276 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



May 15. Sowed the second pint of french-beans, large 

 white Dutch : soaked them in water over night. 



1 8. Sowed a Crop of white, green, & black Coss- 

 lettuce. 



All my Savoy-seed, & Boor-cole fails this Year : not 

 one plant appears. 



20. Strong sun-shine for many days, & a sharp east- 

 wind. Cold white dews in the mornings. Our clay ground 

 as hard as a stone. This burning Sun, as usual, makes the 

 Cantaleupes not look quite right : most of the fruit, as 

 soon as it appears, turns yellow. The single fruit, that is 

 out of bloom, not likely to stand. 



The Dwarf french-beans are come-up pretty well. 



The lettuce that stood the winter are finely leav'd. This 

 unkind weather stops the setting of y e Cucumbers. 



21. Earthed the Cantaleupes the last time within their 

 boxes. Finding the Cantaleupes much exhausted, & dryed 

 by the fierce heat of the Sun, & the dry air, I watered them 

 all over, leaves & all, with one small pot of water. 



The leaves all hang-down, & have a dry, paper-like 

 feel, & look woolly ; & the fruit all turns yellow. I re- 

 member they had all just the same appearance at this time 

 last Year, the sun-shine & east-wind being as vehement. 



Planted 100 of late Cabbages. 



26. The burning, sunny weather continues. 



The Gardens suffer much by the drought. 



29. Frequent showers. 



The watering the Cantaleupes twice over y 6 leaves 

 seemed to refresh them very much ; but has occasioned 

 one of M r - Hunter's plants to grow a little mouldy at a 

 Joint on one of the leaders near the stem. So that water, 

 tho' never so much wanted, is dangerous near the stem. 



The Armenian plants in general have small leaves, & 

 vines : & one in particular is so fine, & wire drawn, that 

 one would imagine it would never be able to carry any 

 fruit to perfection. The rest are healthy, & are disposed 

 very regularly in their frames ; & are full of fruit. No 

 fruit set yet. 



