A GARDEN KALENDAR 307 



Began building my fruit-wall. 1 



15. Disbudded the vines for the first time: great 

 quantities of fruit especially at the end of the dining-room. 

 The fig tree shows about 140 fruit. 



Finish'd a forest-Chair on the bastion ; & a plain seat 

 under the great oak. Hot burning weather. 



May 19. Vast rain with a very stormy wind, which 

 hinders the masons in their wall-building ; & damages the 

 vines, shrubs, flowers, & trees of all sorts. 



20. Made six holes for the large white Dutch Cucum- 

 bers, with one barrow of dung to each hole, & planted 

 three plants under each hand-glass. 



20. My Brother Tho : & I went down with a spade to 

 examine into the nature of those animals that make that 

 chearful shrill cry all the summer months in many parts 

 of the south of England. We found them to be of the 

 Cricket-kind, with wings & ornamented Cases over them, 

 like the House kind. But tho' they have long legs behind 

 with large brawny thighs, like Grasshoppers, for leaping ; 

 it is remarkable that when they were dug-out of their holes 

 they shewed no manner of activity, but crawled along in 

 a very shiftless manner, so as easily to be taken. We 

 found it difficult not to squeese them to death in breaking 

 the Ground : & out of one so bruised I took a multitude of 

 eggs, which were long, of a yellow Colour, & covered with 

 a very tough skin. It was easy to discover the male from 

 the female ; the former of which is of a black shining 

 Colour, with a golden stripe across it's shoulders something 

 like that of the Humble-bee : the latter was more dusky, & 

 distinguished by a long terebra at it's tail, which probably 

 may be the instrument with which it may deposit its eggs 

 in Crannies, & safe receptacles. 



It is very likely that the males only make that shrilling 

 noise ; which they may do out of rivalry, & emulation 

 during their breeding time ; as is the Case with many 

 animals. 



1 A small piece of Gilbert White's fruit-wall with the stone commemorating 

 its erection [G. W.] still remains standing, and is well cared for by the sympathetic 

 owners of "The Wakes," Mr. and Mrs. Paxton Parkin. [R. B. S.] 



