The Natural History of Selborne

Farmer Spencer, & farmer Knight are forced to stop their reapers, because their wheat ripens so unevenly.

Women bring cran-berries, but they are not ripe.

Plums show no tendency to ripeness.  Scalded codlings come in.  The wheat that was smitten by the hail does not come to maturity together: some ears are full ripe, & some quite green.  Wheat within the verge of the hail-storm is much injured, & the pease are spoiled.  A puff-ball, lycoperdon bovista, was gathered in a meadow near Alton, which weighed 7 pounds, & an half, & measured 1 Yard and One Inch in girth the longest way 3 feet two inches.  There were more in the mead almost as bulky as this.

Wheat housing at Heards.

Mr & Mrs Mulso, &c., left us.

Many hop-poles are blown down.  Cool, autumnal feel.  Days much shortened.

Skimmed my two pasture-fields.

Wall-cherries, may dukes, lasted ’till this time, & were very fine.

Drew-out from the port-wine hogsh: for my share, eleven bottles more of wine so that my proportion was 17 dozen and, & three bottles. Thanks-giving for the peace.

Planted bore-cole, &c.  Yellow horizon.  Bror Henry left us.