The tortoise is very earnest for the leaves of poppies, which he hunts about after, & seems to prefer to any other green thing. Such is the vicissitude of matters where weather is concerned, that the spring, which last year was unusually backward, is now forward.
Swallows build. They take up straws in their bills, & with them a mouthful of dirt. Fern-owl churs. The bark of felled oaks runs remarkably well; so that the barkers earn great wages.
There seem to be two, if not three nightingales in my outlet.
Sowed sweet alyssum in basons on the borders. Wheat improves very much: the women weed it.
The blackbirds & thrushes are so reduced by the severe weather, that I have seen in my out-let only one of the former, & not one of the latter; not one missle-thrush.
Auricula’s blow finely in the natural ground. Owls have eggs. The hanger almost all green. Many trees in the Lythe in full leaf. Beeches on the common hardly budding.
Pulled the first radishes. Crown-imperials & fritillaria’s blown. Shot two more green-finches. There is a ring-dove’s nest in the American Juniper in the shrubbery: but as that spot begins to be much frequented, the brood will scarcely come to good.
Cut the first cucumber, a large one. Golden weather. The polyanths blow finely, especially the young seedlings from Bramshot-place, may of which will be curious. Shot three green-finches, which pull-off the blossoms of the polyanths.
Earthed the annual beds. Set up a copper-vane (arrow) on the brew-house. Goody Hampton came to work in the garden for the summer. Timothy the tortoise weighs 6ae 13 oun.; he weighed at first coming out last year only 6ae 11 1/4 oun. He ate this morning the heart of a lettuce.
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