Sharp frost in the night, which does not appear to have done any damage, however. Today fine but rather cold. Cleared out some more of the strawberry bed, prepared the onion bed, which may be fit to sow tomorrow. Some of the tadpoles swimming about. The first daffodil in the field out. None yet in the garden, though some in other people’s gardens. Five of the six briar stocks I planted budding.
20 eggs.
Finer. Still impossible to sow seeds. Dug a little more, applied wood-ash to bed for onions. Tadpoles now almost fully formed & beginning to wriggle their tails.
16 eggs. Sold 1 score @ 2/10.
Raining almost without cease all day, & decidedly cold. Tadpoles I brought home are already more or less formed & working their way out of the spawn.
15 eggs.
Most of the day nice weather, turning damper at night. Cleaned out a little of strawberry bed. 15 eggs (30 sold for 2/-).
Nice spring weather most of the day. Blackthorn just budding. Catkins & female flowers on the hawthorn. Found some frogs mating. In most places they have already spawned & some of the spawn is beginning to develop. Brought a few bits home. A primrose out in the garden (also polyanthi) but could find none in the woods, though Mrs Nicholls, whom we met, had found a very few, also violets. Anemones not out.
18 eggs.
About the first nice spring weather, except for a shower or two in the afternoon. Buds on bullace trees.
13 eggs. Total this week: 98.
It is drying, but very slowly. Again a few showers. Sorted out potatoes, of which at least a third have rotted owing to frost. However if the remaining ones don’t rot there are enough to last several months at present rate of consumption. Dug a little more. A little aubretia beginning to flower. A few scillas also. Perennials all budding pretty strongly. No. of eggs in waterglass about 100.
16 eggs.
Somewhat drier, but a few showers. Dug a little more & prepared place for blackberries.
9 eggs.
Violent wind, & raining slightly on & off.
Prepared a row for broad beans & another for cauliflowers, but impossible to get the surface soil fine yet.
16 eggs.
