260 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



must soon be damaged if this weather lasts. It has never 

 been dry more than four days together, & that only twice, 

 since the first of July : in general only two days together ; 

 & that but seldom. The Cantaleupes have had a very dis- 

 advantageous season ; nothing but black, wet weather since 

 they have been set. S r - Mat : Featherstone's Cantaleupes, 



1 hear, have very little flavour. 



19. Earth'd one row of Celeri half the way up. 



Planted a row of Savoys between every two rows of 

 dwarf-kidney-beans in the Quincunx. Housed the wheat 

 not in very good order. 



Aug. 21. Tyed-up more Endive. 



22. Cut the first Cantaleupe, the largest of the Crop : 

 weighed 3 p ds - 5 oun : & half. It proved perfectly delicate, 

 dry, & firm, notwithstanding the unfavourable weather ever 

 since the time of setting. Saved the seed. 



23. Cut second Cantaleupe : weighed 2 p ds - 5 oun : 

 Fine, bright weather for five days. 



24. Cut a brace more of Cantaleupes ; one weighed 



2 p 4 *- 6 oun : one 2 p ds - 4 ounces. Great rain in the 

 afternoon. 



25. Sent a brace of the Cantaleupes to Lord Keeper : 

 eat the third at Home, which turned-out perfectly delicate ; 

 rather superior to y e first, eaten at the Hermitage. Saved 

 the seed. 



26. Cut & set-up in the sun y e six large white seed- 

 Cucumbers : the biggest weighed 2 p ds - 14 oun : & the 

 longest measured 13 inch : in length. 



Sowed a small plot of Coss, green-Capuchin, & Brown- 

 Dutch- Lettuce-seed for plants to stand the winter. 



28. Cut small Cantaleupe, weighed but 15 oun : vast 

 rains all day, & a great flood. 



29. Tyed-up about 30 more Endives. 



31. Heavy rain for about 30 Hours, which coming 

 upon the back of such vast showers before, occasioned an 

 extraordinary flood, which ran over the foot-bridges, & 

 was greater than any winter-flood for many years past. It 

 filled James Knight's biggest pond, which had been fished 



