CORRESPONDENCE WITH HIS FAMILY. 107 



the wheat season: however such lovely weather followed quite 

 into Nov. that the sowing time was unusually good. Again 

 during the first 14 days of Dec. there fell 5 inch, of rain: this 

 deluge washed our malm grounds sadly. 



Rain at Selborne in 1786. 



As to strong beer at Mr. Yalden's, I can say nothing about 

 the management of it, because John Pullinger, who had the 

 sole conducting of it, has left Edm d White: I only know that 

 my strong beer is much admired by those that love pale beer, 

 made of malt that is dryed with billet. My method is to 

 make it very strong, and to hop very moderately at first ; and 

 then to put in, at two or three times, half a pound at a time, 

 of scalded hops, before I tap it. This is the Wilts method, 

 and makes the beer as fine as rock-water. As my family is 

 small, I never brew more than half hogsh. at a time ; but then 

 I put malt at the rate of 13 bush, to the hogshead, and only 

 3 pounds and half of hops at a brewing. I tap my half hogs- 

 heads at about 12 months old, and always brew with rain 

 water when 1 can. The tank at Newton is made of brick : 

 their beer was, and is often good; but their water when drank 

 by itself, has a filthy taste of lime and moss. Their table beer 

 does not keep in summer. 



Please to present my best thanks to my sister for her kind 

 charity, which will be very acceptable to our numerous poor. 

 Mrs. Etty is here, but will leave us soon, perhaps 'till 



midsum r . 



Your affectionate servant, 



G. WHITE. 



The crop of beech mast was prodigious, and of great 



