possibly we could come by it to the end it may the better be discerned whether it deserue to be had in such estimation as we haue it in or no. The root is called Mechoacan of the name of the Region or Countrey where it groweth which is a Prouince of New Spaine situate in the West Indies or New World called by the inhabitants Chincicila and by the commandement of the Caâ—holike King Mechoacan Which Prouince aboundeth with Gold Siluer Cattell Corne Fruits exquisite Plants mynes of Mettall and Stones and all sorts of good things where also the people are well coloured full of vigour strong of bodie and of a perfect health and that by reason of the Ayre which is more wholesome there than in anie other place of the Indies The occasion of the name rose thus The Spaniards Lords of this Prouince and being desirous to plant it with Christians did erect and set vp a Couent of Friers Cordeliers liuing Monastically whose Prouinciall Father being extreame sicke was quickly cured by an Indian Physitian who caused him to vse oftentimes the powder of this well-prospeâ—ing and happily-succeeding medicine when as therefore they fell sickâ— they tooke with good successe of this powder And thus this root came in great request throughout the whole Prouince and from thence the prayses thereof were carried and published throughout all Spaine and Portugall and thereupon it hath kept the name of the Prouince of Mechoacan The fame thereof is likewise come into France by the meanes of Merchants desirous of gaine who haue brought it vs hither from thence Some call it Rhamindick because it seemeth that it hath the like propertie of attracting and purging flegmaticke and serous humors which the East Rhubarbe hath to attract and purge cholericke humours This root is not brought vnto vs whole but in pieces and round slices whereinto it is diuided with kniues or with hands so soone as it is drawne out of the earth that so it may the better drie in the shadow although in drying it grow but little lesse and that it may keepe better in these round slices than either whole or in powder But the powder which is brought from the Indies is of lesse operation than that which is made into powder amongst vs it is thicke and of a weightie substance and the rinde thereof of an Ash-like colour the inward substance white and marked with manie circles without anie tast except such as meale is wont to haue for it is neither sharpe nor sweet nor bitter and smell it hath none neither is it anie thing pithie The best is that which is whitest most close in it selfe well set and ioyned together somewhat heauie not full of holes or rotten it becommeth in time of white somewhat grayish or blackish and thus by his colour is discerned whether it be new or old for the new is white but the old grayish or blackish and as it were wrought with diuers colours This is the root of a Plant which is a kind of great Bindweed called in French Lizeron which windeth it selfe about Reedes or Stakes along vp to the top of them helping it selfe in this compassing sort to climbe without anie manner of aid it hath a stalke or trunke mixe of diuers colours as deepe yellow greenish reddish somewhat of the colour of Ashes and Medlay commonly called the Lyons colour the leaues are somewhat moist there being within the flowers as it were clappers with round knots at the vpper end the sharpe-pointed end being toward the 〈◊〉 of the foot round and of a darke greenish colour It beareth a fruit like a Grape as bigge as a Coriander seed and it is ripe in the moneth of September and in the Spring following It putteth forth neere vnto the rootes small siences and 〈◊〉 which fall to creeping vpon the earth if they be not borne vp with some polâ— about which they may wrythe and cast themselues round The seed is like vnto thâ—â— of Bindweed For your better assurance in all this that hath 〈◊〉 said you 〈◊〉 visit and see the Physicke-Gardens of Master Nicholas Râ—se that learned and 〈◊〉 experimented Chiâ—urgion and of Master Peter Cuth a skilfull and painefull Apâ—thecarie both which dwelling at Paris haue enriched our Countrey of 〈◊〉 with an infinite number of rare exquisite and verie singularly qualified 〈◊〉 This root is verie like to the root of wild Vine as well in colour rinde and â—â—â—â—â—kles as in thicknesse in consideration whereof some haue called this Plant 〈◊〉 Vine but and if you tast the one and the other root your shall find them somewhat differing for Mechoacan if you chew it is found without anie tast 〈◊〉 it haue a mealie tast for it is nothing sharpe but hath some small asâ—ringeâ—â— and binding qualitie Brionie greene or drie is biting and leaueth behind it in 〈◊〉 palate and roofe of the mouth a sharpe and displeasing tast it agreeth much better with the blacke Vine or with Turbith at the least in facultie and 〈◊〉 they are both of them gummie And concerning the vertues and faculties thereof they are of two sorts the 〈◊〉 proceedeth of his manifest qualities as for that it is hot about the second degree and drie about the third degree compounded of ayrâ—e subtle and somewhat 〈◊〉 parts and by this last it hath some binding and astringent qualitie from whenee it riseth that in purging it comforteth Furthermore it openeth the obstructions of the inward parts chiefely when it is taken in infusion The other vertues that it 〈◊〉 come of a secret and hidden propertie by reason whereof it purgeth speciall and choice humors that is it purgeth by some similitude and familiaritie of substance flegmatike and serous humors but flegmatike especially then secondly choleriâ—â—â— and last adust and melancholike humours and those not onely from the 〈◊〉 liuer spleene and guts but also from the head parts about the breast and 〈◊〉 in regard whereof it is good against old Agues and long diseases but especially the Iaundise Dropsie Gout Kings euill Wolues flegmatike tumours head-â—â—â— obstruction of the Lungs shortnesse of breath the suffocation of the Mother Câ—licke paine in the Flankes retention of Vrine Costiuenesse Agues of diuers â—â—mours that is to say proceeding of flegmaticke and cholericke causes mixt together quotidian tertian and bastard Agues to be short against all diseases comming of a cold humour Wherefore it is not meet to be vsed in hot burning Agues nor yet in cholericke Agues nor yet in anie other such sicknesses as are ioyned with great heat and inflammation nor yet where adust humours doe offend for although it purge them yet it leaueth behind it some notable heat but it is verie true that in continuance thereof it would doe seruice as namely when the thinnest part is purged and nothing remaineth but the thicke and grosâ—e behind This is the cause why this root is not fit for the beginning of cholericke diseases if it be
the chore parings and seedes and then boile them in faire running water to an indifferent good height which done you shall draine them away from the same and put them into another cleane Vessell either with white Wine or claret Wine according vnto the colour of the fruit which you conserue and then boile them to a thicke pappe breaking them with a Slice or Spatule as they boile vntill all be brought into one substance then vnto euerie bare pound of pulpe if the fruit thereof be sweet you shall take a bare pound of refined Sugar beaten to fine powder but if it be sowrâ— fruit as Cherries Gooseberries Barberries Bulleys Sloes and such like then vnto euerie bare pound of pulpe you shall take a pound downe weight of refined Sugar in powder and so stirre the Sugar and the pulpe verie well together vpon the fire then taking it from the same you must immediately hot as it is straine it through a middle strainer cleane washed and so letting it coole then you may pot it vp But if you will make Conserue of Flowers Hearbes Leaues or such like as are Roset Violets Gilloflowers Mints Basill and such like then you shall take the flowers or leaues from their stalkes and with a paire of sheeres cut away the tippes of the vpper ends of them and the white ends at the roots thereof leauing nothing but the heart and middle part thereof which done you shall put them into a stone Mortar or into a rowling Mill or woodden Brake and there crush grind or bruise them till they come to a â—oft substance and be so like vnto a soft pulpe that no part of the leaues or flowers may be discerned then to euerie pound of that pulpe as was before said take a pound of refined sugar beaten and searced into fine powder giuing the sweeter the lesse and the sowre the more and so beat them exceedingly well together till the sugar be generally dispersed and then pot it vp and keepe it for your occasions If you will make an excellent Leach of Dates you shall take your Dates and opening of them take forth their stone and the innermost white rind and beat them in a stone Mortar with Sugar Cinnamon and Ginger till they be well incorporated together then take it forth of the Mortar and worke it like a piece of paste and then rowle them forth and print them and either serue them moist or drie them in a stoouâ— for either kind is excellent CHAP. LI. The manner of making of Oyles that there are three sorts of preparing of Oyles and how you must make Oyle Oliue INtreating in the second Booke of the Oliue-tree wee promised a briefe discourse of the making of Oyles a thing certainely verie profitable for our Countrey House in as much as Oyle is no lesse profitable for mans life nor of lesse fruit and encrease vnto a good husband than Wine then it shall not be from the matter if after wee haue spoken largely of Gardens and Orchards and especially of the ordering of Oliue-trees and other hearbes and trees whereof Oyles are prepared we briefely doe specifie the waies of making of Oyles And to say something of Oyle in generall Oyle may be made three waies The first by expression which is most common and the chiefest amongst the rest The second by impression and the third by distillation or resolution after the manner of distilled waters Wee will onely speake of the two first in this place reseruing the third for the Discourse which wee intend to make concerning Distillations in this Booke although in verie deed wee haue not purposely resolued to speake exactly of the making of Oyles because it is a thing that properly belongeth not to the Husbandman or his Hinde but onely vnto a good Apothecarie To speake then first of Oyle which is most vsefull and seruiceable for the Husbandman because it not onely benefiteth himselfe and his familie but also cureth his cattell of all manner of dangerous and corrupt diseases you shall vnderstand that it is the Oyle of Oats which may be made either by expression impression or distillation yet for your greater ease and readinesse to haue it vpon anie suddaine occasion you shall make it in this manner First you shall take halfe a pecke or a quarter of a pecke of the goodliest best and fullest Oates you can procure of which the whitest are the best and these you shall hull and breake from their huskes as cleane as is possible then take a pottle or three quarts of new milke and setting it vpon the fire as soone as it is readie to seeth you shall put into it halfe a pound of Allome beaten to powder and stirre it about and so let it stand an houre or two in which time it will gather vnto a curd then with your hands you shall presse downe the curd into the bottome of the Vessell and then straine the Whay from it into another cleane Vessell and presse the curd verie much not leauing anie Whay in it that you can wring forth then take that Whay and put your Oates therein and set it ouer a verie quicke fire and boile it vntill you see the Oates breake or be as soft as pappe then take it from the fire and powre it gently into a small Cullender so as the Whay may softly draine from the same without anie force or pressing at all then when it hath almost left dropping take a cleane Frying-panne and put the Oates therein and hold it ouer a gentle fire so long as you shall see the smoake of the Oates ascend vpward but so soone as you perceiue the smoake to stymmer or runne about the edges of the panne you shall forthwith put the Oates into a fine cleane bagge of soft old Linnen or Boulter and so lay it into the Oyle-presse and presse it with all the strength you can and that which runneth from the same is the Oyle thereof which you shall receiue into a Glasse-vessell and keepe it close and well stopped vp In this manner and with this Whay you may also extract Oyle from anie hard substance either of Trees Seedes Leaues Flowers Graines or what else soeuer which hath anie concealed moisture remayning within it This Oyle of Oates is most excellent for the smoothing of the skinne and taking away of itch scabbe or little pustules about the bodies of men or children It also purgeth most gently and sweetly and expelleth out of the bodie all manner of venimous and infectiue humours it is also verie soueraigne against the stone or difficultie of vrine being drunke with white Wine and a corroded Nuâ—meg Also it feedeth much and maketh a man strong and Iustie It is most soueraigne for anie inward disease in Cattell or anie surfet taken by too violent labour but especially it cureth all inward diseases in Horses being giuen either with Beere Ale or Wine but aboue the rest it cureth the Glaunders mourning of the Chyne consumption
yoake Furthermore shee shall make much account euermore of the Cow which is of a meane stature of a long bodie a large flanke foure or fiue yeares old of a party blacke colour or spotted with white and blacke her bagge great and side a great 〈◊〉 broad betwixt the browes a blacke eye and geat hornes not turning in one 〈◊〉 another nor yet short or small but bright blacke and of a wide and well-spread shape her eare verie hairie a narrow iaw a thick and grosse muzzle wide 〈◊〉 and sniuelly little and black lips her haire glistering and thick set her legges 〈◊〉 her thighes grosse and thicke and her necke long and grosse her backe large and broad her tayle long euen to the heele her hooâ—es short and euen a broad breast a great and grosse brisket and her dugges great and long As concerning the diseases of Calues and Kine they shall be handled as shall be said hereafter in the Chapter of the Neat-heard The dung of a Cow made hot in the embers being wrapped in certaine 〈◊〉 leaues or in the leaues of Colewort and applyed in forme of a Cataplasme 〈◊〉 appease the paine called Sciatica being fried with vineger doth ripen the Fings euill being fried in a Frying-panne with the flowers of Camomile Melilote and Brambles it diminisheth the swâ—lling of the Cods applyed very hot vpon the plâ—ces troubled with the Dropsie it cureth them throughly and applyed vnto any place stung by Bees Waspes and Horneâ—s it taketh away all the paine CHAP. XIIII The way to make greene Cheese Butter and other sorts of Cheese SHe shall be carefull as well for the feeding of her people as also for the gayning of the penny diligently to set on worke her daughters and maid seruants about the good ordering of the Milke of her Kine in the making of the Butter and Cheese thereof And first as concerning Milke shee must not make any account of that which commeth from the Cow after shee hath new calued to preserue and keepe it for besides that it is naught both to make Butter and Cheese it is also very dangerous for to vse Like as we see that mothers which nurse their children make no account of their fiâ—st milke to giue it 〈◊〉 them the reasons whereof you may learne in our Booke of the diseases of Women After the Milke is milked you shall set it in a place where it may be warme to the end it may be kept the longer and become the thicker in short time in as much as Heat doth safegard and thicken the Milke as Cold doth soure it and make it to turâ—â— by and by and therefore to auoid this danger it is good to boyle it and thereupoâ— to stirre it much before you let it rest if peraduenture you be not disposed to keepe it three dayes or somewhat more She shall know good Milke by his whitenesse pleasant smell sweet tast and reasonable thicknesse in substance in such sort as that being dropped vpon ones nayle it â—unneth not off presently but stayeth there and abideth round a good while She shall not let her Milke be kept long as aboue a day in Summer especially in Autumne and the Spring in which seasons Milke because of the heat and temperature of the time would be spoyled and presently turned but as soone as she can she shal gather her Creame greene Cheese Butter pressed Cheese Whay and other commodities which a good huswife is wont to rayse according to the time although in Winter the Kine yeelding small store of Milke as being then with Calfe she may gather three or foure meales together which will not so soone be spoiled by reason of the coldnesse of the Winter which maketh the Milke to thickâ—â— presently Likewise at this time shee shall gather but small store of Butter but shall turne all her Milke into Cheese It is true that seeing Cheese is not of so great price in Winter neither yet so good and daintie as in Summer Spring time and Autumne by reason of the grasse that therefore it shall be no great danger to gather the Butter cleaner from the Cheese in Winter than at any other time She shall gather her Creame from the vppermost part of her milke presently after â—hat the milke is drawne from the Cow and cooled a little and with this Creame to â—ake Creame-cheeâ—e ordinarily accustomed to be sold in Summer to be vsed at 〈◊〉 of smaller account or in the end of dinner and supper The Italians with â—uch Creame-cheese or Paâ—misan doe mixe fine Sugar well powdred together with Rose water The milke curded and thickned without Runnet will make little Cheeses which the Parisiens doe call Ionches The Normans doe boyle milke with Garlicke and Onions and keepe it in vessels for their vse calling it Sowre milke or Serate The Whay may serue for the feeding of the Hogs and Dogs as also in the time of Dearth for sustenance for the Familie if she boyle it but a little For to make Butter shee shall reserue the newest and fattest milke that shee shall â—haue whereof she shall gather no creame and she shall make account of ten pounds of milke to make two pounds and a halfe of Butter To make this Butter shee shall beat or cherne it a great while in Vessels made for the purpose especially whiles the times of greatest heat endure seeing such heat is the cause that Butter commeth not and is not made so soone as at other times If she will make account to sell it she shall salt it and put it in pots of earth such as wee see brought to Paris from Britaine Normandie and Flâ—nders The Butter of a yellow colour is the best and that of a white colour is the worst but that which is gathered in May is better than either of the other As concerning the making of Cheese shee shall chuse the most grosse and fat milke being pure and newly drawne to make Cheese that shall keepe a long time and of such milke she shall gather neither Butter nor Creame but such as it commeth from the Cow such shall be put in Vessels for to coagulate and turne to curds The way to curdle it is to mingle therewith of the Runnet of a Lambe Kid or Hare or the flowers of wild Thistle or the seed of blessed Thistle or the iuice of the Fig-tree which commeth out of the Tree when one cutteth the greene barke thereof or the leaues and hoarinesse which groweth at the small end of the Artichokes or Ginger or the inner skin of a house-Hennes stomack or the spawne egges of a Pike and with these it is vsuall to make Cheese to be eaten in Lent or the blacke mutable Thistle therefore called Chameleon niger Let her beware of casting in any the least quantitie of vineger for one onely drop of vineger is sufficient to hinder the turning of the milke into curds But aboue all the best and most principallest
damaske or sweet water by such meanes you may giue them such tast and smell as you please if you steepe their seed before you sow it in any such liquor as in Honied-vvater in Rose-vvater or in some other kind of water sweetned with Sugar or Muske notwithstanding watering of them doth take from them a great deale of that smell as also of their sauour and taste To make Cucumbers or Pompions sugred you must steepe the seed in water that is well sweetned with Sugar or Honie and to make them sweet in Sheepes milke or Honied water and so sow them and when they be growne you must sprinkle them ouer with the dust of some drie earth and water them a little To make Pompions to keepe long and not to be spoyled or rotted you must sprinkle them with the juice of Housleeke A woman hauing her termes and walking by the borders of Pompions Gourds and Cucumbers causeth them to drie and die but and if any of the fruit eâ—cape it wil be bitter Cucumbers indure fresh a long time if they be put in the sweet lees of wine or else in brine or if they hang in a vessell wherein there is a little vinegar Pompions will haue the smell of Roses if their seed be mingled with drie Roses and afterward sowne together and then also they are excellent good to quench the thirst in burning agues CHAP. XLI Of Strawberries STrawberries haue no need of great toyle or tilling so that they be planted in some good ground not manured notwithstanding but well shaded howsoeuer because they delight greatly in the shadow of other hearbes so also they are found growing amongst great tall trees without any manner of husbanding or tillage It is true that they grow well in the open Sun so that they be watered once or twice a weeke especially when they begin to looke red they must be remoued euerie three yeares to make them beare faire berries and their earth raised about them once euerie yeare and that about Christ-tide and to weed them by hand when as weeds doe ouergrow them in the ground whither you remoue them you must first put horse-dung well rotted or cowes dung a scuttle full to euerie border that is three foot broad dresse this ground in a drie time and let it lye afterward and in a moist time but not rainie you shall set the Strawberries halfe a foot euerie way thrusting the earth close to the root with a dibble In these you may obserue a certaine kind of wonderfull harmelesnesse and innocencie which although they creepe vpon the earth and be continually troden vpon by Adders Lizards Snakes and other venimous beasts are notwithstanding neuer infected with them neither get they any venimous sauour which sheweth that they haue no â—ffinitie with venâ—me or poyson Amongst other pleasures or commodities that they afford the juice or wine that 〈◊〉 strained from strawberries is good to take away the red pimples itching knobs which grow in the face by the heat of the liuer as also to take away the rednesâ—e of the eyes and to wipe out the spots and knobs of the Leprosie Likewise the decoction of the roots and leaues of Strawberries made with wine is singular good for the 〈◊〉 if it be drunke for some time in the morning as also to prouoke the termes in women and this neuerthelesse doth stay the white termes and bloudie 〈…〉 vsed in forme of a Gargariâ—â—e it comforteth the gums and teeth and 〈…〉 rheumes Of Physicke Hearbes CHAP. XLII Of Mallowes WE haue heretofore dedicated and appointed certaine borders downeâ—â—low the Kitchin garden neere vnto the wall of the orchard for Physick hearbes whereof we desire and wish that the huswife may haue 〈◊〉 knowledge thereby to helpe the necâ—ssities of her people And in 〈◊〉 respect it shall not be â—hought strange if we touch in a word the dressing and 〈◊〉 of some few such as are most vsuall and familiar amongst women leauing 〈…〉 and exact description of thâ—m vnto such as make profession thereof for 〈◊〉 drift of my purpose is to instruct the Farmer and his wife or her that is the 〈◊〉 and Dairie-woman so much as is needfull for the maintenance of their house and fâ—milie But we will begin with Mallowes as those that are most in vse Mallowes notwithstanding that they grow euerie where yet if you be disposed 〈◊〉 sow them you may doe it most commodiously in Autumne rather than at any other time to the end their growth on height may be represâ—ed by the comming of Wiâ—ter for by how much the Mallow is the lesse by so much it is the better They loâ— a fat and moist earth and craue to be remoued after they haue put forth foure or 〈◊〉 leaues though indeed it would be much the better not to remoue them at all 〈◊〉 they will keepe a better rellish but to the end they should not grow vp into high and great stalkes alter that they be come forth of the earth you must put some 〈◊〉 bricke in the midâ—est of their leaues They would be oft wed and when they 〈…〉 if their leaues be tâ—ed together at the end they will bring forth a well 〈◊〉 and thicke set root The root of Mallowes steâ—pt in Wine a whole day and afterward wrapt in a 〈◊〉 and roasted vnder the ashes and dried is a fine medicine to rub the teeth withâ—â— and to cleanse and scowre off from them the filth gathered thicke about them 〈◊〉 juice drunke to the quantitie of halfe a pound oâ— the decoction of the 〈…〉 leaues comming to a certaine thick conâ—â—stence is exceeding good for wâ—men 〈◊〉 are in trauell of child birth It is singular also for many other things and therefore is called of some Omnimorbia Hollihocks craue the like husbanding and tillage that the Mallowes doe 〈◊〉 they are of the same kind and in both of them especially in the Mallowes we 〈◊〉 obserue as a miraculous thing that their leaues and flower doe open at the approâ—d and comming of the Sunne and shut vp themselues to goe to bed when it 〈…〉 doe the Marigolds Both these haue verie great power and vertue to mollifie they serue also to 〈◊〉 the bellie especially the young and tender crops of Mallowes haue vertue to 〈◊〉 swage the paine of the reines and doe cause a man to make water The juice 〈◊〉 with oyle doe healâ— the stinging of Waspes The juice mingled with 〈◊〉 doth helpe women trauailing of child birth Their leaâ—es stamped with the 〈◊〉 of willows doe stay inflammations A cataplasme made of their leanes doth 〈◊〉 way the hardnesâ—e of the mother and other parts especially if it be made of 〈◊〉 with oyle of Roses Gentian grows in high places open to the ayre being notwithstanding 〈◊〉 and somwhat ouershadowed This hearb through his bitternesse draweth downe the termes and the stayed vrine The water thereof especially of the root being distilled
Bodies doth worke her effect in like manner vpon vs as concerning our bodies as well as vpon the rest of earthly things it is most certaine that in lesâ—e than in one moneth it runneth all that course and way which the Sunne is in running all the yeare long and that it hath no light of it selfe but that it taketh and receiueth it all from the Sunne giuing his reuerberations and reflections vnto the Earth with more vehemencie when it is further off from the Sunne as on the contrarie looke how much it commeth the neerer vnto her coniunction with it so much the lesse light and force doth it impart vnto the Earth Hereupon it commeth that we say that the Moone encreaseth or decreaseth not that indeed it doth encrease or decrease saue then when it is in his eclipse being continually enlightned by the Sunne but this his brightnesse onely which it casteth and spreadeth vpon the whole face of the Earth doth only encrease and decrease And this shining brightnesâ—e according as it is longer or lesser time hath likewise more or lesse force to moâ—e the humors of naturall things to worke their effects For by how much the more that this light encreaseth by so much the more doth the moisture thereof spread and communicate it selfe aboundantly throughout the outward parts as on the contrarie by how much it waneth and groweth lesse by so much the naturall humiditie and moisture doth withdraw and betaketh it selfe vnto the inward parts This is thâ— cause why men call the Moone the Mother Nurse Regent and Gouernesse of all such humidities as are in earthly bodies Wherefore to speake first of Field-beasts the well-aduised Farmer shall not kill at any time whatsoeuer his Porkes Muttons Beeues Kine or other Beasts of the flesh whereof he would make his household prouision for the sustenance of his Familie in the wane of the Moone For such flesh as is killed in the decrease of the Moone falleth away and impaireth euerie day and also craueth much fire and time to make it readie withall neither ought any man to maruaile or staâ—d astonished at this if hee consider well that a Sawsage or other such like kind of meat doth grow lesse by a quarter when they are boyled Neither shall he make account of or buy any Horse-flesh or other which was foled or brought forth in the decrease and old age of the Moone for that they are more weake and faint than the rest moreouer they come to no growth neither is their flesh of sufficient weight when they be killed He shall neuer â—â—sh his Pooles Fish-ponds Ditches or Waters with salt Fish in the decay of the Moone for both Fish and other Beasts of the Water especially they which ar◠〈◊〉 with shells or thiâ—ke sâ—ales as Crayfishes Crabs Oysters Muscles and such 〈◊〉 are found veriâ— much impaired in their substance and leane in the old age and 〈◊〉 of the Moone and contrariwise grosse fat and full when she is in her force 〈◊〉 full The Faulkoneâ— shall chuse rather the full Moone to fâ—ye in than the wane 〈◊〉 that Hawkes and all Birds of the prey are a great deale more nimble sharpe and 〈◊〉 aboâ—t the full Moone than in any other time The Horse and Beast subiect 〈◊〉 maladie of the eyes is better at â—ase in the decrease than in the encrease or full 〈◊〉 the Moone He shall make prouision of Faâ—s or of the marrowes of the bones of â—utton Harâ— Beefe and others if he haue need in the full of the Moone not in the 〈◊〉 He shall geld his Bore-Pigs Rammes Bull-Calues or Bulkins and 〈◊〉 when the Moone decreaseth He shall set Egges vnder Hennes or other Fowlâ—â—â—he new of the Moone and principally in the first quarter As for Trees and other Plants the wise and discreet Farmer will plant his Fruit-â—â—ees and others in the new of the Moone and yet not before the first quarter At 〈◊〉 same time he will haue regard to cut downe and lop Wood for his fuell but 〈◊〉 such as he minds to keepe for to build wiâ—hall when the Moone decreaâ—â— being sure that all matter be it to build House Presses Bridges and other 〈◊〉 being cut downe in the decrease of the Moone lasteth a long time and is â—nd maruailoâ—s good and yet better when it is cut downe rather at euening than in 〈◊〉 morning which thing may also be applyed to hewen stone and milstones when 〈◊〉 be cut out of their Quarries and 〈◊〉 He shall plant his Vine in the encrease of 〈◊〉 Moone when it is foure or fiue daies old He shall cut the leane Vines and such 〈◊〉 planted in â— bad soyle in the encrease likewise of the Moone but those which â—ore fat in the going away of the Moone seeing that thus they will bring forth 〈◊〉 Grapes than if they were cut in the encrease in as much as then the Moone 〈◊〉 vpon them to soften them and make them fat cannot chuse but cause abounâ—â—ce of Clusters and Leaues but cutting them the Moone being old the Wood â—ommeth bound and applyeth it selfe onely to bring forth great store of fruit He 〈◊〉 cleanse prune cut at the foot Fruit-trees toward the later end of the Moone 〈◊〉 they will become better laden with fruit He shall make his Nurseries of 〈◊〉 the Moone being ouer the Earth As for Fruits he shall gather Apples Peares and other Fruits as also his Grapes â—he decrease of the Moone because thereby the Wines will be the better and 〈◊〉 kepâ— which otherwise would be in danger to sowre and rot in â—he moneth of 〈◊〉 following being the time that men are wont to cut their Vines And which 〈◊〉 he shall gather and carrie into his house whatsoeuer he would haue to endure 〈◊〉 last long at such time as the Moone shall decrease Hee shall sow his Corne as 〈◊〉 and other Graine he shall weed fanne searce and gather together his Corne 〈◊〉 a locke he shall grind his Corne the better to keepe it in flowre in the end 〈◊〉 old of the Moone It is verie true that the bread encreaseth profiteth more 〈◊〉 be ground the Moone encreasing and being new He shall mow and cut downe 〈◊〉 Corne with Sythe the Moone wasting He shall pull Line and Pulse at the same 〈◊〉 and yet indeed all Pulse gathered or reaped in the growth of the Moone are of 〈◊〉 digestion 〈◊〉 concerning Hearbes he shall sow them the Moone being new and gather them 〈◊〉 the Moone encreaseth in her light as being then of farre greater force than in 〈◊〉 wast and wane At the same time he shall gather Cucumbers Gourds Melons 〈◊〉 Pompions and all Roots which grow in the head whether they be Leekes 〈◊〉 Radishes Turneps Lillies Saffron or such like except Onions which 〈◊〉 be dealt withall cleane contrarie for they become a great deale more grosse 〈◊〉 better fed in the declining than in the augmenting or full of the Moone during
〈◊〉 that you make your Floores of such widenesse as that you may stride and 〈◊〉 your armes from one side to another according to that their said breadth to thâ— end that such as are to weed them or to rake them may from out of the said 〈◊〉 Pathes be able to reach into the middest of the Bed and not to tread with their 〈◊〉 vpon that which is or shall be sowne Wherefore if your said little Pathes 〈◊〉 two foot wide it will be ynough for to make them anie broader is but 〈◊〉 and losse of ground CHAP. IIII. Of the disposing or appointing of the Floores of the Kitchin Garden YOu shall dispose of your Beds in such sort as that they may be in the middest of your Garden giuing and allowing vnto your Turneps the largest roome and next to them the Coleworts and vnto them youâ— shall ioyne the space for great Turneps of both sorts and that of 〈◊〉 much ground as would make two of the former After these flooreâ— you shall make a path of three foot breadth after which you shall prepare otheâ— floores by themselues for Spinach Beeres Arrach Rocket Parsley and 〈◊〉 Againe you shall make another path of other three feet and on the further side you shall quarter out a Bed for Leekes and Cyues and ioyne thereunto two other for Onions and Chiboles and for Garlicke Scallions and Carrets By the side of 〈◊〉 floores you shall make out a path of three feet and a halfe and after it you shall makâ— manie floores for slips to be let vpon as well for the maintaining of a Plat for 〈◊〉 flowers as also for your Borders and yet further for your Winter pot-hearbs And it will be good to this end to prepare a Bed for Sage and another for Hysope and for Thyme 〈◊〉 another for Mariâ—rome and another for Lauander and another for Rosemarie and another for Sothernwood and another for small Cypresse againe one for Sauorie for Hysope Costmarie Basill Spike Balme Pennyryall and one of Camomill for to make Seats and a Labyrinth It shall be good also for necessitie sake for it concerneth the good Huswife 〈◊〉 know manie remedies for diseases and you must not doubt but that I my selfe 〈◊〉 learned manie remedies from the experiments and obseruation of those sorts of women to shape out below or in the further end of the Kitchin Garden neere to the inclosed ground for Fruits certaine Bâ—ds for Physick hearbes as for Valerian 〈◊〉 Asparagus Mugwort Asarum Bacchar Houselâ—â—ke Patience Mercurie Pâ—â—litorie Nicoâ—ana and other such like whereof we will make some short 〈◊〉 hereafter CHAP. V. Of the situation of the Beds of the Kitchin Garden IN such place as the Sunne shineth vpon at noone you shall prouide your Beds somewhat raised and well mingled with Earth and Horse dung and you shall let them rest sometime before they be sowne In one of which floores you shall sow in the encrease of the Moone of March 〈◊〉 seed of Lettuce and Purcelane for they will be growne as soone being sowed 〈◊〉 March as in Aprill for to set them againe in their floores when they be sprung 〈◊〉 halfe a finger In this same Bed you may put the seed of Pimpernell Harts horne â—rick-madame and Sorrell of England and other sorts for Salades all thicke and â—nd ouer head one among another to separate and set at large by themselues when â—â—ey be growne Looke verie well to your seeds that they be not too old that they 〈◊〉 winnowed and cleane that they be moist and oylie but not mouldie and by the 〈◊〉 of this Bed the breadth of two hands you shall sow Artichokes You shall so make a Bed for fine hearbes which in Winter serue for the Pot being kept drie â—nd for slips for the Garden of flowers as are Garden Balme Basil Costmarie â—hyme Hyssope Sauorie Marieroâ—â—e and Sage Againe it will be good to make 〈◊〉 to sow the seeds and kernels of Citrons Oranges Limons Pomegranats 〈◊〉 trees Bay trees and Date trees in and seeing they are hard to grow in this Counâ—rey because it yeeldeth no aire either from the Sea or fit for them it must be well and â—duisedly considered that in planting or sowing of them you set the smaller end vpâ—ard and that they be not tumbled on the side and when the Citrons and such like â—eeds shall be growne vp and sprung you must transplant and remoue them into â—ome Caske or such like thing that may be remoued hither and thither to the end to â—â—eepe them from verie much heat and excessiue cold and to couer vse them dainâ—ly according to the times and as shall be said hereafter In another Bed which shall 〈◊〉 a verie long one and toward the Quick-set Hedge and the Arbors you shall sow Cucumbers Citruls long and round Gourds In a plot long and narrow like the forâ—â—er because they must be oft watred and water powred at their roots you may sow Melons of diuers sorts And for feare of flying Fowle and Birds cast Thornes verie thicke vpon your â—eds and if they be sowne in the encrease of the Moone in Februarie for to haue â—hem the sooner to grow yea though it be in March yet spread vpon the Thornes â—traw and that such as is bright and let it be thicke that so it may the better defend â—hem from the danger of the Frosts which if you perceiue to be great as it falleth â—ut some yeares spread ouer them in stead of straw old or whole Maâ—s and yet in â—uch manner as that they may not lye pressing of the earth thereby to oppresse and â—eepe downe that which would spring and grow vp Or for a more perfect suretie â—oth to preserue your seeds in growing and to maintaine such as are growne how â—ender soeuer their natures be from all manner of Frosts Stormes or Colds which â—ither the Winter of Spring can anie way produce you shall take halfe-rotten Horseâ—â—tter and with it lightly couer all your Hearbes Seeds or whatsoeuer else you feare â—he sharpenesse of the Winter may annoy for besides that it is a defence and coueâ—ing against the bitternesse of all weathers it hath also in it a certaine warme qualiâ—ie which nourisheth and strengtheneth the Plants and makes them more forward â—han otherwise they would be by diuers weekes besides it keepeth your hearbes from running into the ground and hiding their heads in the Winter season and â—s if they were comforted with a continuall spring keepes them fresh and greene and fit for your vse at all times And what you would haue to continue still vpon their first Beds as the Cucumber Melon and other Fruites make some small separation betwixt them and the other and water them oft with water warmed in the Sunne and drawne a long time before hauing stood in the 〈◊〉 or Caske placed neere vnto the Well Notwithstanding all hearbes and
notwithstanding the flowers of Roses and Capers must be gathered to be kept while they be 〈◊〉 likewise the leaues and whole hearbes are gathered when they are growne to the full fruits as Melons Cucumbers Citruls and Gourds when they turne yellow and are growne to their perfection If they be purposed to be made serue for seed then they must be let alone longer and afterward kept in conuenient place 〈◊〉 be time to sow them and they must be gathered in a bright weather and in the â—â—crease of the Moone Seeds are gathered when the hearbe is all layd and drie 〈◊〉 it must generally be obserued in all manner of gathering as well of hearbes 〈◊〉 roots as of fruits and seeds that it be done in a faire and cleare weather and in the â—â—crase of the Moone Such hearbes as are to be kept must first be made verie cleane and dried 〈◊〉 shadow which is the best meanes to keepe them the strongest in their vertues 〈◊〉 qualities or else in the Sunne and after to put them vp in bagges of Leather vvollen stuffe nor in vvoodden boxes that so they may not loose their 〈…〉 see it put in practise by sine hearbes which are kept to be vsed in Winter 〈◊〉 me thinkes that the Apothecaries faile much in their doings which hang their phâ—sicke hearbes in the roofe of their house for by this meanes they doe not onely 〈◊〉 their force but become laden with dust cobwebs the dung of flies and a thousand â—â—ther filthie things Flowers must not be dried in the Sunne not in the shadow that is made by 〈◊〉 South-Sunne nor yet in any high roome because of their tendernesse and 〈◊〉 which would cause their force to vanish away either in the burning heat of 〈◊〉 Sunne or in the more moderne heat of the verie ayre If it be not the Prouenâ—e 〈◊〉 which that it may be kept long requireth to be dried in an high place open to 〈◊〉 South-Sunne where the beames of the Sunne doe enter but touch not the 〈◊〉 The best way to drie flowers will be in a temperate place and to turne them 〈…〉 the end that they may not corrupt hauing also this continuall care that they 〈◊〉 neither loose their colour nor their smell And when they are dried they must 〈◊〉 put into an earthen vessell Seeds must be kept in bagges or vessells of earth which haue narrow moutheâ— or in boxes or else in bottles of the rindes of gouâ—ds well stopt and set in 〈◊〉 drie places and where there is no water shed for seeds doe mightily spoyle 〈◊〉 moisture The seeds of Chibols Onions and Leekes as also of Poppie are kept 〈◊〉 their rindes or heads For to keepe Roots you must obserue two waies for either they are to be 〈◊〉 new and as they are yet greene as Nauets Turneps Carets and such like or 〈◊〉 they are to be kept drie For to keepe them new you must lay them vpon sand 〈◊〉 grauell verie thin in some place vnder the earth and a little couered or else to 〈◊〉 them vnder the earth in the garden as we see it done in Turneps and Nauets to 〈◊〉 them the greatest part of Winter To keepe roots drie after they be gathered 〈◊〉 must wash them diligently with cleare water and after take from them all the 〈◊〉 â—ibres or hairie threeds that hang about them and then to drie them either in 〈◊〉 shadow of the Sunne-rising if they be but small and thin as are the roots of 〈◊〉 Succorie Parsley Sperage and such like or in the South-Sunne if they be 〈◊〉 and thicke at those of Daffodils Gentian Sowbread Water-lilly Brionie and such like After that they are dried and thus prepared you must hang them in some 〈◊〉 and vpper roome open vpon the Sun when it is in the South or else vpon the 〈◊〉 quarter and in which notwithstanding neither the smoake nor dust nor 〈◊〉 beames may any thing hurt them notwithstanding that the counsell of 〈◊〉 the prince of Physitians is that hearbes flowers and roots as well greene as 〈◊〉 should not be put to keepe in any place where the wind should come but rather 〈◊〉 vp in vessells or some other such like meanes of keeping of them to the end that they should not loose their force which indeed they might most easily loose being 〈◊〉 open and subiect to the wind CHAP. XI Pâ—t-hearbes and particularly of Coleworts FIrst of all we are to speake of Coleworts both because they are most common and also most aboundant of all other sorts of hearbs all kinds of Coleworts doe loue a cleane ground fat and well tilled not consisting of clay or sand And although they grow indifferently in any ayre but â—pecially in a temperate yet they become greater and more massie sound and safe 〈◊〉 vermine in cold places as are those in Germanie than in hot places and for 〈◊〉 cause they delight a great deale more in the tops of hills than in plaine grounds 〈◊〉 yet in those plaine grounds more in the raised parts of borders than in the flat 〈◊〉 middle parts thereof and they be more pleasant more wholesome for the 〈◊〉 and better in Autumne Spring-time and during great frosts than they be in â—ommer They craue much dung and that especially which is of Asses as being the 〈◊〉 of all for other men and to be raked in couered ouer with good earth not to 〈◊〉 watered in any case notwithstanding that water doth make them looke faire and â—â—ourishing but then not so sweet to the tast nor so wholesome for the stomach When they haue got sixe leaues vpon their stalkes you must remoue them but let it 〈◊〉 in a mild and calme time whether Winter or Sommer And to speake particuâ—arly the common Coleworts called long or greene Coleworts must be sowen in 〈◊〉 August or September if you desire to haue the leaues in Lent and in Winter Some plant them in October and remoue them in December to haue the leaues in Winter and the seed in Iune and Iulie and that to make them the more tuffed â—hough there may be as much accomplished that way at other times of the yeare â—ut not so commodiously And looke well to it that your seed be not too old for if it be three yeares old it will bring forth Radishes And that is the cause why some say Sow Coleworts and â—here will grow vp Radishes or Nauets notwithstanding it continueth sixe yeares 〈◊〉 his nature if it be well kept Cabage-colewort which are called white or apple Coleworts are sowen vpon 〈◊〉 and remoued to stand a foot one from another well couered at the root with a 〈◊〉 and enriched earth when they begin to rise vp into a great stemme and loue â—â—e cold ayre for in a hot aire they cannot liue and you must couer them with straw 〈◊〉 make them cabage the better and become the whiter The curled and Romane Coleworts being more tender
layed in a well 〈◊〉 soyle the leaues downeward into the ground and the root vpward toward the 〈◊〉 of the earth and aboue it there must be made something to couer it in manner of 〈◊〉 vnder vvhich there must straw be cast to keepe it from frost and bad winds 〈◊〉 like is done with Endiue and it is found white when it is pulled vp againe and 〈◊〉 verie delicate in eating Some for the same end vvhen Succorie hath put forth 〈◊〉 leaues tye them all together with a verie small threed and after couer them with 〈◊〉 of earth to the end that it may continually draw by his root nourishment out 〈◊〉 the earth and by this meanes it becommeth white and tender and looseth a great 〈◊〉 of his bitternesse Euerie man knoweth that the decoction of Succorie drunke in manner of an 〈◊〉 is good for them which haue the jaundise or heat of the liuer The juice of 〈◊〉 drunke euerie second day fasting stayeth the spitting of bloud Succorie 〈◊〉 and put vnder the lest dugge doth heale the heart-ache Some say that the 〈◊〉 of vvild Succorie often drunke maketh the visages and countenances of 〈◊〉 more cleare and pleasant CHAP. XIIII Of Artichokes THe Artichoke plant is a diuers thing from Endâ—ue and Succorie for 〈◊〉 for Artichokes to plant them in Autumnâ— which is about the moneth of October they are so fruitfull and forward to thriue as that you need not to take any more but the great leaues with their branches of 〈◊〉 as bring forth the fairest and greatest fruit and in like manner of the thicke 〈◊〉 in the middest seruing for no manner of vse after that the heads of them be 〈◊〉 and to plant them againe Also some haue otherwise vsed to cast downe 〈◊〉 said stalkes and burie them a foot deepe in good manured ground the leaues at 〈◊〉 top bound at the end with a little straw and the stalke layed downe and well 〈◊〉 and they keepe them thus watering them now and then if the time be not 〈◊〉 ynough of it selfe for to make shootes and young sets of in Winter or at other 〈◊〉 and some there be that pricke the heads in a well manured earth and being 〈◊〉 planted doe couer them in Winter with the chaffe or dust of Line or Hempe 〈◊〉 keepe them from the frost and that in the yeare following they may bring forth 〈◊〉 fruit Moreouer the Artichoke is sowen in the increase of the Moone of March 〈◊〉 beds well dunged and fatted but you must not looke to haue any whole and 〈◊〉 fruit of them vntill the next yeare after And if you would haue the seed to 〈◊〉 make little small pits vpon your bed a good foot one from another and halfe 〈◊〉 foot deepe and as much broad and these fill with old dung that is verie small and â—lacke earth that is verie fine mixt together and aboue the same placâ— prick or thrust in the seed of your Artichoke two inches within the earth the small end 〈◊〉 and putting fiue or sixe seeds in one pit together and making many pits neere 〈◊〉 in a round compasse that so they may make a faire knot and plant and 〈◊〉 you may couer it againe easily without much stamping or treading for it And 〈◊〉 soone as the Artichoke hath leaues bigge ynough it must be watered and 〈…〉 continued in such places as are verie drie that so it may bring forth a 〈◊〉 and great fruit Aboue all things care must be had that the small end be not 〈◊〉 contrarie put downeward for then it would bring forth writhen weake small 〈◊〉 hard Artichokes You must also make choice of the fairest and greatest â—eed 〈◊〉 may be found and that the small pits be made a good fathome the one from the 〈◊〉 that so one plant may not hinder another It is true that it is better to 〈…〉 slips and branches than the seed because there commeth fruit the sooner of the 〈◊〉 than of the other and because that in so planting of them you may be occupied 〈◊〉 well imployed euerie moneth and so reape your fruit in diuers seasons of the 〈◊〉 according as the earth is fat or leane hot or cold moist or drie or as the 〈◊〉 hardly agreeing with and vnfit for this plant And in anie case plant of those 〈◊〉 beare the fairest fruit according as there are diuers sorts in respect of their 〈◊〉 length roundnesse diuers colours and tast some also being prickly and 〈◊〉 without pricks For of Artichokes there be diuers kinds as the round and the 〈◊〉 the red and the greene the round which is greene is a good Artichoke so 〈…〉 red although it be long yet the soale is but thinne neither is the leafe verie 〈◊〉 onely it is exceeding pleasant in tast the greene which is long is of 〈◊〉 sorts the worst for it neither beareth good soale nor good leafe but is a loose 〈◊〉 leaued Artichoke euer wallowish and vnpleasant but the round large 〈◊〉 whose tops of leaues are red being hard firme and as it were all of one piece is of 〈◊〉 other the best Artichoke hath the deepest soale the thickest leafe and is the 〈◊〉 to grow in anie soyle whatsoeuer And therefore I would with euerie man as 〈◊〉 as he can to make choice of these before anie other kind If you would that the Artichoke should grow without prickes you must 〈◊〉 against a stone and breake the end of the seed which is sharpe or else put the 〈◊〉 after the manner of a graft in the â—oot of a Lettuce which hath no rinde and 〈…〉 small pieces in such sort as that euerie piece may be grafted with a seed and so 〈◊〉 You shall haue Artichokes of good tast if you let the seed steepe three 〈◊〉 before you plant it in the iuice of Roses or Lillies or oyle of Bay or of 〈◊〉 or some other sweet and fragrant iuice and then afterward drie it â—nd so plant 〈◊〉 it Although that as concerning the former oyles there be some which are of a 〈◊〉 opinion and doe thinke that the oyle doth spoyle the seed You shall 〈◊〉 Artichoke of the smell of the Bay tree if you cleaâ—e or make a hole in a Bay 〈◊〉 and putting therein the seed of an Artichoke doe set it so Artichokes will be 〈◊〉 in tast if before you set the seed you steepe them in milke which must be 〈◊〉 and changed twice or thrice before that it sowre or in honey and then 〈◊〉 drie and set them Two sorts of beasts doe annoy the roots of Artichokes Mice and Moâ—les 〈◊〉 dung of Swine or the ashes of the Fig-tree spread about the roots of the 〈◊〉 doe chase away Mice and the like will fall out if you wrap their roots aboâ—◠〈◊〉 wooll Some to driue away Rats that destroy the roots of Artichokes vnder the 〈◊〉 pricke downe halfe a foot deepe in the earth certaine stickes of Elder tree 〈◊〉 some foure ynches
due time when as they be ripe The vse of Gourds is not so dangerous as those of Cucumbers so that their waterishnesâ—e be tempered with things meet and sit for the same as with saffron pepper and other such aromaticall powders and for the dish those which are long and white are better and to be preferred before either of the other two sorts Physitians are of opinion that there is nothing better to asswage the heat of hot burning agues to take away the thirst and to loosen the bellie then to vse oftentimes the strayned juice of Gourds stewed without liquor in a new earthen pot set in an ouen There is nothing better for the drinesse of the tongue for sharpe and burning humours and for leaâ—e agueish persons than the vse of the pulpe of Gourds or the Syrope made of their juice CHAP. XXXIX Of Melons and Pompions MElons and Pompions doe not so easily grow in this Countrey because they delight in a Countrey and Ayre that is hot but by force of labour and cunning skill they are drawne vnto it by ordering their beds and remouing of them where they may be shielded from the Cold and receâ—â—e the benefit of the South Sunne and reflexe of the heat of the same from some wall And againe it is a speciall furtherance and helping of them forward to fore-cast that they may grow in such seasons as are verie hot for now and then Summer falleth out 〈◊〉 variable and mixt with cold or drought or moisture as that thereupon they be 〈◊〉 ripe till Autumne and towards the time of Vintage Wherefore it standeth you vpon to hasten them and helpe them forward with dung and with the heat of their beds though this course in the meane time stand not so well with the health of the parties that shall eat them or with the goodnesse and pleasant smell of the Pempions and thereupon it commeth that there are moe grounds planted with Cresses than with Melons amongst vs. Wherefore it were better to reserue for such vse quarter of ground or thereabouts in some place of your Garden where the South Sunne lyeth and is beaten backe by some wall the same also keeping away the North wind hauing no shadow either of Trees or of anie other thing to keepâ— backe the Sunne from it but being withall a good fat and substantiall ground well weeded well tilled and the greene swarth well broken and withall made verie leâ—ell and euen And this your quarter would be againe diuided into foure small quarters and to set your Melon seeds which you intend to plant that yeare but in one of thâ— said little quarters letting the other three râ—st and so succâ—ssiuely in succeeding yeares to low the said little quarters one after another for then the Melons wiâ— grow in their naturall goodnesse and perfection it being their nature to craue a new rested and well manured ground And if it be requisite to helpe such ground wiâ—â— some sweetnesse you must burne vpon it in Winter some Straw or drie Dung 〈◊〉 some Elder tree amongst other wood and mixe the ashes with the earth to the end that during the time of Winter it may grow in season And if the said ground 〈◊〉 need of more helpe it must be dunged with Sheepes dung or else with Goats dung well rotted and this to be done a long time before you intend to sow your Meloâ— seed for as for Horse or Cow dung it must not be vsed except it be when no other thing can be gotten and when it is vsed it must be spread and mixt with the earth long before Seed-time as hath beene said whereby wee may iudge how vnfâ—â— the beds now adaâ—es vsed are for to yeeld good Melons and they that would haâ—e them grow vpon beds as lesle damnifying must make their beds in the said place of the Garden compassed about and hemmed in with a Mat and vpon the bed must be cast a layer of the best and fattest earth that you can find or of earth the thicknesse of three fingers and in this earth to set your seeds for the Melon will not be so much spotted with the dung when there is a mixture of the one and the other You must take the seed of the Melon which hath a thicke and hard huske and looking verie greene within which is of the first growne and of those which grow neerest vnto the root which you shall haue reserued in your Melon plot vntill the full â—ipenesse thereof that so you might haue others grow of it for the seed is better when it is now taken out of the Melon hauing beene all that while from the gathering time kept in the bodie and substance thereof And if you would haue it to grow verie quickly sleepe it in warme water sixe or seuen houres afterward aboâ—â— the tenth day of March make your pits vpon your beds some three or foure foot one from another and two foot in depth and widenesse and if you may make yoâ—â— choice of dung then fill them vp with Sheepe or Goats dung that is old well rotted and crumbly and with verie fine blacke earth together and herewith to fill them vp within two â—ingers Some put therein the dung of horses comming hot from the stable to make thâ—m put forth the sooner but the sauour and goodnesse of the Melon is greatly hindered thereby and thereupon pricke six or ten seeds of your pompions the sharpe end downeward although some put not in aboue foure or fiue and couer them againe gently without much beating or treading of the earth downe vpon them Afterward for to auoid daunger of frosts couer them with straw or mats borne vp with stickes prickt vp one way or if you haue the benefit of great boards or tables of boards borne vp with stones or rubbish by the way that so they may not presle vpon them and that so you may take them vp when the Sunne shineth hot and lay them downe againe when the cold wind bloweth and when frosts come And as soone as the Melons shall haue put forth leaues bigge ynough you must water them with a shred of cloth hanging continually in a pot of water without wetting of the Melon any whit at all and this watering must be continued in a verie drie ground though you haue remoued your Melons till the fruit become of the bignesse of Oranges and if you vse beds you shall remoue them after mid-May in this countrie out of the danger of frosts about fiue or sixe foot one from another vpon a border well tilled and manured And from that time forward you shall weed out diligenetly all the weeds from about them and shall lighten their earth at the trunk of the root without doing any hurt to it and when the flower shall peepe out you must cut off the ends of the armes of the heaâ— be to the end that the flower and the fruit may come forth in greater store aboundance And for
sweet of smell and such as will neuer faile but alwaies hold and bring forth in their season besides that a man may fit the root and branchâ—â— thereof to make a shadow Such Roses are not good to make conserues or distilled water nor for anie vse in Physicke onely they are good to drie and put amongst Linnen and other Apparrell because of their good smell It is true that some say that they loosen the bellie Looke further in the third Booke in the Chapter of the speciall properties of Grafting and Planting To haue Roses that shall smell verie sweet you must plant your Rose-tree in a place that is verie drie or else to set it round about with Garlicke The Roses will come early if you make a little trench of some two hands wide round about the Rose-tree and therein powre warme water morning and euening and yet this must not be attempted before it begin to put forth his buds You shall doe the like if you place your Rose-tree in baskets or pots of earth and order them after the manner of timely Gourds and Cucumbers as hath beene taught before You may keepe new Roses in their liuelinesse if you put them in the lees of Oyle so as that the lees may swimme aboue them Others pull vp greene Barly roots and all wherein they wrap Roses as yet not blowne and so put them together in a 〈◊〉 that is not pitched The way to haue greene Roses is if you graft the Rose-tree vpon an old Colewort stalke or vpon the bodie of an Oake but then the Roses will 〈◊〉 no smell You may make the Carnation Rose white if you perfume it with Brimstone 〈◊〉 such time as it beginneth to spread You may haue Roses of a yellow colour if after you haue planted the Rose-tree vvith his naturall earth neere vnto the broome you bore through the broome stalke vvith a vvimble and plant in the same hole diuers roots or shoots of the Rose-tree scraped round about so farre as they are to lye in the hole and after tie and make theâ— fast vnto the broome plant with mortar and whenas you see the hole bored in the stalke to be growne vp againe you shall cut off the broome stalke aboue the plaâ—â— vvhere you bored the hole and shall let the Rose-tree to put forth his shoots and 〈◊〉 by this meanes you shall haue yellow Roses The vertues of the Roses are sufficiently knowne vnto euerie one Some distill the vvhite and Prouence rose vvhich if you vvill haue it to retaine the full qualitie and vertue of the Rose together with the smell and fauour of the same you must distill in a glasse vessell and not in lead as is ordinarily accustomed Some make 〈◊〉 and syropes of carnation Roses which haue force to loosen the bellie and to purge the humours offending in serious and cholericke matter as also good for 〈…〉 the jaundise the obstructions of the liuer and beating of the heart The yellow growing within the Rose which is a flower accompanied as it vvere vvith smal haires doth stay the vvhite flowers of vvomen the white end of the leaues of Roses are good in a decoction to stay all manner of fluxes the cup hath the same force and vertues the seed and vvooll contained within the button of the Rose as also the whole button dried and made into powder is singular good to stay womenâ— whites and termes for the scalding of the vvater for the disease called Gonorrhaea taken the weight of a dram with sowre red wine Box-tree is planted of shoots or boughs after the twelfth day of Nouember It delighteth in hillie places and mountaines and groweth verie well in cold drie and vvindie places It must not be planted neere the place where bees are kept for the flower killeth them sodainly Some affirme that it corrupteth the ayre by the stinking smell it hath and for this cause it would be as sparingly planted in the garden as possibly may be Box-tree is better to make combes and other durable instruments of than for to vse in medicine if it were not that Physitians doe hold that the scrapings or râ—â—ped powder of Box and the leaues thereof boyled in Lee doe cause the haire to looke â—ed Some likewise doe thinke that it hath the like properties that Guaiacum hath in decoctions for the French disease but herein I referre my selfe rather to experiâ—nce than to reason Broome as well the small as the great is planted of shoots and boughs in the inâ—rease of the Moone about the Calends of March It may likewise be sowne and it requireth a drie and sandie ground The flowers as also the seed doe prouoke vrine and breake the stone as well of the reines as of the bladder the flowers prouoke vomit taken in a drinke the leaues and crops boyled in wine or water are good for the dropsie and obstructions of the liuer spleene and kidneyes some vse the stalkes of broome to tie their vines as also to make ropes and sackes of and that by ripening it in water as they doe hempe Spanish broome groweth also in drie places it must be remoued after the first yeare that it is sowne it is sowne in Februarie and remoued in March the next yere after the flowers in decoctions procure vomite after the manner of white hellebor the seed alone doth loosen the bellie and forceth downeward great store of water Furze grow in vntilled and sandie grounds the leaues boyled in water or wine do stay all manner of â—luxes The Cedar-tree is verie rare in these countries so that if you will haue it in your garden you must assigne it a well husbanded ground and lying open vpon the Sun notwithstanding the places where it is found most growing be cold and moist mountaines and full of snow if you doe well you must sow in pots of earth and cases or impaled places the small and exceeding little seed that commeth thereof The liquor thereof put into the hollow parts of the teeth doth stay their ach being anuointed it killeth the wormes and preserueth bodies from rotting The wood is verie pleasant to looke vpon and to smell vnto whereupon some vse it in steed of perfumes Saâ—in is planted as box and groweth much better if it be watered with Wine Lees or sprinkled with the dust of tile stones The leaues as well in decoction as in perâ—umes prouoke the termes and expell the after-birth and dead child they also cause to fall off the warts growing vpon a mans yard As concerning Iunipâ—r it affecteth the tops of mountaines and stonie ground for to grow well in and by how much it is the more â—ost of the winds and pinched with cold so much the fairer it groweth The fruit thereof is good for the stomach for weake and broken people and against all sorts of venime whether it be drunke or taken in a perfume as also against an
cleanse the faces of young girles and taketh away red pimples iâ— the same as also other manner of spots like vnto them Likewise the iuice of 〈◊〉 distilled in a Limbeck besides that it helpeth and polisheth the countenances of women is furthermore good to take away out of the face and other parts of the bodie all white Spots Warts and other such like things The iuice of a Limon is of such vertue that if you straine it twice or thrice and then wash in it whole Pearles and afterward sâ—eepe them in it and after lay them in the Sunne within fiue or six daies they will become so soft as honey so that you may make anie shape with them that you will Furthermore the iuice of Limons is so corrasiue as that if you steepe in it a piece of Gold some certaine houres you shall find it diminished and become light and as much will fall out if you sticke a piece of Gold in a Limon See more of 〈◊〉 matter in the third Booke The flowers of Oranges are preserued with Honey or Sugar and those are verie cordiall therewith likewise is made a very precious water of rare and singular sweetnesse which is called the water of Nafe Pomegranate trees craue a hot or temperate ayre for they cannot beare fruit 〈…〉 cold Countrey and albeit their fruit be of one of these three tasts as sweet sowre 〈◊〉 both sweet and sowre notwithstanding all manner of Pomegranates doe craue 〈◊〉 and the same ayre ground and manner of ordering They maintaine themselues 〈◊〉 good state in all manner of ground whether it be far or strong or grauellie or 〈◊〉 or sandie foreseene that the sand be somewhat grosse and moist They refuse not 〈◊〉 situation of anie ground be it hill valley or plaine yea they refuse not to grow well in stonie drie and rough grounds for a little nourishment doth content them And for these causes they need not to be so carefully husbanded as the former and 〈◊〉 rather because they will grow if they be but prickt downe and doe well beare either to be planted or grafted Further if you will take the paines to picke and 〈◊〉 them whiles they are young and in due time the fruit will be a great deale the bigger and of a better fashion but it must be looked so that they be planted vpon 〈◊〉 South Sunne but neuer vpon the East nor yet vpon the West for this quarter doth most hurt them as well as the Vine Note notwithstanding that the young branches which you shall cut off from them must be taken when the tree hath put forth his buds and not before which is contrarie to the branches of other trees as also that the siâ—nces with barke and all be of the thicknesse of the helue of a knife And before that you plant them you must make sure and close both ends of them and annoint them with Swines dung which is more familiar vnto them than anie other and then lay them ouerthwart or crosse in the earth they delight in a ground that is noâ— leane nor moist but indifferent fat and they grow the more easily and faire if there be planted and set by them the Sea Onion or especially some Mulberrie tree The time to plant them is from after March vntill May betwixt the same times it is good to graft them vpon themselues but to better successe vpon the Myrtle tree wherein they delight greatly The Citron tree the Willow and the Mulberrie tree are not so good howsoeuer that sometimes they may be grafted vpon them The manner of grafting them is to put into the bodie of the tree the graft of the Pomegranate tree so soone as euer it shall be cut off from it and after to poure vpon it some oyle and to plaster and couer it with earth and as concerning the graft it must be taken from the Pomegranate tree after it hath budded after the same manner that we haue said of the branches Furthermore the craue to be often watred when the Sunne is in Libra Pomegranate trees by mightie raines excessiue dewes and great fogges doe easily loose their flowers and fruits before it be ripe but to preuent this mischiefe they would be planted neere vnto some wall and haue their boughes bowed downward to the end they may not so easily take wet which is so noysome vnto them They endure clefts and chaps in their bodies without anie danger and therein they are like vnto the Figge-tree and Vine If the Pomegranate tree bring forth sowre or scarce sweet fruit you must water the roots thereof with Swines dung and mans dung mixt with old vrine or temper a little Beniamine with wine and therewith to bath and wash the top of the tree or to spread vpon the roots Asses dung and after to couer them and water them with mans vrine The seeds of the Pomegranate will be white if the roots of the tree be compassed about with Potters and Fullers clay and one fourth part of Plaâ—ster for the space of three yeares The barren Pomegranate tree will become fruitfull if the bodie thereof be often washed with ashes and lees The Pomegranates will become red if the roots of the Pomegranate trees be often watered with lee or couered with the ashes of Acornes The Pomegranate will grow grosse and thicke if you put much Swines dung at the foot of the tree againe looke how much more of this dung you put there by so much the more sweet will the great sowre ones become Pomegranates will haue no seedes if you take away the greater part of the sappe of the boughes of the tree and lay them in the ground all shiuered and after that they haue take cut that part of the Plant which spreadeth furthest and hath alreadie put forth his buds Pomegranate trees will be fruitfull if you stampe Purâ—â—aine and Spurge together and therewith annoint the bodie of the tree Pomegranates will not breake nor open vpon the tree if there be three stones put at the root of the tâ—ee when it is planted but and if the tree be alreadie planted then neere vnto the tree roots you must plant the Sea Onion But indeed all these helpes and such other doe but little preuaile and therefore it were better to plant or graft them onely which will not bring forth a fruit that will breake when it commeth to ripenesse The Pomegranate tree will not fall his flowers it the roots be watred euerie yeare thrice with old vrine mixt with as much water Pomegranates will keepe and continue if you dip them in faire warme water and take them out again by and by or else if you put them apart in drie sand or in a heape of corne in the shadow so long as till they become wrinkled but yet better if when they be ripe and yet hanging vpon the tree you wrythe the small bough a little
〈◊〉 the start by which the Pomegranaâ—e hangeth or else lay Pomegranates in 〈◊〉 clay tempered with water and after drie them in the Sunne It is good likewise 〈◊〉 lay them in dust or scrapings or sawings of the Poplar tree the Holme tree or the Oake in a new earthen pot and within it to set them in order in manner of 〈◊〉 and then afterward to couer the pot and lute it verie well But whatsoeuer way 〈◊〉 take the principall end must be to keepe Oranges in a cold and drie plaâ—e and 〈◊〉 they be gathered with their stalkes as also with their little branches if possibly it may be done without hurting the tree for this helpeth much to keepe them long They must likewise be gathered in the old of the Moone so that they be then 〈◊〉 verie drie and not being wet from aboue and then after that to keepe them â— day 〈◊〉 two in the Sunne their flowers lying downeward then after that to cloâ—â— them 〈◊〉 in a pot verie well stopt and well pitcht or â—eared that the ayre may not get in 〈◊〉 doe couer them and worke them ouer verie thicke with Potters earth verie well beaten and tempered and when it is drie then they hang them in a cold place and whâ—â— they will eat them they steepe them in water and take away the earth Others doe wrap euerie one of them alone by it selfe in hay or in straw within cases The 〈◊〉 of Pomegranate trees doe driue away venâ—mous beasts and this was the cause why men in auncient time were wont to put the boughs of Pomegranate trees both vâ—deâ— and aboue them in their beds The Plane tree is more commended for the beautie of his leaues and shadow than for his fruit it groweth of shoots and siences drawne and taken from the tree and planted in a verie moist ground and such as is neere vnto some Fountaine or Riuâ—â— and yet besides this it delighteth to be waâ—red oftentimes with neat Wine and sometimes with mens Vrine to helpe it to shoot vp and grow high and to put forth largâ— and ample branches and long leaues for to make the better shade In this Counâ—â—ey we cannot see manie faire ones I remember that I haue seene one at Basil in 〈◊〉 Peters place betwixt the height of fifteene or sixteene cubits vnder the shield and shadow whereof the people betooke themselues for their refreshment during the time of great and scorching heat Some make dishes of Plane tree wood to 〈◊〉 paine and wringings in the bellie being applyed thereunto You must beware of the dust which hangeth vpon the leaues for being taken into the bodie by drawing in of your breath it hurteth the rough arterie and voice and in like manner the â—ight and hearing if it fall into the eyes or eares The Nettle tree is well ynough knowne in Languedoc and Prouâ—nâ—e especially in a borough neere vnto Mompelier called Bontonnet it groweth in a fat ground well manâ—red and toyled open to the South or East Sunne The wood is good to make Flutes Cornets and other Instruments of Musicke it is good also to make handles for Kniues and Swords The fruit is verie much desired at the Tables of great States of his great sweetnesse and most pleasant and delightsome smell which they find in it that doe eat or smell to it Likewise some doe presse a Wine out of this fruit being stamped and beaten which is verie sweet and seemeth like vnto other new pressed sweet Wines but it lesteth not aboue tenne or twelue daies The Masticke tree delighteth in moist places and is planted after the first day of Februarie it beareth fruit thrice a yeare The leaues barke and wood in decoctions haue power to restraine strengthen and comfort And this is the cause why it is vsed to make Tooth-pickes thereof The Turpentine tree delighteth in a low and moist ground and withall in a 〈◊〉 and warme ayre open vpon the Sunne The leaues barke and wood haue the 〈◊〉 vertue that the Masticke tree The Iuiube tree and others as well foraine as growing in our owne 〈…〉 further to be seene and read of in the third Booke CHAP. LV. Of the two particular Gardens scituate or lying at the end of the Kitchin Garden and of the Garden of Pleasure THe Kitchin Garden and the other of Pleasure being of the largenesse aboue declared may haue referued out of them two or three acres for the profit of the Lord of the farme as for Madder Woâ—d Tasel Line and Hempe And we may also adde vnto these Saffron albeit that all these things euen as well as pulse if it be a free and kind ground doe well deserue 〈◊〉 haue euerie one his seueral field by it selfe and to be tilled and husbanded after the â—anner of corne and pulse For Madder therefore it is meet that there should be appointed out foure or fiue â—eres of ground in a place by it selfe which must not lye farre from the water but in 〈◊〉 free and not in a strong mould and yet not too light which hath had his three or foure arders with the plough or as indeed is best digged and siâ—ted notwithstanding that the sifting of it be a longer peece of worke and of greater cost it being vâ—ed to be cast and tilled with thicker raisings of the earth and smaller clouds than is â—ont to be in the casting or digging of a new vineyard For this plant hath his proper and particular seasons to be dressed and planted in as well as the vine but in this they differ verie manifestly that the one is an hearbe and the other a shrubbe and as it were a knot to many trees the one dieth yearely and there is nothing of it 〈◊〉 request but roots for to make good colours of but the other lasteth and contiâ—â—eth at the least twelue yeares in good liking and liuelihood of which the first sixe is for growth and a little for bringing forth of fruit and the later sixe for whole â—â—mple and intire profit the daunger of haile washing away of the grapes when the â—ines be flowre by much raine and frost being excepted vnto which in like maâ—â—er Madder in subject and oftentimes more than the vine because of his tendernesse This prehemencie it hath that the vine being frozen cannot be recouered but Madder may be either set or â—owne againe as also Woad the speciall husbandrie of such as dwell in Prouence and the wealth and commoditie of Dyers of Cloth or Wooll with what colour soeuer it be It may be sowne or planted but indeed being sowne it yeeldeth scarce at any time any great store of increase but if you will sow it then bestow the like quantitie of the seed thereof vpon an acre as you are wont to doe of Hempe and that in the moneth of March vpon the tops of hills well battilled and â—manured thus the seed being cast into the ground and the same well incorporated with harrows of rakes
except perhaps you will say that a certaine groâ—â—â— and thicke haire which they haue vpon their bellies is their sting wherewith notwithstanding they neuer sting to doâ— anie harme Some Kings are found to be blacâ— and hairie and ghalliy to behold and these are of the worst sort of Kings and must therefore be killed notwithstanding that they moue no warre nor stirre vp 〈◊〉 coales amongst the young swarmed brood Thus you see there is no case-to be 〈◊〉 with maruelling when you behold these small birds to be so beâ—â—â—ced and enraged with loue towards their King that for to deâ—end him they willingly cast and expose their own liues into open hazard against all his enemies which come to 〈◊〉 him besides other incredible obeyâ—ance which they let not continually to 〈◊〉 vnto him The Hiues that shall be made readie to receiue the new swarmes must be rubbed with the hearbes before named and sprinkled with drops of Honey the more 〈◊〉 to cause them to keepe therein At this time of the Spring it likewise somâ—â—â— commeth to passe that by reason of the hardnesse of the Winter past or of 〈…〉 â—ase and sicknesse there is great wanâ— and scarsitie of Bees in old stocks and this 〈◊〉 be remedied by putting a new swarme into that Hiue and killing the young 〈◊〉 that so his subiects may content themâ—â—â—ies to liue peaceably vnder the old But 〈◊〉 if you haue not a swarme then the next way is to put the troupes of two or three 〈◊〉 diminished stocks into one bedewing or sprinkling the same before with some 〈◊〉 liquor and after to shut them vp in the same Hiue and fet something within it for them to eat vntill they be well wonted vnto it and so to keepe them three daies 〈◊〉 vp giuing them onely a little fresh ayre at someâ—â—all and little holes And if it come to passe that the King of the old Hiue which we shall haue leâ—t aliue doe die 〈◊〉 you must chuse them another King from out of the other Hiues where there be 〈◊〉 nie and giue them him to gouerne And in case that meanes to doe this doe faile 〈◊〉 that there be not anie purpose or inclination to take new swarmes from other 〈◊〉 you must then breake downe all the little chambers and lodgings of their 〈◊〉 Kings to the end that the young swarmes which shall be together in the old 〈◊〉 may not betake themselues to their first haunt and still abide and continue vnd◠〈◊〉 old but their new King and Captaine and this they must of necessitie dot beâ—â—â— compelled through want of their naturall and chiefe Gouernours and by 〈◊〉 themselues with their Ancients In rainie weather continuing long Bees not being able to goe out of their 〈◊〉 to seeke pastures and to bring home food vnto their young brood you must not 〈◊〉 to helpe them with some prouision of Honey vntill such time as they shall be 〈◊〉 to she abroad to get their owne liuing and to worke their Honey-combe of for otherwise you shall quickly make an end of them as it hath beene oftentimes seene to come to passe All the Summer they must gather Honey whereof we will speake hereafter and at the same time euerie tenne daies their Hiues must be opened and smoaked with Oxe dung and afterward be cooled by warring the emptie parts of the Hiue and â—asting thereinto coole water and likewise be made cleane and all grubs taken out of them if anie be therein and after this let them rowle and tumble themselues vpon the flowers and then you must not take anie thing from them that so you may 〈◊〉 annoy and become redious vnto them too oâ—t and so cause them to flye away in despaire In some faire day about the end of Autumne you must make cleane their Hiues looking that it be hoâ— also and calme and if at this time there be found euer a Combe vngathered and not pluckâ— away which sometime was leane and thinne you must not therefore kill the Bees as manie doe but rather to saue them you must sprinkle it with a brush dipt in honied water or in milke hauing driuen them together on a heape with the smoake keeping them close and shut vp after this in their Hiue for all the Winter you may not open nor touch them but keepe them close within till the Sunne-beames breake forth againe for their comfort and that well couered stopping without whatsoeuer clifts and holes with Mortar and Neats â—ung mingled together in such sort that there be nothing left open but onely a way for them to passe in and out thereat And also this must be carefully looked vnto thaâ— although their Hiues doe alreadie stand vnder couert yet that further they be couered againe with stubble and boughes and so much as possibly may be kept â—â—om Cold and Winds which they feare and abhorre more than anie other thing You must foreâ—ee likewise that neither Raine nor Snow may doe them hurt and 〈◊〉 make prouision of store of the iuice of sweet Balme honied water â—ugred waâ—â—r milke or other liquor which may be â—it and conuenient for them in which liquor you must steepe pure and cleane Wooll whereupon the Bee sitting may suckâ—â—ut the iuice or liquor that is therein And to the end that they may not endure hunâ—er in the Winter and that they may not need to eat the Honey vp that they haue â—ade and which is left vntaken from them it wil be good to giue them at the doores 〈◊〉 their Hiues in little pipes or troughes made of Reedes Elder Iron or Lead so â—â—repared as that the Bees may not drowne themselues when they goe about to â—â—rinke some drie figges stamped or teâ—â— pered in water or boyled Wine It will be â—ood likewise to giue them some Raiâ—â—ns out of the Frayle stamped and sprinkled â—ith water or else some Corans stamped with verie good Wine and boy led togeâ—â—her or else some drie Apricoâ—s stamped with Honey and mixed with boyled water 〈◊〉 of Pancakes made of verie ripe Corans of the best Figges and boyâ—â—d Wine mixed together or else to cast amongst them in at the doore of the Hiue some sweet liquors with Siringes as Milke and especially Goats Milke 〈◊〉 the best of all the rest to beare out the scarcitie and poorenesse of the time vnâ—â—ill the Spring approach In the Combes there are found Drones like vnto Bees but greater which alâ—hough they be vnprofitable because they gather no food or sustenance but eat â—p that which others bring in yet doe serue for some thing for they hatch the â—oung brood whereupon come the small Bees and therefore you must not kill â—hem all but keepe a certaine number of them to the end that the Bees may not â—row â—â—onthfull and idle CHAP. LXVI Of the remedies of the diseases that Bees are subiect vnto THe Bee is subject vnto the Plague in which case there is no more â—â—â—â—raigne a medicine for them than to carrie them
the yeare after that they beare out of all measure as in Portugale and the oyle that is made of those is good in the highest degree You must in any case looke to the inconueniences and harmes that the Oliue-tree is subiect vnto Many times in drie or moist places Oliue-trees are spoyled and become all ouergrowne with mosse which must be taken away with one toole or other for else the Oliue-tree will neither abound in leaues nor fruit Sometimes the Oliue-tree although it be faire yet beareth no fruit and then you must bore through the stocke with a wimble and put in good and deepe the graft of a greene bough of a wild oliue-tree or of some other oliue-tree that is fruitful and that vpon either side of the hole then afterward to close vp both the said holes with mortar mixt with straw and the tree as a new made thing wit become fruitful by the grafting in of this graft Others in such case doe vncouer the root and renew the seat that it standeth in Againe it may be remedied and the foot not vncouered with the lees of vnsalted oliues with mans vrine that is old or with the stale vrine of hogges It falleth out many times that the fruit is spoyled and lost by the naughtinesse of the ground where it is planted and then it must be thus remedied The Tree must be vncouered verie low at the â—oot round about and quicke lime put into it more or lesse according to the greatnesse of the Tree for a little tree craueth but a little The Oliue-tree sometimes beareth much fruit or flowres and notwithstanding by a secret disease that is in it it cannot bring them to a good end to ripen them vvhen thâ—â— happeneth the stocke must be vncouered round about and the lees of oyle mixt with sweet water afterward applied thereto Sometimes the Oliue-tree becommeth all withered and falling into a consumption which thing may happen through wormes or other vermine which spoyle and eat the roots and the remedie is to water the foot with lee of Oliues It sometimes also falleth out that the fruâ—t of the Oliue-tree falleth before it be ripe for a remedie whereof take a beane that hath a weeule within it close vp the hole with wax afterward take a greene turfe from neere vnto the root of the Oliue-tree and put the beane in it and so couer it with earth and the fruit of the oliue-tree will not fall Aboue all things you must keepe oliue-trees from Turtle-doues Stares and other such like birds which are exceedingly giuen to â—â—corishnesse As concerning the Oliue-tree and oliues you may see more at large in the second booke and of the oyle in this third booke CHAP. XXXV Of the Date-tree COncerning the Date-tree it hath much a doe to beare fruit in this coâ—â—trie but and if it beare yet it is verie late it craueth to haue a hot ayre and countrie or at the least well tempered and the fruit which it beareth is ripe before the Oliue-tree be good It delighteth in a light sandie and vntilled or champian ground and it is a plant either for Aprill or May to be planted of a small plant with the root The stone is set new in October and there must ashes be mingled with the earth where it is planted and to make iâ— grow and beare goodly fruit it must be watered often with the lees of wine Looke in the second booke Who so is carefull of his health let him not eat any Dates or else as few as possible he can because they cause the head-ach obstructions wringings in the bellie and in the stomach And yet notwithstanding this they stay the flux of the bellie and put into gargarismes they cure the frettings and cankrous vlcers of the mouth CHAP. XXXVI Of the Chesnut tree LEauing the Date-tree we come now to treat of the Chesnut-tree which groweth verie great high and thicke differing but a little from the walnut-tree it beareth a profitable fruit and hath not his like whether you respect the shape his nature or the nourishment it yeeldeth 〈…〉 as is to be seene in Auuergne Sauoy Periguâ—ux and Lymosin and especially in Lyonnoyse and Daulphinie where the great chesnuts grow in which countries especially in Parigord the greatest parts of the forests are of chesnut-trees an infinit 〈◊〉 of people liue not of any other thing but of this fruit eating it sometimes boyled sometimes roasted sometimes made into bread sometimes into broth with 〈◊〉 sometimes in meale baked after another sort Likewise nature seeing the profit 〈◊〉 redounded vnto men from this so profitable a fruit hath fenced and armed it with strong harnesse and such mightie armour as that it goeth for proofe both against the tooth of the beast and beake of the birds so long as it is kept within his vppermost cote and prickly couering yea and furthermore vnder his rind and pilling when it is taken away with another rind that is good and hard and with another that is more soft and fine for the better preseruing of it This tree pleaseth it selfe with such a ground as is lying vpon the North and being moist rather than drie or standing vpon the South for as much as it loueth the shadow better than the open Sunne the valleyes better than the mountaines a soft ground better than that which is hard and massie and a light ground and yet not a sandie or clayie To haue good store of Chesnuts it is better to sow them than to plant them and that in a well digged and stirred ground being also neat and well batled and that in the moneth of March â—etting them in the earth a foot deepe the sharpe end vpward foure or sixe of them together taken out of great and ripe Chesnuts and euerie hole distant from another the space of a fadome and two or three yeares after to plant them in some other places fortie foot asunder euerie one from another and that in respect of the great compasse which they take with their branches on euerie side If you would haue it to grow of a branch it must be such a one as hath root for to make it grow of it selfe by pricking downe into the earth some sience it will neuer be Wherefore the most certaine way is to make it grow of the fruit it selfe pricking it downe into the earth as hath beene said notwithstanding it may be propagated or multiplied burying and sinking some of his new shoots in the earth It taketh likewise if it be grafted in the cleft or in the Canon or Gun-like graft and that in March Aprill and May vpon it selfe or vpon the Beech-tree or vpon the Willow but it then ripeneth verie quickly and beareth a fruit of a sharpe and vnpleasant tast Chesnuts must be gathered in Autumne and kept till their rindes be become of a verie bay colour and cast out their fruit Howbeit if one would keepe them a long time
sort of double vessell is fit to distill waters withall in great store and aboundance by reason of the cold water which thickeneth and turâ—â—th by and by the vapours into water The shape and fashion is as you see The Venetians distill their water in such an Instrument The furnace is round and containeth on euerie side round about it manie earthen vessels glased within and fashioned like Vrinals well luted with mortar of Potters clay and euerie one couered with a head of Glasse or baked earth to their snouts there is fastened a violl with a good thicke thread to receiue the water that distilleth This furnace is heated as we see after the manner that the Germanes doe heat their Hot-houses and we ouâ— Stoues And if it happen that the fire should be too hot you must not put any thing into the vessels vntill such time as the heat be somewhat abated for feare that the plants flowers and such other things should be burnt The mouth of the 〈◊〉 must be alwaies stopped and fast shut to the end that the heat may beat inward for the heating of so manie vessels For the attending and ordering of this furnace there are required manie seruants some of them to looke vnto the â—ire others to cast the hearbes into the bodies and others to put the heads vpon the bodies By this likewise there may great store of waters be distilled as some hundred pints in a night and a day and these waters are a great deale better than those which are distilled in leaden Limbeckes or Stillitories or yet of other mettals because they are not infected with anie fault or infection which is a common companion of those which are made of mettall This is the shape and forme of it There are other Instruments the bodies whereof are of Brasse Iron or other mettall hauing a long thicke and strait necke on the top whereof resteth also a head of Brasse made after the fashion of a broch steeple and is compassed round about as 〈◊〉 were with a bucket of coole water to the end that the vapour may be conuerted the sooner and in greater quantitie into water and that the water may not tast or smâ—ll of the fire Some in stead of this long necke and head haue a pipe of Plate or other mettall verie long and wrythen or wound about in forme of a Serpent and for this reason is called a Serpentine or made of manie parts consisting of direct angleâ— and these passing through a bucket or some such vessell full of water There are manie other sorts and fashions of Instruments to distill withall whereof I meane not to speake at this time contenting my selfe with those which I haue mentioned as being of more common vse and fit onely to distill waters of which it is our purpose onely to speake at this present Furthermore seeing the water doth take his essence and consistence and other like qualities from the head of the Stillitorie it is good to make choice of the best heads that one can the best are of Glasse next those of earth glased within and without thirdly those of Tinne fourthly those of Copper laid ouer with Brasse fifthly those of Brasse laid ouer with Tinne but the vessels of Copper and Brasse haue these two discommodities the one that they make their waters reddish and halfe burnt and the second that in Copper and Brasse there is a venimous qualitie more than in anie other mettall â—ixtly those of yron especially when a man would distill anie thing that is hard to be distilled and which must be applyed outwardly and not taken inwardly Such as are not afraid of the cost doe vse vessels of Gold or of Siluer but seeing all are not of one and equall efficacie it is best to rest contented with Glasse-vessels or earthen ones well leaded either with Glasse or the fat which is called earth of Beauuais rather than with Lead or anie other mettall notwithstanding those of earth are the best the second those that are leaded or glazed or of thicke fat earth next those of Tinne Those of Glasse must not be of brake mettall but of Crystall earth well armed which seeing they cease not to be brittle how well soeuer they be armed must be heated by little and little whether it be in Maries bath or in hot ashes or in a furnace fire And in like sort when your distillation is ended to let them coole by little and little And for as much as the head is loose from the bodie it will be good to set them together with a hempen cloth which hath beene dipped in the mortar of Wisedome which for the most part is made of the whites of Egges Beane flower and a little Masticke The vessell whereinto the water is receiued and thereupon called the Receiuer shall be a Glasse-violl hauing a long necke and the beake or spout of the head must goe into it and these two in like manner may thus be fastened and closed together with the said mortar of Wisedome least the water which shall distill should euaporate verie much notwithstanding that we see sometimes some Receiuers of the fashion of Vrinals which are not made fast vnto the beake of the head at all CHAP. LXII What manner of Furnaces must be prepared for the distilling of Waters THe fashion of the furnaces for the distilling of waters is diuers as well in respect of the matter to be distilled as in respect of the vessels which are vsed in the distilling thereof As concerning their matter some are made of vnburnt bricks onely dried well in the Sunne because they are better to be handled than those that are throughly burnt and besides they may be cut with a toole and brought into what fashion one will and fitted with faâ— earth othersome are made of plaster onely some of fat earth onely but the best are made vvith cement vvhites of egges fat earth and flockes of vvooll others of beaten bricks hards horse-dung sinewes of oxen and fat earth But as for their fashion it must be answerable vnto the vessells that are set therein and so some be wholly round and those are the best and most profitable others are foure square others are raised high like steeples others after the fashion of vaults some after the manner of stones all which you may find out by the sight of the eye in the patternes set downe before and from which you may gather more instruction and more certaine direction than by all the descriptions that wee can possibly make Such furnaces as you may see with your eyes must haue two bottomes the one lower to receiue the ashes of the coales or whatsoeuer other matter that the fire is made of the other higher which must containe the burning coales and must be made after the fashion of a Gridyron hauing barres or roddes of yron passing throughout from the one side to the other quite ouerthwart the furnace or else diuided into manie small holes
for the most easie and plentifull maner of drawing of oyle for if you put in more the longnesse of time will become teadious and if youâ— put in lesse you shall hardly draw ten drops of oyle And yet in this point Ladie experience must be more than quarter maâ—ster in as much as there is some matter which yeeldeth not any oyle except it be put in a great quantitie such as is Anise-seed and others as vve vvill declare hereafter more particularly Againe you must obserue and marke this one poynt that hearbes require a farre larger vessell and quantitie of vvater than seeds and spices when their oyle is to be extracted because that weight for weight they take more roome than the seeds and spices doe for hearbes lye not so close and round together and therefore they require also in proportion a greater quantitie of vvater for feare that they should become parched and dried away within the copper vessell After that you haue put the vvater and matter together into the vessell of copper let them infuse fiue or sixe houres more or lesse according to the nature and substance of the matter or without infusing of them at this time forasmuch as their boiling within the bellie of the vessell vvill serue in steed of an infusion vnto the matter couer the vessell and fit the head vnto it lute them verie well stogether with whites of egges and meale kneaded together and spread vpon a cloth in the place of their joyning and articulation This done set your earthen vessell in the furnace vpon the two yron barres and make it fast to the furnace with potters-clay or cement well beaten and wrought about the edges and brims after set the vessell of copper well stopt into the earthen one and yet in such sort as that the bottome of the one stand from the other â—ome two or three fingers and this void space must be filled vp with pure and cleare sand euen so high as there is any space and distance betwixt vessell and vessell yea and further if one be so disposed euen to the necke of the copper vessell prouided that the nose of the head by which the oyle descendeth doe stand either to the right hand or to the left of the furnace and yet this one thing commeth heere to be marked that in distilling of aromaticall seeds onely there is vse and need of the said sand betwixt the said two vessells and not in distilling of hearbes for seeds and spices are of a more subtile and delicate substance as their great heat do testifie and the matter they yeeld is more delicate also and firme For which causes it might fall out that the force of the fire might somewhat trouble their distillation that is to say might cause their distillation to come forth a little troubled and that euen in the verie beginning if the fire be not moderately kept and brideled by the sand put in the void place betwixt the said two vessels but in the distilling of herbes you must siâ— the vessell of copper and the furnace together without the earthen vessell and the sand in the emptie space for as much as the hearbes in respect of their solidenesse and harder substance doe craue a greater force of fire vvhereof you may gather that no oyles can be extracted by distillation in Maries-bath that is to say in setting of boyling vvater about the copper vessell in a caldron â—or so the distillation would be longer than it were meet it should and yet neuer a whit the more commendable for Maries-bath that is to say boyling water doth not affâ—rd a well proportioned and sufficient tempered heat but is long in doing and the oyle doâ—h still draw vnto it some corruption if the vvorke be too long in doing especially if the matter be not moist of it selfe for thereupon and by that meanes can the oyle hardly rise so high as that it may find the way into the vessell that should receiue it and because also that it wanteth force and might in as much as the boyling water cannot lift it vp so high of it selfe alone as the cleare fire â—arthen vessell and sand all vvorking together The copper vessell being thus fitted in the furnace make fast vnto the nose or pipe thereof the receiuing vessell rested vpon some pâ—ettie â—toole in such sort as you see aboue in the figure stop and close vp the joynt of the said pipe and receiuing vessell vvith paste and bole armoniacke or the white of an egge and flowre spread vpon a cloth Then kindle your coales that you haue layed vpon the graâ—e and make a soft and gentle fire for the beginning to the end that the matter may grow hoâ— by little and little and that so long as till the matter within the copper and the fountaine water doe boyle but yet so gently as that it boyle not vp to sticke and hit against the head with the vvalmes thereof as vve see it sometimes to happen in some seedes as anise seeds vvhich by reason of their thin substance as also of their viscositie do cast vp their vvalmes and billowes with great might and force and in such case the fire must be rebated or and if that yet the rebating of the fire cannot stay the fâ—rie of the billowes or boyling then you must take off the head and with a staffe stirre about the matter for so the scum will vanish away in vapours and after that it may be gouerned stayed and dried vp by a reasonable fire putting the head vpon it againe afterward and luting it as before Feed and continue the fire in an equall degree vntill you peâ—ceiue by feeling that the head of the Still is growne hot then or sooner if you please you may fill the little tub at the top which standeth round about the head vvith cold vvater for it cooling the head will make thicke and fixe the vapours and spirites of the oyle vvhich are verie subtile and hot and turne them into oyle vvhen this cold water thus powred in shall become hot it must by and by be let out at the top of the cooler and fresh put into his place It is true that some doe not allow of cooling the head with cold vvater because the vapours by this cooling of the head doe congeale too soone as being before that they come into the pipe and thereupon fall backe againe into the vessell from vvhence they breathing the second time and congealed and falling backe againe as before doe in fine by these manifold risings and fallings spend and vvaste vnto nothing or at â—he least by continuall boyling it falleth out that but a few vapours doe come into the vessell of receit and againe those same vapours so congealed doe not easily and presently come foâ—th and so there is lesse oyle gathered of the matter than would be and that which is drawne is somewhat tainted with burning And therefore in steed of this cooling of the head for
be it neuer so good doth become worse and degenerate easily when it is sowne in a bad plot And for as much as I speake onely of Wheat in this place being the graine of most vse in Fraunce you shall vnderstand that there be diuers kinds thereof as shall be shewed hereafter which sith their names are not familiar in other Countries I will here repeat those which are most in vse amongst our neighbours especially in England of which the first is called whole-straw Wheat because the straw is whole and entire not hauing anie hollownesse within it and this is of all Wheat the largest and goodliest and yeeldeth the greatest store of flowre yet not of the most pure and most white colour it prospereth onely on the rich stiffe clay-grounds and must necessarily haue three earings before it be sowne Next vnto it is the great Pollard Wheat which hath no aues vpon the eares it is a large Wheat also and prospereth likewise vpon stiffe clay-grounds yet will aske but one earing because it loues to be sowne vpon Pease-ground from whence Pease was reaped the same yeare The next is small Pollard which loues an indifferent earth as that which is grauelly or of barren mixture and it must haue euer full three earings Then Ograue Wheat which loueth anie well-mixt soyle and will grow either after three earings or but one so it besowne where Pease is reaped Then â—laxen Wheat which will ioy in anie soyle except the stiffe clay or burning sand prouided that it haue fully three earings and be well manured And lastly Chylter Wheat which is like vnto flaxen Wheat It will be good before you sowe your seed to lay it in steepe in water some certaine houres and afterward to spread and lay it abroad somewhere in the shadow to drie that so it may be readie to rowle or runne at such time as it is to be cast into the earth by this meanes you shall chuse the fairest cornes that shall stay behind in the boâ—tome of the water to sowe them which will grow within three or foure daies but as for those which swimme aloft aboue the water they shall be taken away because they are not worth any thing to sow for the best vse for such is either to seed Hennes or else to grind that so you may get out euen that sâ—all quantitie of meale and flowre that is within them Some before the sowing of their corne doe sprinkle it ouer a little with water wherein haue beene infused Houseleeke or the stamped seedes and roots of wild Cucumbers to the end that the corne may not be eaten of Moules field-Mice or other such like vermine Yet howsoeuer this may be a practise in France it is not receiued generally amongst Husbandmen to steepe the corne in water before they sowe it because so much moisture cooleth and drowneth the kernell of it too much Nay they are so farre from the practise thereof that a well-reputed Husbandman will not suffer his corne to be so much as washed before it be sowne The quantitie of corne which must be sowne shall be measured and rated according to the peece of ground for an arpent of fat ground will for the most part take foure bushels of Wheat a reasonable fat ground will take fiue and a leane will take more It is true that there must respect be had vnto the Countrey and place where it is sowne for in cold Countries and places that are waterie being also alwaies subiect to Snowes it is needfull to sowe a great deale more than in hot Countries or in temperate and drie places in as much as the cold and Snow doe corrupt the greatâ—st part of the seed Besides the time is well to be obserued and the disposition of the ayre for in Autumne you must sowe lesse thicke and in Winter or the times approaching and comming neere to Winter a great deale more againe in rainie weather you must sowe thicker than in drie weather Yet in England and other Countries which are much colder than France two bushels of Wheat or Pease will fully sowe an acre and foure bushels of Barly or Oates and three bushels of Beanes which proportion no man need to alter vpon anie occasion whatsoeuer CHAP. XIII Of harrowing and weeding of Corne. PResently after that the seed is bestowed in the ground you must for your last worke harrow it along and crosse ouerthwart and after that â—ake it from furrow to furrow but ouerthwart onely This would be done with Harrowes hauing yron teeth rather than woodden ones because they make the corne settle deeper into the earth which they doe breake and make fmall a great deale better and so by that meanes doe couer the corne with earth as it requireth at the least the thicknesse of foure fingers that so it may be the faster rooted and the safer from birds and thus it must be let alone the whole Winter vpon the Spring True it is that during Winter you must not neglect to make draynes and draughts thereby to carrie away the water that falleth in too great aboundance by raine Now this manner of harrowing is but for such entire grounds as lye together leuell plaine and vndistinguished by lands for were they cast vp with ridges as the lands of many Countries are then could they by no means be harrowed ouerthwart Therefore wheresoeuer your ground lyes in lands or in common mixt amongst your neighbours there you shall euer harrow your lands directly vp and downe the full length of the lands beginning at the furrowes first and so ascending vp to the ridges As for the Harrowes as before I said the woodden Harrow is best for the loose moulds and the yron Harrowes for the tough and binding moulds As for the Oxe-harrow which is as bigge as two Horse-harrowes and hath euer yron teeth it is best for the roughest earths especially new broken vp swarths the Horse-harrowes going before and the Oxe-harrow following after When the Spring time is come and the Wheat hath taken good root you must weed your ground of such store of weedes as Winter raine and the ranknesse of the earth it selfe haue caused to abound and ouer-grow the corne newly put vp as Feâ—ches tame and wild Poppie Cockle and such like and after once hauing weeded it it will be good to doe it the second time as when the eare beginneth to shoot for iâ— so doing the corne will proue faire and cleane But in the meane time you must so weed it at the first as that the rootes be not hurt but that they may remaine couered and laden with the earth that so they may stand faster in the earth and grow the more vpward At the second time of weeding you must not bare it much for and if the Wheat should not shoot vp still more and more it would rot vpon the earth and bring forth nothing Againe at the second weeding you shall stirre and make euen the ground a
the cakes which liquorish women vse to make of the meale It must not be sowne but in the midst of Summer whiles the times continue drie and that there is no raine looked for of a long time for the raine doth hurt it after it is sowne cleane contrarie to other plants which all of them reioice in raine after they are sowne The oyle which is pressed out of the seed of Sesame doth neuer freeze and is the lightest of all other Oyles and yet being mixt with Wine or Aqua-vitae sinketh to the bottome There is no account to be made of this graine for nourishment because it is giuen to ouercome the stomacke and is hardly digested as is all oylie matter Lentils LEntils must be sowne at two times in Autumne and most commonly especially in France and cold Countries in the Spring time whiles the Moone encreaseth vnto the twelfth thereof and either in a small or little mould or in a fat and fertile ground for when they be in flower they destroy and spoyle themselues through too much moisture or by putting too farre out of the earth And to the end they may grow the more speedily and the greater they must be mixt with drie dung before they be sowne and foure or fiue daies after that they haue beene so laid to rest in this dung to sowe them They will keepe long and continue if they be mingled with ashes or if they be put in pots wherein oyle and preserues haue beene kept or and if they be sprinkled with vineger mixt with Beniouin Lentils howsoeuer auncient Philosophers had them in estimation are of hard digestion hurtfull to the stomacke filling the guts full of wind darkening the sight and causing fearefull dreames and withall are nothing good if they be not boyled with flesh or fried with oyle Fasels FAsels grow in stubbly grounds or rather a great deale better in fat grounds which are tilled and sowne euerie yeare and they are to be sowne betwixt the tenth of October and the first of Nouember or else in March as other pulâ—e after that the ground hath beene eared about the eleuenth of Nouember They must be sowne after that they haue beene steept in water for to make them grow the mose easily and that at large when they are sowne and alwaies as they ripen to gather them They make far grounds where they be sowne they are accustomed to beare much fruit they keepe a long time they swell and grow greater in boyling and are of a good pleasant tast vnto all mâ—ns mouthes It is true that they are windie and hard to digest but yet notwithstanding they are apt to prouoke vnto venerie if after they be boyled they be powdred ouer with Pepper Galanga and Sugar and yet more specially if they be boyled in fat milke vntill they burst If you mind to take away their windinesse eat them with Mustard or Caraway seed If you haue beene bitten of a Horse take Fasels chew them and apply them so chewed vnto the greene wound Young gentlewomen that striue to be beautifull may distill a water of Fasels that is singular good for the same end and purpose Lupines LVpines craue no great husbandrie are good cheape and doe more good to the ground than anie other seed for when as Vineyards and arable grounds are become leane they stand in stead of verie good manure vnto them Likewise for want of dung they may be sowne in grounds that stand in need to be dunged if after they haue put forth their flowers the second time they be plowed vnder the ground they grow well in a leane ground and such as is tyred and worne out with sowing and they may be sowne in anie ground especially in stubbly grounds such as are not tilled for in what sort soeuer they be sowne they will abide the roughnesse of the ground and negligence of the husbandman neither doe they craue anie weeding as well in respect of their root which is single as also for that if it were hurt they would die presently and because also that it should bee but labour lost for they are so farre off from being infected and wronged with weeds that they euen kill them and cause them to die And this is the cause why manie sowe them in the middest of Vineyards to the end they may draw vnto them all the bitternesse of the Vineyard as being the qualitie most familiar vnto them and with which they best agree Notwithstanding they may not be sowne deepe for when they flower they are made no account of Of all other kinds of Pulse they only stand not in need to be laid vp in Garners but rather vpon some floore where the smoake may comâ— vnto them for if moisture take them they will grow full of wormes which eate vp that which should make them sprout and that which is remaining can doe no good they must be gathered after raine for if it should be drie weather they would fall out of their cods and be lost Lupines are good to feed Oxen in Winter but they must be steept in salted and riuer water and afterward boyled they serue also for to feed men to make bread thereof when it is a time of dearth of other corne Some doe note this speciall propertie in them which is that they turne about euerie day with the Sunne insomuch as that by them workmen are taught the time of the day though it be not cleare and Sunne-shine Lupines stampt and laid vpon the nauell doâ— kill wormes in little children the decoction thereof doth prouoke the termes of women and taketh away the obstructions of the sight by reason whereof manie doe wish them to be taken of young maidens and women which haue pale colours Their meale is singular good in caâ—aplasmes to resolue the swelling of the Kings euill and other hard tumours as well boyled in honey and vineger as in honey and water and likewise for the Sciaâ—ica Beanes BEanes must be sowne in a fat soile or else a ground that is well manured and eared with two earings and although it be in stubbly grounds and seated in low bottomes vvhither all the fat and substance of the higher parts doth descend notwithstanding the earth must be â—liâ—ed and cut small and the clods broken before they be sowne for albeit that amongst all the other sorts of pulse there be not any that doe so little vvaste and the strength and juice of the earth notwithstanding they desire to be vvell and deepe couered vvithin the earth they must be diligently vveeded at such time as they peepe out of the earth for so the fruit vvill be much more and their coddes farre the tenderer They may be sowne at two times of the yeare in Autumne vvhere it is a strong ground and the beanes be great and in the Spring especially in this Countrie in a vveake and light ground the beanes being but small and of the common size those vvhich are sowne in Autumne are
more worth than the other so that the hindes let not to say That they had rather eat the huskes or stalkes of beanes sowne in due time than the beanes themselues of three moneths old because they yeeld more fruit and haue a greater and better stored graine But at what time soeuer you sowe them you must haue speciall regard to sowe them all about the fifteenth day after the change of the Moone because that in so doing thâ—y will be the beâ—ter loaden and because they will not be so much assailed of little vermine as and if the Moone were new The day before they be sowne you must steepe them in the lees of Oliues or in water of Nitre to the end that they may beare the more fruit be more easie to boyle and not to be subiect to be eaten of Weeuils or Larkes They must likewise reape and pull them vp in the new of the Moone before day and after leaue them in the ayre to drie and thresh them out before the full Moone and afterward carrie them into the Garner for being thus ordered vermine will not breed in them Againe they proue more profitable being planted than sowne in a good ground that is well dressed tilled fatted and manured vvhich said ground if it be sowne the yeare following with Wheat will yeeld a more copious and plentifull haruest in as much as Beanes doe fatten a ground more than anie other kind of Pulse If you would keep them long you must sprinkle them with salt water but if you meane to boile them you must bee sure to keep the salt from them because salt-water doth harden them they must not be left in the cold aire for the cold also doth make them the harder to boile To keepe them from being euen of wormes they must bee annointed or rubd ouer with oile-oliue one after another vntill such time as they be well liquored with this oile The flowers of Beanes notwithstanding that they be of a pleasant and delightsome smell doe hurt a weake braine and such a one as is easily carried away and ouercome And hereupon it commeth to passe that there are a great number of fooles when Beanes are in flower Thus much for the French experience of Beanes which doth indeed more concerne the Garden-Beane than those which are continually in vse amongst Husbandmen Therefore to come to the profit and true knowledge of the husbanding of Beanes you shall vnderstand that they are onely to be sowne in a rich stiffe ground that is verie fertile as namely the black or blew clay for in other earths they â—oy but a little and they will grow with one eaâ—ing onely which would be done at the beginning of Ianuarie vpon such earth as hath borne Barly before or else vpon greene-swarth which hath not been plowed long before it must be plowed deep and haue a great furrow turned vp then you shall let it lye till it haue taken frost and raine then vpon the next faire season being about or soone after S. Valentines day you shall sowe it and harrow it As for the weeding of Beanes it is to no purpose for they are of themselues so swift of growth that they will out-grow all weedes And if they haue anie Pease mixt amongst them which should euer be for it is the surest seed they will smother vp and destroy all sorts of weedes They are because of their vpright growing better to be mowne with sythes than cut to reapt with hookes they aske little withering for so soone as the cod turnes blacke the stalke dryes The vse of them is principally for prouander for Horses or to mixe with Barley Wheat or Rie to make bread for hind-seruants or for hunting or running Horses but then commonly they are vsed simply of themselues or else mixt with Wheat onely for the mixture of Barley or Rie is not good for Horses of that nature except for some cause physicall as to keepe them soluble in their bodies and so forth The Garden-Beane is good for men to eat being boyled and mixt with butter vineger and pepper or for want of butter with oyle-Oliue The cods also are a verie good food being boyled whilest they are greene and tender Lastly the water which is distilled from the flowers of Beanes is good to take away the morphew or spots in men or womens faces Small Peason SMall Pease are no lesse profitable for the fatting of ground that is leane than Lupines It is true that if you looke to haue good store of them and well-codded you must sowe them in fat and warme grounds and in a temperate and moist time as in Februarie or March and sometime in September in the increase of the Moone and yet it is hard for them to endure and hold out the Winters cold for they alwaies desire the full fruition of the Sunne and doe grow a great deale the fairer when they doe enioy it accordingly and when also they are borne vp to that end on stickes rather than let fall flat to the ground to creepe vpon it they must be sowne thinne because their stalkes doe spread themselues further than anie one other kind of pulse They are verie subiect to be eaten within of Wormes and yet those which are so eaten of Wormes are better to sowe than the other which are whole and sound For this cause if you will preuent the Wormes that they may not hurt and hinder your corne sowe Peason first in the place It is true that for the better growth and prospering of them the thicke and grosse seed is most conuenient to be sowne especially if it be laid in water to steepe therein a night because thereby they grow the more easily and lose some part of their saltnesse in being steept by which meanes they recouer their naturall verdure againe They must be gathered in the decrease of the Moone presently vpon their being ripe for else they drie vp and fall out of their swads The earth wherein they are sowne standeth in need but of one earing Cich Peason CIch Peason doe likewise grow in fat and moist places they must be sowne in a rainie time they doe greatly load and burthen the earth and for that cause are neglected of the wiser sort of husbandmen Notwithstanding if you will sowe them you must steepe them in warme water a day before that so they may grow and put forth of the earth the sooner and greater Some to haue them grow the fairer doe steepe them and their cods in nitrous water To keepe them that passengers and other folke may not gather them to eate when they are ripe you must water them fiue mornings together before the Sunne rise with water wherein haue beene steeped the seedes of wild Cucumber and Wormewood and the dew within fiue daies after will haue taken away all the bitternesse thereof Such practises are likewise good for to be vsed about small Peason and Beanes The vse of them is good for such as are
whose mould is driest loosest blackest and quickliest ripe with little earing as namely with two ardors at the most which vvould be in October the first and the last in March which is the best and most conuenient time for sowing Hempe must bee exceedingly well harrowed and clotted and the mould must bee made as small as dust for the seed is verie tender at the first sprouting but being once gotten aboue the earth it ouâ—groweth all other weeds whatsoeuer and out of its owne nature it doth choake and destroy them whence it comes that hempe neuer needeth any weeding it must bee diligently and carefully kept and tended after the first 〈…〉 appeare aboue the earth from birds for the seede is so sweet and so much desired of all small birds that without great and diligent care they will not leaue you any in the earth Now for the best time of gathering your hempe it is acording to the common custome of house-wiues about Saint Margarets day being towards the latter end of Iuly But more particularly you shall vnderstand that it is best pulling your hempe for the pill as soone as it doth begin to turne yellowish and the leaues to hang downeward looking vnto the earth but if for seed then not before the seed looke blacke and bee readie to shed hempe must euer bee pulled vp by the rootes and first sprâ—ad thinne vpon the earth then afterwards bound vp in bundles which they do call bayts then it must bee câ—rryed to the water to ripen of which water the running streame is the best and the standing pond is the worst yet it must bee done with great heed for hempe is very poysonous and it doth not onely infect the waters but it doth also poyson much fish Hempe must lye three dayes and three nights couered in the water then it must bee cleane washt out of the water and afterwards brought home and dried either in the Sunne or vpon the kilne There bee some house-wiues which either for sloath or for want of a conuenient place to water in doe ripen their hempe vpon the ground by suffering it to lye at the least fifteene nights vpon the sâ—me taking the dewes which do fall Morning and Euening and other raine by which it ripeneth prouided that it bee turned euerie day once but this manner of ripening is not good for besides that it is vnkindly and doth oftentimes cause the hempe to bee rotten it also maketh the hempe to be very blacke and foule so that it doth neuer make white cloth After the ripening and drying of your hempe you shall brake it in brakes which are made of wood for the same purpose and this labour would euer as neere as you can bee done in the Sunne-shine after the braking of hempe you shall swingle it then beate it then heckle it and if you intend to haue verie fine cloth of it you shall after the first heckling beate it againe and then heckle it through a finer heckle then spinne it after warpe it and lastly weaue it Thus much for the hempe which is vsed for to make cloth withall but for such as shall bee preserued for cordage or the roper you shall onely after the ripening pill it and then either sell or imploy it Hempe seed is verie good to make hennes lay many egges and that in the depth of Winter and greatest coldnes of the same Many doe burne the thickest rootes of the male hempe and of the same so burnt and made into powder do make gunne-powder The iuice or decoction of the greene herbe being strongly strained and powred in some place where there are earthwormes doth cause them to come forth by and by likewise being dropt into the eares it causeth the worms or other beastes which shall bee gotten in thither to come out presently and this wee haue learned of fishermen which by this wile doe take wormes to serue them for their hookes Hempe seede must neither bee eaten nor drunke because it sendeth vp many fumes vnto the braine which will cause the same to ake and therefore women do greatly transgresse the rules of Physicke which giue this bruised seed in drinke to such as are troubled with the falling sicknes or head-ach This is a thing to be wondred at in hempe that seeing there are two sorts of it the male and the female yet the female beareth not the seed but the male Line LIne must not bee sowne in any ground but where there riseth great profit and this followeth and is caused by reason of the seede which impaireth all sorts of grounds verie much and for that cause it must bee sowne in a verie fat ground and such a one also as it reasonably moist In any case the ground where line-seed is sowne must bee curiously handled and clensed and with manifold earings plowed and turned ouer so oft and so long as that it become like dust and furthermore the good hus-wife must be carefull when the line is growne to free it from being 〈◊〉 with the weed vsing to wind about it and which of some is called 〈◊〉 and that not once but oft to the end that in gathering the seed in beating it with beetles heckling and spinning of it such filth may not remaine among the tow It must be gathered when it is ripe and when the colour of it groweth yellow and after layd vp in some drie place that so it may bee defended from the raine and dew which are vtter enemies vnto it when it is drie it must be thresht as soone as may be to the end that the mice eat it not with wooden mallets to get the seed out of it and presently after that it shal be caried to the water about the change of the Moone that it may lie therein three or foure daies in Iuly or August till it become soft and tender to the end that the pilling or barke thereof may the more easily be seperated from the stalkes for the making of cloth When it is drawne out of the water it must bee laied on a heape all round but two or three fadomes broad loading it aboue with boords and stones and after that spred in the Sunne to the end it may drie the better The finest line which is without seed notwithstanding it bee the least and lower of growth than the rest is the best being soft and fine after the manner as it were of silke whereas that which is long and thicke is also more rough and boysterous in spinning You shall make verie fine and white sowing threed of your sine flax in this sort Let it be watered in running water fiue or six daies in Iuly or August in the change of the Moone so soone as it is drawne out of the water spread it in the Sunne that it may drie neuer casting it into any heapes for that which is laid vpon heapes after the comming of it out of the water that it may take a heat and being pressed downe to
of the Moone a good day 32 Eeles make the water light 6 To set Egges and how the thing must be ordered 70. how to haue them to prouâ— Cock or Henne â—irds 71. without the heat of any Henne 72 Egges of Duckes set by an Henne are more worth than their mother 78 Egges of Paâ—tridges cause women to be fruitfull 8â— Egges carried vp into the ayre 24 To rost Eâ—ges without fire 74 Egges wrâ—tten within ibid. To make soft and tender Egge-shels and to wast and consume them 73 Egges what are best 73 Whites of Egges distilled 465 Whites of Egges to stay bleeding at the â—ose 75 Hard Egges to stay the flux of the bellie ibid. The yolk white of an Egge good against burning ibid. Whites of Egges against the cough ibid. Egge-shels for the spitting of bloud ibid. The white of an Egge to ioin together â—brokâ— glasse ibid. An Egge keeping a garment from burning 〈◊〉 Elder-tree â—86 distilled 45â— Elecampane 198. preserued â—78 Elmes of three sorts 662. and where they must bee sowne â—â—7 The 〈◊〉 groue and Elmes 4â—â— Eâ—diuâ— and three sorts and properties thereof 168 Engâ—isâ— practise addâ—d to the French â— Ephemeron or Liâ—ium conuallium 238 Estriâ—s what manner of paste meat 585 Eue created the second day of the new Moone 32 Eâ—â—es about to lambe 113 To Extract any Quintessence 451 469 The maisters Eye fatteth any horse 14 Eye-bright and his properties 197. a compound water of Eye-brighâ— 75 F A Fadâ—â—â— what manner of measure and what it containeth 517 Fâ—rmes and what thinâ—s are to be set to farme 19 Farmors and their duties 22. what age and condition they ought to be of ibid. Vnfaâ—thfull Farmâ—â— and their nature 15 To beare too strait a hand ouer the Farmor maketh him either negligent or else a theefe 23 What knowledge is requisite for a Farmor 22 A Farmor must be true of his word not giuen to sweare 23 It must not be looked for that the Farmor should doe or haue committed to his â—rust euery thing ibid. Farage or mixt pâ—ouander 665 It is good to know old 〈◊〉 but to do as the time serueth a prouerbe 1 Fawlcon the prince of Hawkes 710 Fawlcon is a word sometimes signifying all manner of Hawkes ibid. Fawlconrâ—â— an art but lately vsed 705 Sheepes Feeâ— how they must be dâ—essed to â—at 11â— The Feild is very badly husbanded when the Lâ—rd therof knoweth not to command 19. How much ground he is to be allowed for a Fâ—â—ld in seuerall and how to inclose it 16 Fennell good for sight 43 249 250 Fennell distilled 453 Fenugreeke 564 Fermentation 450 Ferne how it may be ridde out of a ground 10 〈◊〉 how they must be kept and fedde 80. and where they must be lodged 17 〈◊〉 in what ground they grow best 11. and their husbandrie 563 Fâ—therâ—ew groweth in vntilled and rough grounds 251 Fâ—ggeâ— laxatiue 295 To keepe Figges greene 294 Figges laden vpon Horses and Asses make them loose all their strength ibid. naturally written vpon 363 Figge-trees of their fruits 2â—4 and their plants 342. of their diuers kinds and what soyle they craue 377. when and how to graâ—t them ibid. to cause them that they lose not their fruit 363. maketh Bulls gentle 294 Filberds and Filberd trees 373 Filberds distilled 453 The Finch the most beautifull bird of â—ll others and how she must be fed and her diseases cuâ—ed 720 A Fire of coales to distâ—ll withall 450 To make a fire without smoake 429 Fishes die with the sound of the Gunne shot off at wild fowle 508 their â—eeding in standing waters mecres ditches 509. to draw first together into one place 515 Fish being sicke is refreshed with Parseley 181 Fishing and what manner of fishing is forbidden 507 The time of fishing 5â—5 Fishing in standing waters in what season 30 31 Flanders abounding with Islands 10 Fleaâ— vpon dogges and how to kill them 122 bitâ—â—g more than ordinarie a signe of raine 25 Flesh distilled 458 Flower gentle or purple veluet flower 237 The Flâ—â— called 〈◊〉 swallowed by an horse 147. to dâ—â—ue away flâ—es from horses 139 〈◊〉 20â— The mosse of Foâ—eâ—oot ibid. Fountaines and how to trie depth of their springs 8. and the manner of carrying of them whâ—ther one will ibid. Furnaces for distillation what manner of ones they must be 447. in what places we must set them 450 Not to shoot at wild sowle in a 〈◊〉 because it lâ—â—leth sith 508 Wild 〈◊〉 haunting â—ith-pooles 506 The â—owles of the yard and their pearches 17 Foxes of two sorts 699. the manner of taking them 701 Foxes where they make their earths 701. then 〈◊〉 and caâ—e◠〈◊〉 the way to take them without hâ—nting 702. their piâ—â—e sâ—â—nketh 〈◊〉 the profit câ—mming of their â—lesh ibid. Frenchmen quicke and hastie and yet but when there is need 49 Friâ—â—ers 585 Frogges croaking more than ordinaâ—ie a signâ— of raine 25 Frogges distilled 4â—7 Against â—rogges 315 Frâ—st and how to keepe it from hurting â—eedes that are sowne 567 Fâ—uits for keeping grow in hot countries 5. in what season they must be gathered 31. how to keepe them well a long time 407. to haue them exquisite 360. of what fashion you will 363. laxatâ—ue odoâ—â—â—erous and hauing the vertue of Tâ—â—acle 361 362 turned into haâ—dnesse of stones 9. precepts concerning the planting of them 399 Fruits without any blooming 364 Fruits distilled 469 Fruit-trees in what distance they are to bee planted 398 Of the 〈◊〉 of many fruits 360 Fumâ—toâ—â—e with his speciall obseruations 212 Fâ—rmentie what it is properly 552 Furz 285 G THe Gâ—ll of a Partridge to cleare the sight 85 The Gall of an Henâ—e 74 The Gall of an Oxe to what diseases it seâ—ueth 104 Garden Madder 307 Gardens of their scituation earth and inclosure 153 154 155. how to make the mould better 156. the contriuing of the flowers of the pot-herbe Garden 157. and the placing of the beddes when it must be sowne 15â— for flowers and sweet hearbes how they must be dressed 234 235. when weeded and watred 162. and their diuisions 17 Of the two particular Gardens at the end of the kitchin Garden and of the Garden of pleasure 307 Garlicke the vertues and husbanding of it 179. to take away the stench remaining after the eating thereof 179. good to keepe birds from huâ—ting of fruits 180 Garmâ—nâ—s for husbandmen 22 Corne Garners 547. on what side they must haue light 16 17 Garrett 17 〈…〉 Farmes 4 〈…〉 hot and soone angrie 23 〈…〉 in the wane of the Moone 31 〈…〉 and the manner thereof 608. the 〈…〉 thereto ibâ—dâ—m 〈…〉 and their office and dutie 608 〈…〉 vertues distilled 196 197 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 76 of great profit and losse and how they must be â—ed and handled and which be the â—â—ll 75. hauing eaâ—en Henbanâ— or Hemlocke â—hâ—y die â—7 their crying and flying â—ore than ordinarie a signe of â—aine 25. their disease 77. their remembrance 76 〈◊〉 ambes 112. Bulkins 90. Calâ—eâ— 63. Colts