254 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



April 24. Ventured to turn-out y e Melons, tho' some 

 of the hillocks were full hot : mixed-up a good deal of 

 fresh earth in each hillock, & set y e plants as high as 

 possible : left the wodden bottoms under some of the 

 plants to see if they will prevent the roots from burning. 

 Intend to cover the frames but slightly, while the bed is 

 so hot. 



Made an hot-bed for the smallest one-light frame, to 

 prick the annuals in, with 5 barrows of dung, & two of 

 Grass. Made two beds for two hand-glasses with two 

 barrows of dung each to forward some of Bosworth's large 

 white Cucumbers to save seed from. Dressed Artichoke 

 bed. Forked up y e seedling Asparagus ; only 16 plants to 

 be found. Layed some boughs of Laurustines ; & planted 

 a Laurustine by y e pitching. 



April 27. Planted-out John Bosworth's large white 

 Cucumbers, three under each Hand-glass, to make early 

 plants to save some seed of that fine sort from : pricked- 

 out the annuals in y e two one-light frames, & sowed some 

 more Afr : Marrigolds, & more of Bosworth's Cucumber- 

 seeds. Weeded all the basons & flower-borders. Melon- 

 bed steams greatly ; but seems to be past its vehement 

 Heat. 



Fine soft showers all the Afternoon, & evening. 



Disbudded the vines that were laid on the walls accord- 

 ing to Hit. 



May i. Planted about 20 bulbs of Eschallots in the 

 New-Garden. 



Some melon-plants continue to fail, tho' the bed is very 

 mild, & the mould sweet & unburnt. 



12. On my return from London I found several of the 

 melon-plants very large & thriving ; except in two of the 

 basons, where they were puny, & withered : supply'd those 

 two basons with some late-sowed Cantaleupe-plants from 

 Seed saved at Selborn 1755. 



May 15. A most extraordinary dry season ever since 

 the end of March : all our worst roads have been dryed-up 

 many weeks. For this fortnight past the heats have been 



