Warm, no rain. The little apple tree (grenadier pippin)[a] so weighted down with apples that we are obliged to support the branches. Kate[1] is unwell, refused food this evening & was sick, or threw up her cud. Muriel also somewhat off her feed. I suspect this is due to their being tethered in the hot sun without shade.
Found wild canterbury bells. Wood pigeons still sitting on nests. No crab apples on the big tree this year, though the garden apples are everywhere good. Seemingly no wild cherries. The birds have had the few red currants there were in our garden. This evening caught & brought home some newt tadpoles in varying stages of development. They get the front legs first [b] (toads get hind legs – not sure about frogs) & have 4 fingers on each hand. Much more agile than toad tadpoles, diving into the mud when pursued. According to Edie W.,[2] adult newts if put into the aquarium with tadpoles will devour them. Found a water snail whose shell was as long as the top two joints of my forefinger; have never before seen one approaching this size.
Planted a slip of rambler rose, but believe this is too early.[c] Picked more loganberries.
12 eggs.
[Orwell’s notes]
[a] It seems the grenadier is a cooker, not an eater as I thought.
[b] Not quite certain about this. They seem to have all 4 legs when still only 1/2- 3/4inch long
[c] It took all right. But died in the frost Jan. 1940.
[1] Orwell originally wrote ‘Kay’.
[2] Edie W. was Mrs. Ridley’s daughter. The W. stands for her husband Stanley’s name. Peter Davison
Orwell Diaries 1938-1942 