162 GILBERT WHITE OF SELI^.ORNE 1786 



From the Naturalist's Journal — 

 " 1786. Sep. 23, Brother Thomas and sons came." 



The following whimsical experiment is here re- 

 corded. These articles — salt of tartar, oil of vitriol, 

 a tea-kettle, sea salt, wood ashes, coal ashes, nitre — 

 were placed in concentric circles. 



"With the above mentioned articles Bro*" Thos. has at- 

 tempted to make a fairey-ring, circle within circle : and we 

 are to take notice in the spring which circle, and whether 

 any, will produce grass of a deeper green than before. The 

 tea kettle . . . was set out, time after time, full of boiling 

 water. The circles made with oil of vitriol, with sea salt, 

 and with salt petre have discoloured the grass: those with 

 Sal Tartar, wood, and coal ashes have no visible effect at 

 present. The grass seems killed where the tea-kettle stood. 



" Novr. 22. I sent a woman up the hill with a peck 

 of beech-mast, which she tells me she has scattered all 

 round the down amid the bushes and brakes, where there 

 were no beeches before. I also ordered Thomas to sow 

 beech-mast in the hedges all round Baker's hill." 



Later in the year a visit was paid to Fyfield. 

 After the return to Selborne Mr. Churton came as 

 usual at Christmas time. 



