The Natural History of Selborne

Hay is making at Vaux-hall.

Some fly-catchers: but they do not yet begin to build.  Carrots drawn.

Men have a fine season for their turnip-fields, which work very well, & are well pulverized.

Began to tack the vines; they are again infested with the cotton-like appearance which surrounds the eggs of the Coccus vitis viniferae…. for some account of this insect, see my Journal for summer last 1785.

Daws from the church take the chafers on my trees, & hedges.  Thomas picks the caterpillars that damage the foliage of the apricot-trees, & roll up their leaves.

Several halo’s & mock-suns this morning.  Wheat looks black, & gross.  Crickets sing much on the hearth this evening:  they feel the influence of moist air, & sing against rain.  As the great wall-nut tree has no foliage this year, we have hung the meat-safe on Miss White’s Sycomore, which she planted a nut;  where it will be much in the air, & be well sheltered from the sun by leaves.

Abram Loe came.  My well is very low.

Thomas persists in picking the cocci off the vine, and has destroyed hundreds.

Men wash their sheep.  Hoed carrots, parsneps, &c.  Received 5 gallons & a quart of French brandy from Mr Edmd Woods.

Sold my St foin again to Timothy Turner; it looks well, & is in bloom.  The 17th crop.  The buyer is to cut it when he pleases.