360 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



Septem r - i. Got a stone-mason to fix the stone with 

 my name & the date of the wall in the middle of the fruit- 

 wall. 1 When the mason came to chizzel a hole for the 

 stone he found the wall perfectly sound, dry, & hard. 



9. Returned the raisin-wine (which had been drawn 

 into a tun-tub two days) into the barrel again, & put-in one 

 more pint of brandy : 2 there is left behind near three Gallons 

 of grout. 



Hot sunny weather still. The wine frets a little still. 



7. Tyed-up more endives : the third tying : the endives 

 are very large, & fine. Earthed-up two rows of Celeri for 

 the first time. 



Beautiful weather still ; it has now lasted three weeks. 

 Harvest is finished in general ; except some vetches, & 

 barley that are not yet ripe. The Grapes on the fruit- wall 

 ripen very fast. During this sunny weather fresh Canta- 

 leupes, & succades set very fast since the frames have been 

 taken away. 



Sepr- 12. Now a great rain after three weeks, & three 

 days delicate weather. 



1 6. Cold, windy weather still. The annuals are much 

 damaged. 



1 8. Gathered the sweet- water grapes on the fruit-wall 

 which are ripe ; & some of M rs - Snooke's black-cluster- 

 grapes, which are very eatable ; but not highly flavoured. 



In the night between the 16 : & 17 : my melons & 

 Cucumbers were pulled all to pieces ; & the horse-block, 

 three hand glasses, & many other things were destroy 'd 

 by persons unknown. 3 



1 This stone still remains. [R. B. S.] 



2 This made 8 pints of brandy 1 {R. B. S.] 



3 It seems difficult to imagine that Gilbert White could become an object of 

 spite to any of the villagers, but he seems to have taken the outrage very calmly, 

 as we read no more about it. Mr. Maxwell writes to me : " This sort of thing 

 was of common occurrence even within my memory say fifty years ago. Any 

 person or persons you might have offended would damage your property in re- 

 venge, or set fire to your ricks if you had any ; but after the police were estab- 

 lished as an institution in the village, and the officers had settled down to their 

 work, this kind of outrage ceased." [R. B. S.] 



