The Natural History of Selborne

Cut five cucumbers.

Cut-off the cones of the balm of Gilead fir in such numbers that they measured one gallon & a half. So much fruit would have exhausted a young tree. The cones grow sursum, upright; those of the Spruce, deorsum, downward.

No may-chafers this year.  The intermediate flowers, which now figure between the spring, & solstitial, are the early orange, & fiery-lily, the columbine, the early honey-suckle, the peony, the garden red valeriam, the double rocket or dames violet, the broad blue flag-iris, the thrift, the double lychnis, spider-wort, monks-hood, &c.

Summer-cabbages, & lettuce come in.  Roses red & white blow.  Began to tack the vines.  Thomas finds more rudiments of bloom than he expected.

Heavy thundrous clouds, copious dew. Opened, & slipped-out the superfluous shoots of the artichockes.

Sowed some white cucumber-seeds from S. Lambeth under an hand-glass.  Moon-shine.

Monks rhubarb seven feet high;  makes a noble appearance in bloom.

My Brother’s gardener cut his first melon, a Romagna.

The late severe winter, & spring seem to have destroyed most of the black snails.  Planted-out all the annuals in general down Baker’s hill, & in the garden.  The plants are strong, & vigorous, & the season very favourable; the earth is well moistened, & the weather warm, still, shady, & dripping.

Planted the bank in the garden, & the opposite border with China asters all the whole length.