ece of ground to make another trial in, and I dug up a piece of
ground near my new bower, and sowed the rest of my seed in February, a
little before the vernal equinox; and this having the rainy months of
March and April to water it, sprung up very pleasantly, and yielded a
very good crop; but having part of the seed left only, and not daring to
sow all that I had, I had but a small quantity at last, my whole crop not
amounting to above half a peck of each kind. But by this experiment I
was made master of my business, and knew exactly when the proper season
was to sow, and that I might expect two seed-times and two harvests every
year.

While this corn was growing I made a little discovery, which was of use
to me afterwards. As soon as the rains were over, and the weather began
to settle, which was about the month of November, I made a visit up the
country to my bower, where, though I had not been some months, yet I
found all things just as I left them. The circle or double hedge that I
had made was not only firm and entire, but the stakes which I had cut out
of some trees that grew thereabouts were all shot out and grown with long
branches, as much as a willow-tree usually shoots the first year after
lopping its head. I could not tell what tree to call it that these
stakes were cut from. I was surprised, and yet very well pleased, to see
the young trees grow; and I pruned them, and led them up to grow as much
alike as I could; and it is scarce credible how beautiful a figure they
grew into in three years; so that though the hedge made a circle of about
twenty-five yards in diameter, yet the trees, for such I might now call
them, soon covered it, and it was a complete shade, sufficient to lodge
under all the dry season. This made me resolve to cut some more stakes,
and make me a hedge like this, in a semi-circle round my wall (I mean
that of my first dwelling), which I did; and placing the trees or stakes
in a double row, at about eight yards distance from my first fence, they
grew presently, and were at first a fine cover to my habitation, and
afterwards served for a defence also, as I shall observe in its order.

I found now that the seasons of the year might generally be divided, not
into summer and winter, as in Europe, but into the rainy seasons and the
dry seasons, which were generally thus:--The half of February, the whole
of March, and the half of April--rainy, the sun being then on or near the
equinox.