294 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



Octob r - 25. Received from M re - Snooke a basket of swans- 

 egg, Doyenne, White Buree, & Colmar-pears f or a specimen : 

 also some Crasans, & Spanish Boncretiens. 



27. Took-up from the Laurustine - hedge about 40 

 layers : laid-down about as many more. 



Nov : 8. Began dressing the vines : found plenty of 

 new wood in most places. 



There have been a few smart frosts this autumn : but 

 in general a continual run of wet weather for these six 

 weeks past ; & great floods. 



10. Widened the grass-plot towards the wall-nut-tree. 



The farmers have been greatly hind'red in their wheat- 

 season by the rains ; & will hardly be able to sow all their 

 fallows. 1 



12. Removed 8 black-cluster, & 6 muscadine-vines 

 (which were planted Cuttings last April) into the sandy bed 

 at the end of the Asparagus. Most of them were well 

 rooted, & had made good shoots. Set the Geranium-pots 

 in y e Garret- Window. 



Nov r - 15. Continued to curve the leading shoots of the 

 two vines against the end of the Dining-room, which in one 

 Year more will be at their full length, & may be reduced to 

 a single stem. 



The vines against the yard abound in Young wood of a 

 vast length, & will have fresh Horizontals everywhere, 

 without bending back any shoots. 



1 8. Planted-in between the rows of Crocuss round 

 the dining-room 100 Scotch-Crocuss, & 50 double snow 

 drops. 



19. Planted the new bank with perennial sun-flowers, 

 rose-campions, tree-primeroses, & several sorts of Asters. 



Planted a bed of tulips, Hyacinths, Ranunculus, Ane- 

 monies, in a plot well-mellowed with lime-rubbish. A 

 tolerable dry season for four or five days, after a glut of 

 rain for many weeks. 



1 In those days the farmers used to "fallow" their ground, i.e. plough it 

 up, and allow it to rest untilled throughout the summer previous to the wheat- 

 sowing. [H. M.] 



