30.12.39

No thaw. A few light spots of snow.

5 eggs. Total this week (see above): 39. Yesterday sold 5 @ 1/-.

29.12.39

Freezing hard all day, but no fresh snow. Water pipes frozen this morning. Saw a rabbit run across a pool on the ice. Oat stack being thrashed at the farm.

4 eggs.

28.12.39

Back at Wallington. Very cold, but no wind. In London there were a few frosts &, round about Xmas, extremely dense mists, making traffic almost impossible. Here freezing hard since yesterday, & snowing all today. Extremely light dry snow, which clings to everything, even wire netting. One of the plants that carries the snow most beautifully is lavender. Even corrugated iron looks attractive with snow on it. White Leghorn hens in the snow look quite[1] dark yellow.

In the time we have been away, ie. since 12.12.39 there have apparently been 101 eggs – a falling off but not so bad as I expected. Shall have to make the weeks up by guesswork but can get the actual number right. Mice have been very bad in the house during my absence, tearing up newspapers etc., etc. Must try poisoning them.

4 eggs (no doubt owing to the cold.)

[NB. As to egg account: – total number of eggs, including those laid on the 2 (unentered) days before we went away, & todays, is 120. I have entered the last two weeks @ 45 a week, which leaves 30 to be added to those of Friday-Sat. of this week: ie. this week’s eggs will equal Friday. Sat’s eggs + 30. This will make the total right even if the weeks are incorrect.][2]

 

 

 

[1] Preceded by ‘as nearly,’ which is crossed out.

[2] Orwell’s own square brackets. Peter Davison

13.12.39

Cold, overcast, not windy.

12.12.39

(In London) Cold & overcast.

11.12.39

Raw, chilly, thick mist most of the day.

7 eggs.

10.12.39

Sunny in the morning, overcast in the afternoon, not cold. Transplanted another root of wild rose. Transferred the 4 young pullets to the main houses.

8 eggs.

9.12.39

Fine & rather cold. A little rain in the evening.

8 eggs. Total this week: 59.

8.12.39

Raining all day.

10 eggs.

7.12.39

Very hard frost last night, which did not begin to thaw till after-noon. Thick mist in the evening. Mr R. turns over the frosted ground, digging the frost in, which he says kills the wireworms etc.

9 eggs.