A GARDEN KALENDAR 225 



Snowy frosty, untoward weather for planting. Four 

 new hand-glasses f m Alton. 



March 23. Back'd-up the seedling-bed, which began to 

 lose almost all its heat, with seven barrows of hot dung. 



Drew a parcel of the cast-dung from the side of the 

 heap, & made an Hot-bed for an Hand-glass : sowed three 

 pots with yellow, & white-seeded Cantaleupes 1752 : & 

 several cucumber-seeds round the pots for the ridge-hand- 

 glasses. The first Melon-plants continue to go-off with 

 mouldiness. Danger of a scarcity of plants for the frames. 

 The Cucumb r - plants in the same frames very healthy. 

 Storms of Hail, & rain all day. 



24. Hard frost, & thick Ice. 



March 27. Frost so fierce that it damaged the flowers, 

 and shrubs very much : Ice near an Inch thick : heavy 

 snow all the morning. 



29. Dress'd the Rasberry-bed. 



31. Planted four limes 1 in the Butcher's Yard, to hide 

 the sight of Blood, & filth from y e Windows. 



April 2. Planted out of their winter-box a bed of 

 Cauliflower-plants. Sowed two pots of Larch-seed ; two 

 pots of China-Arbor- Vitae ; & a pot of Arbor-Judae-seed. 



3. Made my great ten-light melon-bed with fifteen 

 dung-carts of hot-dung. Laid an Hillock of Dorton-earth 

 in the middle of each light ; & cover'd the whole bed about 

 two inches thick with earth. The earth wet & cloddy, & 

 not in condition for the purpose. Supply'd the Artichoke- 

 bed (which had lost most of its plants) with very good slips 

 from D r - Bristow's. 



5. Sowed a large Quantity of Holy-oak-seed, with some 

 radishes for the bugs ; crop of parsneps ; crop of Leeks ; 

 row of parsley : Row of Larch, & Judas-tree-seed in the 

 common-ground : four rows of Evergreen-oak-acrons ; 

 plot of Tree mallow, & curled mallow ; some Honesty- 



1 Three trees are still there, facing " The Wakes." Mr. Maxwell can re- 

 member the fourth, but it was removed when the yard on the north-east 

 side of the Butcher's Shop was built. These limes are now 146 years old. 

 [R. B. S.] 



2 F 



