some old chest-nut trees which are very long. In several places the wood-peckers had begun to bore them. The timber & bark of these trees are so very like oak, as might easily deceive an indifferent observer, but the wood is very shakey, & towards the heart cup-shakey, so that the inward parts are of no use. They were bought for the purpose of cooperage, but must make but ordinary barrels, buckets, &c. Chestnut sells for half the price of oak; but has some times been sent into the King’s docks, & passed off instead of oak.

Thunder; damage done in London.

Sowed a specimen of some uncommon clover from farmer Street. Sowed a pint of large kidney beans, white: also Savoys, Coss lettuces, & bore-cole.

Monk’s rhubarb in full bloom.

One polyanth-stalk produced 47 pips or blossoms.  Mrs Edmund White brought to bed of a boy, who has encreased the number of my nephews & nieces to 56.  The bloom of apples is great: the white pippin, as usual, very full.  It is a most useful tree, & always bears fruit.  The dearling in the meadow is loaded with fruit :last year it produced only one peck of apples, the year before 14 bushels.  [*later note]  This year it bore 10 bush. of small fruit.  The white pippin produced a good crop again this year: the apples of this tree come in for scalding, & pies in August.

Timothy the tortoise weighs 6 ae 12 oz. 14 drs.

Bro. Tho. came from London.

The rhubarb tart good, & well-flavoured.

The Bantam hen hatches seven chickens.  Young red-breasts.  Made some tarts with the stalks of the leaves of the garden, or Monks rhubarb.  Only three swifts; one was found dead in the church-yard.