The Diary Of William Sellers

13th. Raining to day. We have had very little rain for ten weeks. It has been one of the driest springs on record. Eclipse of the sun visible at Speeton on the 8th.

April 30th. Weather still dry. On some farms no spring corn has been sown. Beef very dear. Big sheep cheaper. Mr Plewes of this village died suddenly on the 21st of this month aged 71.

May 4th. Finished drilling corn but have still an acre to sow on the hillside.

25th. Sowing Swedes. Weather fine & dry. Rain needed especially on strong strong land. June 9th. Finished sowing turnips.

Weather fine & dry. Rain much needed.

June 10th. Taken up some nice early potatoes. This is the earliest date on which I remember taking up potatoes.

14th. A straw stack burnt at Reighton Moor farm.

15th. A large fire is burning at Hull. The smoke can be easily seen here with the eye. Land very dry. Rain much needed.

June 24th. Started hoeing turnips, nice plants.

-////- 27th. Sold the first fat lambs of the season ÂŁ5. 2. 6 each.

Shearlings are down over two pounds per head since March.

July 3rd. Found a large dead bird on the beach to day. It measured six feet across the wings & was white with the exception of the wings from the first joint outwards which was oes. black. The legs were green with a blue streak down its ttoes.

9th. Weather still very dry. Led the hay without cocking.

Nearly all the ponds are dry. Picked garden peas today, this is three weeks earlier than usual.

26th. We have had nice showers for two days. This has been the driest season for fifty years. Have Have been cleaning out Garends & Cow pasture ponds. Nearly all the ponds in the district are dry. A lot of turnips on strong land are either not sown or have not come up. Cutting corn has begun in the Driffield district. Mr A Watson of Speeton cut corn in July.

July. th Aug 4 . Started harvest. Weather warm & unsettled.