No, not a date in history. It is just the number I was running round in my head between potting up seedlings in the polytunnel earlier this morning and getting back inside to make notes to remind me that I have 15 tiny brussels sprout plants and 27 lettuces pricked out from the scattered seeds I sowed last week to pots of 3, which will give them room to grow on without the roots getting too tangled. It is one of those jobs that is quite time critical; if seedings are too tightly packed, the roots end up curling round each other and damage can be done in trying to separate them. At this stage though, the compost can be gently crumbled away leaving a single visible tap root and, with luck, plenty of microscopic root buds ready to reach out and explore their new homes.

Oh, and I couldn’t resist checking 1527 on Wikipedia. Not the most momentous year in history although Rome was sacked by mercenaries which led to both the pogonological trivia of the Pope (Clement VII) growing a beard in mourning and almost certainly also inadvertently provided some breathing space for the growth of the Protestant Reformation (although, sadly, that was mainly used for different subgroups to fight among themselves).