The Natural History of Selborne

No mushrooms: plenty in Rutland.

A ring-ouzel shot in Hindhead.

The dripping weather has lasted this day nine weeks, all thro’ haying, & harvest: much hay is also spoiled of the second cutting: so that men, having lost both crops, will in many parts be very short of fodder, especially, as turnips have missed in many places.

Turned the horses into the great meadow: there is a vast after grass, more than when the meadow was mowed in the summer.

Wasps much subdued.

Boys bring the 26th wasp’s nest.  Mens second crop of clover cut, & spoiled by the rains.  A bad prospect with respect to winter fodder!  Farmer Spencer sows some wheat-stubbles with rye for spring feed.

Mr S. Barker came. Planted a Parnassia, which he brought out of Rutland in full bloom, in a bog at the bottom of Sparrow’s hanger.

Stormy wind, which broke-down great part of my Orleans plum-tree, & blew-down Molly White’s horse-chest-nut, & did vast damage to the hop-gardens, which are torn, & shattered in a sad manner!  This storm was very extensive, being very violent at the same time at Lyndon, in Rutland.  Much mischief was done at London, & at Portsmouth, & in Kent; at Brightelmstone also, & in Devonshire.

Boys bring the 25th wasp’s nest.

Dogs eat the goose-berries when they become ripe; & now they devour the plums as they fall; last year they tore the apricots off the trees.