July 11, 1778
Posted by sydney on Jul 11th, 1778
Finished cutting the hedges. Watered the garden. Many ponds are dry. Much hay ricked.
* The young martins that were hatched June 11th began to come-out of their nest July 7th, so that they arrive at their maturity in somewhat less than a month. A colony of black ants comes forth every midsummer from under my stair-case, which stands in the middle of the house; & as soon as the males & females (which fill all the windows & rooms) are flown away, the workers retire under the stairs & are seen no more. It does not appear how this nest can have any communication with the garden or yard; & if not, how can these ants subsist in perpetual darkness & confinement!