288 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



Covered all the inside of the boxes with wheat-straw to 

 keep the sun from drying the mould ; & to prevent much 

 watering. 



Tull employed in cleansing the garden from weeds. 

 The vine-shoots grow in a most extraordinary manner, & 

 are full of fruit. 



Planted some Persicarias in the New-garden border. 



Out of one vine-shoot, which was procur'd from the 

 old stem of a vine last summer ; & being exceeding strong 

 was laid-in five feet long, arise as many shoots this spring 

 as produce 14 bunches of Grapes. Fine rain all night. 



6. Planted-out all the persicarias; & about 2 doz : of 

 the slips of the double bloody-wall-flowers. 



Moist, hot, growing weather. 



7. Lined-out the melon-bed very strongly, more than 

 three feet on each side, with eleven loads of dung, & a large 

 Quantity of weeds. Planted out a bed of late Cauliflowers. 



June 9. Gather'd first strawberries, scarlet, & Nova 

 Scotia. Cut the crop of rye-grass, & clover in Baker's hill : 

 a good Crop. 



10. Planted 22 basons in the field with annuals, french 

 & Afr : Marrigolds, China Asters, pendulous Amaranths, & 

 sun-flowers. 



ii. The vines at the end of the dining-room in bloom ; 

 about three weeks sooner than usual : occasioned, I sup- 

 pose, by the very sunny season. 



12. Housed the Baker's-hill-hay in excellent order : 

 there were three decent loads. 



14. John finished his second tacking & thinning the 

 vines : those against the Yard shew prodigious strength ; 

 but are not yet blown. Dry, settled weather. 



June 14. Planted annuals in the home Garden. 



15. Wood-strawberries came-in in plenty. 



1 6. Set Tull to earth the Cantaleupe-bed all over to 

 the Ground very thick. 



The Cantaleupes are full of fruit in bloom, & now shew 

 a tolerable share of male bloom. 



The vines begin to blow against the Yard. 



