A GARDEN KALENDAR 353 



plenty of promising fruit ; some of it is in bloom. Tacked 

 the vine-shoots against the wall for the first time. The vines 

 round the House shew for fruit ; but not in such Quantities 

 as for some years past. 



May 26. The weather for some days very sultry : to 

 day was thunder & rain ; & in some places very heavy 

 showers ; but not at Selborne. 



June 2. On my return from Fifield I found an abun- 

 dance of Succades set ; & some as large as Goose-eggs. 

 The Cantaleupes (tho' the Haulm has not half-filled the 

 boxes) are setting very fast. The very hot weather has 

 drawn the stalks of the fruit pretty long. 



4. Earth' d-out the Cantaleupes & Succades to the full ; 

 & brought the mould in front quite down to the Ground : 

 raised all the melon frames quite above the mould. 



Planted 100 of Savoy-plants from Ludgershal in a 

 nursery-bed : but was forced to water the ground very 

 much before it would plant. The ground by means of the 

 wet winter & late drying winds is as hard as a stone ; so 

 that there is no sowing or planting any quantity 'till rains 

 come. On account of the hardness of the Ground the 

 Lent-corn begins to want rain very much. The fine double 

 stocks are still in full bloom. 



Very cold, black, drying weather for these ten days 

 past. 



June 6. Sowed a Crop of Endive : watered the Ground 

 to make it rake. 



7. Prick' d-out a plot of Celeri. 



8 : 9. Now fine rains, after the Ground had been bound- 

 up like so much stone for some time. 



Thinn'd-out, & tack'd the peaches & nectarines in a 

 very regular manner ; so that the shoots will have the 

 benefit of the sun & air to ripen them. There was not one 

 fruit to be found. 



The trees are kept open in the middle, but make a very 

 regular appearance on the sides. 



12. Sowed second crop, a pint of white dwarf-french- 

 beans in five rows. The ground is still very hard, & dry ; 



2 Y 



