The Natural History of Selborne

Great complaint for want of rain, & water, round Dublin in Ireland.

The late burning season has proved fatal to many deer in elevated situations, where the turf being quite scorched up, the stock in part perished for want.  This is said in particular to have been the case at Up-park in Sussex.  A want of water might probably have been one occasion of this mortality. Some fallow deer have dyed in the Holt.

The rick sweats, & fumes, & is in fine order.  The pond at Faringdon is dry; my well is very low, having been much exhausted by long waterings.  Received five gallons, & a pint of brandy from Mr Edmd Woods.

Newton great pond is almost dry; only two or three dirty puddles remain, which afford miserable water for the village.  My nephew Edmd. White of Newton turns his sheep into five acres of barley, which is spoiled by the drought.  Mr Ponk of Farngdon does the same by a field of oats.

The down is so burnt, that it looks dismally.

The spring in Kimber’s mead is dry; & also that in Conduit-wood; from whence in old time the Priory was supplyed with water by means of leaden pipes.  The pond on the common is also empty.  All the while Well-head is not much abated, nor the spring at the bottom of the church -litten closes, where you pass over the foot-bridge to the Lithe.  Perserved cherries, & currans; & made curran-jelly.  Not one mess of wood-strawberries brought this year.

The heat at noon yeasterday was so great that it scorched the white cucumbers under the hand-glasses, & injured them much.  Annuals die with the heat.  Took away the moss from the white cucumbers, because it seemed to scald them.

Timothy Turner cuts the St foin on Baker’s hill: this is the 18th crop; & not a bad one, the severity of the drought considered.  My balsams are fine tall plants, & well-variegated, except a few, which blow white.

Annuals die thro’ heat. Hops run their poles. Mr Powlett of Rotherfield has no water for his cattle in the park, but what he fetched from Alton! He has a well for the house. Many years ago Mr Powletts’s grandfather fetched water from Alton for all his cattle, deer & all, for three months together. My well is low; but affords plenty of fine clear water. We draw great quantities for the garden. A constant spring runs through it.

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.