The Natural History of Selborne

My broad beans are just come in.

Mr. Budd’s annuals very fine.  Ground well moistened: after-grass grows.

Alton

Rye cut & bound at Clapham.  Wheat looks well, & turns colour. Hay making at Farnham: pease are hacking near the town; hops distempered.

Small shower: heavy rain at Clapham, & Battersea.  On this day Mrs Edmd White was brought to bed of a daughter, who encreases my nephews & nieces to the number of 58.

A bat of the largest sort comes forth every evening, & flits about in the front of my brother’s house.  This is a very large species, & seldom seen.  See my history of Selburne.

My brother gathered a sieve of mush-rooms: they come up in the flower-borders, which have been manured with dung from the old hot beds.

On this day My Bro. Benj. White began to rebuild his house in Fleetstreet which he had entirely pulled to the ground. His grandson Ben White laid the first brick of the new foundation, & then presented the workmen with five shillings for drink. Ben, who is five years old, may probably remember this circumstance hereafter, & may be able to recite to his grandchildren the occurances of this day.

Chardons are usually blanched, & stewed like celeri: but my Brother boils the heads of his, which are very sweet, & in flavour like artichokes; the chief objection is, that they are very small, & afford little substance in their bottoms.  The heads of chardons are sold in the markets & are thought to be a delicate morsels.  Chardons are strong, vigorous plants, & grow six & seven feet high, & have strong sharp prickles like thistles.

Grapes swell.  New potatoes.

A cuckoo cries in my Brors garden: some birds of that sort have frequented this place all the summer.  Young swallows at Stockewell.  In Mr Malcolm’s garden there is a bed of small silver firs, the tops of which are all killed by the frosts in June.  The hothouses of this Gent. afford a most noble appearance; & his plantations are grand, & splendid.  Passion-flower begins to blow in the open air.  Cucumbers are scarce, & sell for 2 1/2 d. a piece. Crops of pease go off.  Some cleri trenched out form the seedling bed.