The Natural History of Selborne

Farmer Spencer of Grange finished wheat-harvest. Mr Pink of Faringdon finished Do.  Mr Yalden finished wheat-harvest.  Fermer Vridger of Black-more finished harvest of all sorts.

Flies come in a door, & swarm in the windows; especially that species called Conops calcitrans.  Nep. John White came by the coach from London.

Our fields & gardens are wonderfully dryed-up: yet after all this long drought Well-head sends forth a strong stream. The stream at the lower end of the village has long been dry.  Mr Barker came from Rutland thro’ Oxford on horse-back.

Wheat seems very good.  Hops are quite gone.  They have some weak side-shoots without any rudiments of bloom.

My white pippins come-in for kitchen uses.  The aphides, of various species, that make many trees & plants appear loathsome, have served their generation, & are gone, no more to be seen this year; perhaps are all dead.  Thistle-down flies.

Burning sun.  Workmen complain of the heat.

Much smut in some fields of wheat.  Goody Hampton left the garden to go gleaning.  Barley cut about the forest-side.  We shot in all about 30 blackbirds.  Vast shooting star from E. to N.  My nephew Sam Barker came from Rutland thro’ London by the coaches.

The after-grass in the great meadow burns.  The sheep-down burns & is rusty. Much water in the pond on the hill!  This morning Will Tanner shot, off the tall meris-trees in the great mead, 17 young black-birds.  The cherries of these trees amuse the birds & save the garden-fruit.

Few hazel-nuts.  Men house field-pease.  Ponds are dry.  Grass-walks burn.  Ripening weather.

Preserved a good quantity of currans, & some rasps, cherries, & apricots.