244 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



dry. The dry weather began in passion-week, & con- 

 tinued on without any Interruption (except y e 29 of May) 

 'till the 20 of July. The air was rather cold in April & 

 May : but the sun, shining all day from a cloudless skie 

 for many weeks, dryed the ground in a very uncommon 

 manner : & the heats of June, & July quite burnt it to 

 dust. I observed that our wet clay withstood the drought 

 very well for many weeks : but when once it was thoro'ly 

 parched (as it was more than spit deep) vegetation suffered 

 more than in the gravelly soils. The barley, oats, and 

 pease, having no rains to bring y m - up, did not yield half 

 a crop : but the wheat (which is never known to be injured 

 by dry weather) turned-out very well. On y e twentieth 

 of July fell a very heavy, & extensive thunder-shower : 

 after which there were moderate rains, that restored a 

 little verdure to the grass-fields. From the 16 of August 

 set-in a very wet season for 15 or 16 days, which made 

 people in some pain for the wheat that began to grow. 

 About the beginning of Septem r - began the most delicate 

 Autumn, & lasted quite into Novem r - with very little or no 

 frost quite to the close of the Year. On a large well-pre- 

 pared melon-bed I could get no melons to set 'till the great 

 rains fell ; all the watering & shading not being sufficient 

 to keep the plants from drawing. By my Brother Barker's 

 account they had seasonable rains in the spring & summer ; 

 for their lent-crops in Rutland were very good. 



