The Natural History of Selborne

We have planted-out vast quantities of annuals, but none of them thrive.  Grapes do not blow, nor make any progress.  The wet season has continued just a month this day.  Dismal weather!

D.L. Virginian creeper sheds it’s leaves.  It’s leaves have a silky appearance.  Tho. H. White, & H.H.W. went to Fyfield.

Gathered six bush. & half of dearlings from the meadow-tree: four or five bush. remain on the tree.  The foliage of the Virginian creeper of a fine blood-colour.

Bramshot-place

My vines are nicely trimmed: not a superflous shoot left.  Cleared the cherry-trees, & took-in the nets.  Mr Richardson’s garden was not so much burnt-up as might be expected.  There was plenty of pease, & kidney-beans; & much fruit, such as currans, gooseberries, melond, & cherries.  The wheat at Bramshot looks well; but the spring-crops are injured by they drought.  Turnips come-up pretty well.  The pair of Fly-catchers in the vine are preparing for a second brood, & have got one egg.  This is the first instance that I remember of their breeding twice.

Ivy begins to blow on Nore-hill & is frequented by wasps.  Pd for a wasps nest, full of young.

Finished dressing the vines.  The new wood was small, & not highly ripened; so it was laid-in the shorter.  It covers the walls regularly.

The Antirrhinum cymbalaria is grown to an enermous size, extending itself side-ways 15 or 16 feet, & 7 or 8 in height!!  It grows on the water-table of a N.W. wall of my house, & runs up among the shoots of a Jasmine.

Dwarf elder blows.  Red martagons begin to blow.  Large kidney beans bud for bloom.  Grapes swell.

Vine just begins to blow: it began last year June 7: in 1774 June 26.  Wheat begins to blow.  Thomas’s bees swarm, & settle on the Balm of Gilead fir.  first swarm.

One of my vines looks pale & sickly.  Ivy budds for bloom: it blows in Octr & Novr. and the fruit ripens in April.