368 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



still very hard under the surface, & the Ice very thick on 

 the waters. 



23. The mercury, which was very low yesterday, now 

 rises again very fast; & the frost seems likely to go off 

 without any fall at all. The ground would dig well, if the 

 frost was out. 



26. The Succades are come-up extraordinarily well 

 every seed. The frost went-off on the 24* with some rain. 

 The Cucum 1 " 5 - seem to be settled in their hills, & begin to 

 shew runners. 



27. Potted the succades in four pots. A good deal of 

 rain & wet melting snow. 



28. A great snow with a fierce driving wind from the 

 West, which forced it into every cranny & opening ; so 

 that the peat & mould in the houses were covered. It lies 

 in very unequal depths on the Ground, being drifted by the 

 strong wind : but would have been about ten inches in 

 general had the air been still. 



The ever-greens were so loaded that they were weigh'd- 

 down to the Ground. The wind was so strong, & the 

 snow so searching, that the Hotbeds were not uncovered 

 above two Hours all day. 



The sun broke out in the evening : but y e Horizon looked 

 very threatening, being of a very livid Colour, & promising 

 more fall. The Mercury fell very low indeed in the night ; 

 & was quite concave at the top when I went to bed. 



March I st - A pretty smart frost in the night ; but a 

 swift thaw all day with some rain. The snow lies very 

 thick still ; so deep that I could not get-out on Horse-back 

 at the Northfield-lane end. The Glass very low still. The 

 Cucum 15 - look well, & the bed is not injured by the bad 

 weather. Sowed twelve more Succade-seeds : those in the 

 pots look well. 



2. A frost in the morning, & strong sunshine all day. 

 The snow is still very deep, & melts only by the Heat of 

 the sun. Newton-lane has been quite stopp'd-up, & im- 

 passable. The Glass keeps rising but is still very low. 

 The lane towards Rood is not passable. 



