The Natural History of Selborne

Planted 100 of cabbages, in ground well dunged, to stand the winter.

Finished piling my wood: housed the bavins; fallows very wet.

Thomas saw a polecat run across the garden.

Some few grapes just eatable: a large crop.  Housed all the billet wood.  Leaves fall in showers.  A curlew is heard loudly whistling on the hill towards the Wadden. On this day Mrs S. Barker was brought to bed of a boy, who advances my nepotes to the round & compleat number of 60.

Hired two old labourers to house my cleft billet wood, which is still in a dam, cold condition, & should have been under cover some months ago, had the weather permitted.

Dr Bingham & family left Selborne.

Made presents of berberries to several neighbours.  Ring-ouzel seen in the King’s field.

Gathered in the dearling apples: fruit small, & stunted.

Dr Chandler mows the church-litton closes for hay.  Farmer Parsons houses pease, which have been hacked for weeks.  Barley abroad.

Master Hale houses barley that looks like old thatch.  Much barley about the country, & some wheat.  Some pheasants found in the manour.  The sound of great guns was heard distinctly this day to the S.E. probably from Goodwood, where the Duke of Richmond has a detachment from the train of artillery encamped in his park, that he may try experiments with some of the ordnance.