riche and liuely dooth very well agree with this tree Chalkie ground is vtterly to be refused and watry and maryshe ground woorst of all The â—yke is a barrayne sand and a hungry sand but you may see it well in corne ground where eyther the Wylding or the â—asthelme hath growen but betwixt the Oke and it there â—â— great hatred for yf the Oke groweth neare it flyeth away and â—â—â—inâ—eth towardes the earth and though you cut downe the Oke yet the very rootes poysoneth and kylleth the poore Olyue The lyke some affyrme of the trees called Cerrus and Esculus for where they be pulled vp yf you set the Olyue he dyeth so dooth it as Plinie sayth yf it chaunce to be brused of the Goate On the other side betwixt the Olyue and the Uine there is great freendship and loue and it is sayde that yf you graffe the Olyue vpon the Uine it wyll beare a fruite that shal be halfe Grape and halfe Olyue called Vuolea in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Olyue grape There are sundry wayes of plantyng of Olyues some take the biggest branches from the trees and saweing of the youngest plantes of two â—ubites in length they set them orderly in the ground some set the whole tree togeather Some agayne cuttyng of the toppes and all the branches set the stocke about the rysing of the starre Arcturus Many make them Impe Gardens in good grounde and mellowe suche as is commonly the blacke mould herein they set the young branches the lowest and the fayrest two or three inches in thicknesse and very fertill whiche they geather noâ— from the body of the tree but from the newest and latest bowes These they cut into prety settes of a foote and a halfe in length takyng good heede that they hurt not the rynde and paring the endes very smoothe with a sharpe knife and markyng them with redde Oâ—re that they may knowe whiche way they stoode afore and so settyng the lowest part into the grounde and the hyghest towardes the Heauen they put them in the grounde and so they growe the faster and beare the better for yf you should set them with the lower end vpward they would eyther hardly growe and prooue vnfruitefull and therefore they haue a regard of the setting of them You must beside before you set them rubbe ouer both the toppe the foote with doung mingled with ashes and so set them deepe in the ground coueryng them foure fyngers thicke with rotten mould You may choose whether you wyll set them all vnder the grounde or sette some part within the grounde and suffer the rest to appeare aboue the grounde those that be set all within the ground neede not to be marked but suche as shall stand with one part aboue the ground Didymus would haue them so set as they may appeare foure fingers aboue the ground and then to make a little trench for the receauing of the water and this maner of planting with the bowes is of Didymus best liked Where you meane to plant you must purge the ground of all other plantes busshes and weedes and the trenches must so be made as with the winde the sunne and rayne it may be mellowed made crombling that the plantes may the sooner take roote If your businesse require haste you must a moneth or two before burne in the trenches eyther stickes or reede or suche thinges as wyll easily take fyre and this you must doo diuers dayes togeather Your trenches must be three cubites or there about in deapth fourtie cubites a sunder wherby the trees may haue ayre yenough the first yeere second the third the earth must be trimmed with ofteÌ„â—aking the first two yeres you must not meddle with proppingâ— the third yeere you must leaue vpon euery one a couple of branches and often rake your Impe Garden the fourth yeere you shall of the two branches cut away the weaker being thus ordered in the fyfth yeere they wyll be meete to be remooued the stocke that is as bigge as a mans arme is best to be remooued let it stand but a little aboue the grounde so shall it prosper the better Before you remoue it marke the part that stood South with a peece of Oker that you may set it in like maner againe You must fyrst digge the trenched grounde with Mattockes and after turne in stone plowed earth and sowe it with Barley yf there be any water standyng in them you must let it out and cast in a fewe small stones and so settyng your settes cast in a little doung After the tenth of Iune when the ground gapes with the heate of the Sunne you must take heede that the sunne pearce not through the cleftes to the roote From the entryng of the Sunne into Libra you must ridde the rootes of all superfluous springes and yf the tree growe vpon the edge of a hill you must with little gutters drawe away the muddy water The doung must be cast on at the fall of the leafe that being mingled in Winter with the mould it may keepe the rootes of the trees warme The mother of oyle must be powred vpon the great ones the mosse must be cut of with an iron instrument or els it wyll yeeld you no fruite Also after certayne yeeres you must cut and loppe your Olyue trees for it is an old prouerbe that who so ploweth his Olyue Garden craueth fruite who doungeth it moweth fruite who cutteth the trees forceth fruite In the Olyue tree you shall sometime haue one branche more gallant then his fellowes whiche yf you cut not away you discourage all the rest The Olyue is also graffed in the wyld Olyue specially betwixt the rynde and the wood and by emplastring others graffe it in the roote and when it hath taken they pull vp a parcell of the roote withall and remooue it as they doo other plantes Those Olyues that haue the thickest barkes are graffed in the barke The time of graffing them is from the entryng of the Sunne into Aries and with some from the .xxii. of May tyll the fyrst of Iune The tyme of geathering of Olyues is when the greater part of half the fruite waxeth blacke and in fayre weather the riper the Olyue is the fatter wyll be the oyle In geathering of Olyues there is more cunnyng in making oyle then in making wine the lesser Olyues serue for oyle the greater for meate There is sundry sortes of oyle made of an Olyue the fyrst of all is rawe and pleasantest in taste the fyrst streame that comes from the presse is best and so in order The best oyle is about Venafri in Italy and Licinia in Spaine The next in goodnesse is in Prouence except in the fruitfull partes of 〈◊〉 The Olyues that you may come by with your handes you must eyther vpon the ground or with ladders geather and not beate them downe for those that are beaten downe doo wyther and yeelâ—e not so much oyle as the other
and the Lupine is also single the others are all fall oâ— branches and selender slippes and all hollowe All Pulse for the most part are to be sowed in the Spring and reqâ—ire very râ—che groundâ— except the Lupine that câ—res not where he lyes they are all sowen in the encrease of the Moone except Pease yf they be watred beâ—ore their sowing they prosper the better they are speedily to be geathered when they be ripe for they suddaynely shatter they wyll endure longest being geâ—thered in the change of the Moone It is much to be regarded whether you wyl keepe or sell them for the seedes in the encrease of the Moone doo waxe greater theâ—e are that preserue them in earthâ—n vesseâ—es strâ—wyng asshes vnder them and sprinckling them with Uineger some vse asshes alone other soâ—e 〈…〉 sprinckle them with Bergewine vineger as I haue saide of the Linâ—yll Moreouer the Greekes haue wylled to mingle with tâ—e doung a little Saltpâ—ter when you sowe them wherâ—by they shall the better seethe and be the tenderer and yf they be not presently â—ender they wyll to cast into the pot a little Mustard seeâ—e whiche wyll make them straightway well Theophrastus addeth diuers thinges beside whiche were to long to tell RIGO Is â—t needefull or euery husbandman to sowe all these Graâ—ne and Pulâ—e in hâ—s ground CONO No but as I â—aide before in speaking of grounde and seede you must cheefely sowe suche as best agree with the nature of your grounde howe be it there are some of them that refuse no grounde There are certayne of them as Varro sayth that are not sowen for present necessitie but for other afterturnes And others agayne that are of necessitie to be sowen as Corne for man and Fodder for cattell of whiche must speciall care he had that there be no 〈◊〉 of them without which we can not â—iue as Rye Otes and Buck Lupines and certayne Pulse els for fodder refuse no grounde though it be neuer so barren Besides when as the husband must not onely haue a care of prouiding such as serue for the sustenaunce of man but also for suche as serue for the feeding of poore cattell without whiche the grounde can not be husbanded therefore must he sowe Pâ—lse for the vse of man and beast and fodder in more abundance for the sustenaunce of beaâ—tes Amongst all sortes of fodder that is counted for the cheefe and the best which the people of olde timeâ— and the Italians at this day call Medica some call it Treefoyle the Frenche men cal it Grand â—restâ— the Spaniardes â—lfalsâ— others call it Burgandie grasse because it was brought in by the Burgundians it is nowe also come into Germanie and there called Welsholken in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plinie wryteth that it was brought by the Romanes out of Media into Italy differing almost nothing from Tryfolly or Threeleaued grasse but that it is grâ—â—ter higher and rancker for in stalke leafe and flowre it is all one it groweth altogeather busshing in leaues In the toppe of the stâ—lke it putteth foorth short coddes writhen lyke hornes indented about and hauing as it were little prickles wherein is the seede shaped like a Moone and growyng to the codde in bignesse as the Lentyl which being chawed tasteth like Peâ—se euery codde hath his seede it requireth a fatte grounde withouâ— stones full of iuyce and riche in many places it commeth not vp in others it springeth very thicke Varro geueth charge that it be not sowed in too drye a grounde or tyckle but in good and well seasoned Plinie would haue the grounde be drye and very riche Columella biddeth that the feelde where this Medica shal be sowed should be broken vp about October and so to lye mellowyng al the Winter and then to stirre it in Februarie and the stones cast out to harrowe it well and after in Marche to order it garden wyse castyng it into beddes euery bedde ten foote broade and fyftie in length so that they may be easily wâ—tred and of euery side well weeded then laying on good olde doung let it lye tyll Apryl and at the ende of April sowe it in such proportion as euery handful of seede may occupie fyue foote in breadth and ten in length and couer the seede out of hand raking them with woodden Rakes for the Sunne wyl soone burne them After it is sowen that it come vp an inche in heyght you must beware you touche not the grounde with any iron instrument but eyther with your yngers or with Rakes of wood weede it well from all other noysome thinges otherwise it wyll growe wylde and turne to pasture Let the fyrst haruest be long deferred to the ende he may somewhat shed his seedes at other tymes you may mowe it as soone as you wâ—l and geue it to your cattell Suche as are skilfull in husbandry doo say that yf you mingle Otes with the seede of Medica and sowe them they wyll cause them to stocke very well it is sowed in April or later in May to scape the frostes and the seede is cast in lyke sort as Wheate is When it beginneth to branche al other weedes must be weeded away and being this ordred you may mowe it sixe tymes a yeere It flowreth sixe times or at the least fiue times so it be not cut When you haue mowed it water it well and as it springeth weede it agayne And thus as I sayde you may mowe it sixe times a yeere and it shall thus continue ten yeeres togeather it enricheth the ground all poore and feeble cattel are soone brought vp with it it likewyse healeth cattell that are diseased but when it fyrst springeth tyl cattell be acquainted with it you must geue them but little at once lest the strangenesse of the foode hurt them for it maketh them to swell and breedeth great abundance of blood Columella wryteth that one acre of it wyll well fynde three Horses a yeere In some Countreyes this hearbe dooth growe in great plentie in euery Meddowe eyther of the nature of the grounde or through the disposition of the heauens and sometime the relikes of that whiche â—ath been long agoe sowen dooth yeerely spring of the seede that falleth and ouergrowen with grasse weedes dooth change into meddowe I see no cause but that it may growe of it selfe but that perhaps suche plantes as are brought out of strange Countreys requyre sowyng and dressing it is best to be mowed when it beginneth to flowre for it must not be suffered to seede whereby the fodder shall be the better whiche being well layde vp wyll continue in goodnesse three yeeres to the great profite of the Grasier for as I haue sayde before there can be no better fodder deuised for cattell wherewith they wyll better feede and sooner ryse The next in goodnesse in this Medica is Cytisus woonderfully as Plinie wryteth commended of Aristomachus and as Vergil sayth a good fodder for Sheepe and beyng
Bees that agree not togeather for which you shall search where you see the Bees to cluster most Therefore annoynting your handes with the iuyce of Balme or Beewort that they may abide you thrust in your fingers softly amongst them shedding the Bees searche well till you haue found the ringleader of the dissention whom you must take away What the proporcion shape of the king is I haue told you a little before that is something longer then the other Bees and lesser wingged of a faire glistring colour smooth without sting Howbeit some of them be shagheard and ill coloured which are nought to be killed Let the best as he sayth were the Crowne who must him selfe also be depriued of his winges if he be to busie headded wil alwayes be carrying his people abroade So shal you with the losse of his sailes kepe him at home spitte of his teeth while he dare not for want of his winges venture out of the doores and so shall he kepe his people at home Dydimus wryteth that your Bees wil neuer goe away if you rubbe the mouth of your Hiue with the doung of a new calued Calfe To the same end serueth it yf you stampe the leaues of wilde Oliues garden Oliues togeather and annoint the Hiues in the euening therewithall or yf you wash the Hiues the walles with Hony sodden in water When an olde stocke is come to a small number that there be not Bees yenough to furnish the Hiue you must supply the want with a newe swarme destroying the king of the first swarme in the spring so shall both the swarmes dwell togeather in amitie with theyr old parentes as shall be shewed you hereafter where I meane to speake of repairing the stocke The sommer being past ensueth the time for taking of Hony to which haruest the trauaile of the whole tendeth The time for gathering thereof Columella teacheth to be then when we perceaue the Drones to be driuen out and banished by the Bees for thence they Dryue the drousie Drone away This Drone is an vntimely birth and an vnperfet Bee but very like vnto the Bee saue that he is bigger bodyed lying alwayes idle in the Hiue not labouring him selfe but feeding like a lubber of the sweat of his fellowes yet serueth he for the breeding and bringing vp of the young which when he hath doone they thrust him out of the Hiue Varro apointeth three seasons for taking out the Hony the first at the rising of the seuen starresâ— the second in sommer the third at the setting of the seuen starres this signe is when the Hiues be heauy that they be double furnished You may make your coniecture by the Bees when they make great noise within when you see them stand daunsing and playing at theyr doores as also yf looking into the Hiue you perceiue the mouthes of the Coaâ—â—es to be couered with a Hony filme Dydimus thinketh it to be the best time for the first haruest the rising of the seuen starres or the beginning of May the second the beginning of Autum the third the setting of the seuen starres which is about October Howbeit these times be not alwayes precisely to be obserued but according to the forwardnesse of the season for yf so be you take the Hony before theyr Coames be ready they take it ill presently leaue woorking The time for gelding or driuing your Bees is early in the morning for you must not at noone trouble your Hiues For this kinde of gelding of your Hiues you must haue two instrumentes for the nonâ—e a foote a halfe long and more the one of them must be a long knife of a good breadth hauing at the ende a bending crooke to scrape withall the other must be plaine and very sharpe that with the one you may cutte the Coames with the other scrape them and drawe out what so euer dregges or filth you â—inde in them And yf your Hiues be not open behind you shall make a smoake with Galbanum or dry doung being put into an earthen panne made for the purpose small at the one end from whence the smoake shall come broade at the other from which you shall blowe vp the smoke from the fire in suche sort as Columâ—lla sheweth you This pot you must suffer at the first to smoke into the Hiue and afterward round about without and so shall you driue them He that medleth in this case with the Bees must speciallâ— keepe him selfe from lechery and drunkennesse and washe him selfe cleane for they loue to haue suche as come about them to be as pure and cleane as may be They delight in cleanlinesse so muche as they them selues doo remoue from them all filthinesse suffering no filth to remayne amongst their labours raking vp in heape togeather the excrement of their owne bodyes whiche in rayny dayes when they worke not abrode they remoue and throwe out of the Hiue If you set Garlicke by them they wyl sting al that come neare them Their anger is cheefely asswaged by the presence of those that vse to tend them at whose comming they waxe wylder being well acquainted with those that are their keepers If there be two swarmes in one Hiue and agreed togeather they haue two sortes maner of Coames euery swarme obseruing his owne order but all the Coames so hang by the roffes of the Hyues and sides as they touche not the ground where the Bees vse cheefely to walke as I sayde before in theyr buylding of theyr Coames The fashion of theyr Coames is alwayes according to the fashion of theyr Hyues sometimes square sometime round sometime long as the Hyues are in which they are fashioned as in a moulde Plinie wryteth that there were Hony Coames found in Germany of eyght foote in length but howsoeuer they be you must not take them all out but must vse discretion in taking of them Amongst our people in the first be haruest yf I may so terme it they vse with theyr crooked knife to pare away no more but the empty celles tyll they come to those that be full taking good heede that they hurt them not and this they doo in the spring In the latter haruest that is at the end of Sommer they take the Coames full of Hony in such sort as I tolde you burning the old Bees and alway keeping and preseruing the young swarmes In the first taking when the Meddowes are full of flowres they leaue the fift part of the Coames behind in the latter haruest when winter approcheth they leaue a thyrd of the Coames for the sustenance of the Bee. But this quantitie can not certaynely be prescribed for all countreys but must be measured according to the abundance or want of flowres Dionysius Thaseus thinketh good to leaue them a tenth of theyr Coames in the Sommer time yf the Hyues be very full otherwyse according to the
because the Nurse sometimes ought to be kineder and tenderer then the Mother a meete ground must be chosen for the purpose that is a ground drye fatte and well laboured with the Mattocke wherein the stranger may be well cherished and very lyke vnto the soyle into whiche you meane to remoue them The kernels or stones must not be altogether naked but a little couered with some part of the fruite so shall they afterwarde endure the longer They must be sette a foote or there aboutes a sunder after two yeeres they must be remoued And because theyr rootes doo runne very deepe into the ground they must be somewhat bent or turned in to the end they may spreade abroade and not runne downeward Aboue all thynges you must see it be free from stones and rubbishe well fenced against Poultry and not full of chinckes or cleftes that the sunne burne not the tender rootes they must be sette a foote a halfe a sunder that they hurt not one y other with their neare growing Among other euils they wyl be ful of wormes and therefore must be well raked and weeded beside growyng ranke they must be trymmed and proyned Cato woulde haue them couered ouer with Lattuses vppon forkes to let in the sunne and to keepe out the colde Thus are the kernelles of Peares Pineapples Nuttes Cypresse and such others cherished They must be gently watred for the fyrst three dayes at the going downe of the sunne that they equally receyuyng the water may open the sooner Zizipha or Turky Plomes Nuts Wallnuttes and Chestnuttes Bayes Cheryes Pistaces Apples Dates Peares Maples Fyrres Plomes and diuers others are sette of the stone or kernels In remouyng of them haue speciall regarde that they be sette in the lyke soyle or in better not from hotte and forwarde groundes into colde and backward nor contrary from these to the other You must make your furrowes so long before yf you can that they be ouergrowen with good mould Mago would haue them made a yere before that they may be well seasoned with the Sunne and the weather or yf you can not so you must kindle fyres in the middest of them two monethes afore and not to set them but after a shewre The deapth of their setting must be in stiffe claye or hard ground three cubites and for Plome trees a handfull more The furrowe must be made Furnase like strayght aboue and broade in the bottome and in blacke moulde two cubites and a hand broade being square cornered neuer deeper then two foote and a halfe nor broader then two foote broade and neuer of lesse deapth then a foote and a halfe whiche in a wette ground wyl drawe neare the water Suche as delight in the deapth of the ground are to be set the deeper as the Ashe and the Olyue these such like must be set foure foote deepe the others it suffiseth yf they stand three foote deepe Some vse to set vnder their rootes rounde little stones both to conteyne and conuey away the water others lay grauell vnderneath them The greater trees are to be set towarde the North and the West the smaller toward the South and the East Some wyl haue no tree remoued vnder two yeere olde or aboue three and others when they be of a yeeres growth Cato resisteth Virgils aucthoritie that it is to great purpose to marke the standing of the tree as it grew at the fyrst and to place it towardes the lame quarters of the heauen agayne Others obserue the contrary in the Uine and the Figge tree being of opinion that the leaues shall thereby be the thicker and better defend the fruite and not so soone fall beside the Figge tree wyll be the better to be climbed vpon Moreouer you must beware that by long tarying the rootes be not wythered nor the winde in the North when ye remoue them whereby many times they dye the husband not knowyng the cause Cato condemneth vtterly all maner of windes and stormes in the remouing of trees and therefore it is to great good purpose to take them vp with the earth about them and to couer the rootes with a 〈◊〉 and for this cause Cato woulde haue them to be carryed in basaet◠fylled with earth vp to the toppe the tree must so be sette as it may stande in the middest of the trenche and so great heede must be taken of the rootes that they may not be broken nor mangled THRA Let vs nowe goe forward with euery tree in his order MARIVS Among all trees and plantes the Uine by good ryght chalengeth the soueraignetie seeing there is no plant vsed in husbandry more fruitefull and more commodious then it not alonely for the beautifulnesse and goodlynesse of the fruite but also for the easinesse he hath in growyng whereby he refuseth not almost any kinde of Countrey in the whole worlde except suche as are too extremely skorched with the burnyng heate of the Sunne or els to extremely frozen with the vehement colde prosperyng also aswell in the playne and champion countrey as it dooth vppon the hilly and mountayne Countrey lykewyse as well in the stiffe and fast grounde as in the soft and meilowe ground and oftentymes in the loamie and leane grounde as in the fatte and foggie and in the drye as in the moyst and myrie yea and in many places in the very rockes it groweth most aboundantly and most fruitefully as is to be seene and prooued at this day about the ryuer of Rhyne in Germany and the ryuer of Mosel in Fraunce and aboue all this it best abideth and beareth the contrary disposition of the heauens THRA No doubt it is the most excellent plant but whom doo you suppose to be the fyrst aucthour of the plantyng of it the common sort doo attribute the fyrst inuention of it to Bachus MARIVS We that are taught by Gods holy woord doo knowe that it was fyrst founde out by the Patryarke Noe immediatly after the drownyng of the worlde it may be the Uine was before that tyme though the plantyng and the vse thereof was not then knowen The Heathen both most falsely and very fondly as in many other thinges doo geue the inuention of the same vnto the god Bachus But Noah liued many yeeres before either Bacchus Saturnus or Vranius were borne THRA It is most likely so but I woulde faine knowe whether the planting of Uines doth more enriche the husband then other husbandries doo MARIVS About this question there is no little adoo among the wryters of olde where there are some that preferre grasing tyllyng and woodsales farre aboue the Uines and yet agayne there wantes not great and learned men that affyrme the Uine to be most gainefull as declareth that olde fruitefulnesse of the Uines mentioned by Cato Varro and Columella which vpon euery acre yeelded .700 gallondes of Wine and the Uineyardes of Seneca wherein he had yeerely vppon one acre .1000 gallondes when as in Corne ground Pasture or Woodland
in October or Nouember that the fyrst Ianuarie or Februarie when it hath taken roote it may be graffed vpon Martial would haue you graffe it in the stocke but in deede it prospereth better being graffed betwixt the barke and the wood It delighteth to be set in deepe trenches to haue roome yenough and to be often digged about It loueth to haue the wythered bowe continually cut away it groweth best in cold places and so hateth doung as yf it be layd about them they growe to be wyld it is also planted of the slippes and wyll beare his fruite without stone yf in the setting of the set you turne the vpper end downeward Others wyll that the tree being young and two foote hye be slitte downe to the roote and the pith taken out of both sides and ioyned togeather the seames close bound about couered with doung which within a yeere after when it is wel growen the young graffes which hitherto haue borne no fruite yf you graffe them wil beare Cherys without stones as Martial sayth There are sundry kinds of Cherys as Plinie reporteth or Apronianus that are redder then the rest Actianus as blacke as a cole whiche kinde in Germany yet at this day they call Acklische kirsen Celicians that are rounde Plinie in speaking of the sundry sortes preferreth the Duracins which in Campania they were woonted to call Plinians and a little after he sayth vpon the bankes of the Rhine there grow alsâ— Kersis of colour betwixt blacke redde and greene like the Iumper beries when they be almost ripe in whiche the common sort of bookes haue Tertius for Kirsis amongst the Germanes for Plinie whereas in many places he vsurpeth the Dutch woordes as in the .9.10.17 and .18 booke and in diuers other places which being not vnderstanded of the Latine came altogeather corrupted to the posteritie There are also Bay Cherys graffed at the fyrst in the Bay that haue a pretie pleasant bitternesse at this day the small Cherys are best esteemed growing vpon a lowe bushe with short stalkes round fruite and very red much meate soft and full of licour It is sayd they wyll beare very timely yf you lay Lime about them it is good to geather them often that theâ— which you leaue may waxe the greater for setting and plantyng of Cherys you may reade a great sort of rules in the geatheringes of Constantine There are also found a kinde of Cherys growyng wylde in the Woods and Heâ—gerowes with little beries some redde some altogeather blacke whiche the Farmers in the Countrey doo vse for to fatte theyr Hogges withall The Plome tree in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fruite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Prunus and Pruna in Italian Prune and Succiue in Spanish Ciruelâ— and Ciruela in French Prune in Dutch Proumen it is planted from the middle of Winter till the Ides of Februarie but yf you set the stones at the fall of the leafe let it be done in Nouember in a good and mellowe ground two handfuls deepe they may be likewyse set in Februarie but then they must be steeped in lye three dayes that they may sooner spring they are also planted of the young sets that growe from the body of the tree eyther in Ianuarie or in the beginnyng of Februarie the rootes being wel couered with doung they prosper best in a riche and a moyst ground and in a colde countrey they are graffed towarde the ende of March and better in the clouen stocke then in the barke or els in Ianuarie before the Gumme begin to droppe out it is graffed vpon his owne stocke the Peache and the Almond There are sundry sortes of Plomes wherof the Damson is the principal ioying in a dry grounde and in a hotte countrey and is graffed as the other Plomes are There are diuers coloured Plomes white blacke purple and redde wheate Plomes and horse Plomes wherewith they vse to fatte Hogges The fynger Plomes are most commended being of the length of a mans fynger which are brought vnto vs from Bohemia and Hungary and Iulians and Noberdians being blewe in colour but later The Damsons are dryed in the sunne vpon Lattyses Leades or in an Ouen some doo dippe them before eyther in sea water or in brine and after dry them The Peache tree called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Persica in Italian Perseo in Spanish Durasuo they are also called Rhodocina and Dorocina or Duracina whereof there are foure kindes but the cheefest are the Duracins and the Abrecocts in Nouember in hotte countreys and in others in Ianuarie the stones are to be set two foote a sunder in wel dressed ground that when the young trees are sprong vp they may be remoued but in the setting you must set the sharpe ende downeward and let them stand two or three fyngers in the ground wheresoeuer they grow they reioyce most in watry groundes which ground yf you want looke that you water them abundantly so shall you haue great store of fruite Some woulde haue them set in hotte countreys and sandy ground wherby they say their fruite wyl longer endure the better wyl also the fruite br yf as soone as you haue eaten them you set the stone with some part of the fruite cleauing to it it is graffed eyther on him selfe the Almond or the Plome tree The Apples of Armenia or Abricoct dooth farre excell the Peache vsed as a great dayntie among noble men and much desyred of the sicke they are best graffed in the Plome as the Peache in the Almond tree the fayrest graffes that grow next the body of the tree are to be chosen and graffed in Ianuarie or Februarie in colde countreys in Nouember in hotte for yf you take those that growe in the toppe they wyll eyther not growe or yf they growe not long endure You shall inoculate or imbudde them in May or April the stocke being cut aloft and many young buddes set in neither must you suffer them to stand very far one from the other that they may the better defend them selues from the heate of the sunne The Frenchmen and our Gardners also after the Italians order doo graffe the Abricoct taking a graft not full a fynger long or the budde that is well showte out with a little of the rynde cut of and slitting the rynde of a young Plome tree crosse wyse they set them in binding them well about with Hempe or Towe and that in the end of Iune or in Iuly and August Some thinke they wyl be redde yf they be eyther graffed in the Plane tree or haue Roses set vnderneath them they wyll also be figured or written in yf seuen dayes after that you haue set the stoâ—e when it beginneth to open you take out the kernell and with Uermillion or any other colour you may counterfaite what you wyll after the stone closed vp about it and couered with clay or
tree his shadowe is also mild norishing whatsoeuer it couereth The Plane tree though it be thicke and grose is pleasant The Poplar hath none by the reason of y wauering of his leafes The Alder tree hath a thicke shadowe but nourishing to his neyghbours The Uines is sufficient for him selfe and the mouing of his leafe and often shaking tempereth y heate of the sunne and in great rayne wel couereth it â—elfe The shadowe of all those is commonly milde and gentle that haue long stalkes the dropping of al trees is naught but worst of al those whose branches growe so as the water can not redyly passe through for the droppes of the Pine the Oke and the Mastholme are most hurtfull in whole company you may also take the Walnutte the Cypresse as 〈◊〉 saith hurteth not Moreouer proyning and cutting is very good and necessary for trees whereby the dead and whytered â—owes are cut away and the vnprofitable branches taken of but to proyne them euery yeere is nought though y Uâ—ne reqâ—yreth cutting euery yeere and euery other yeere the 〈…〉 the Pâ—â—egranate and the Olyue whereby they wyll the sooner beare fruite the others must be the seldomeâ— proyned Olyue trees must be proyned in the fall of the leafe after the setting of the seuen starres and first they must be well dounged is a helpe against their hurtes You must cut away all the olde rotten branches that growe in the middest and such as growe thicke and are tangled together and all the waterbawes and vnprofitable branches about them the olde ones are to be cut close to the stocke from whence the newe sâ—ringes wyll aryse Sâ—arifiyng also or 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 hossesome for the trees when they are screyned with their leaues and drynesse of theyr barkes at whiche time we vse to â—aunce the barke with a sharpe knife cutting it strayght downe in many places which what good it dooth appeareth by the opening and gaping of the rynde which is stayghtwayes filled vp with the body vnderneath You must also trimme and dresse the rootes of your trees after this sort You must open the ground round about them that they may be comforted with the warmth of the Sunne and the Rayne cutting away all the rootes that runne vpward The trees that you remooue must be marked which way they stoode at the fyrst for so teacheth Virgil. And in the barke they set a signe To knowe which way the tree did growe Which part did to the South enclyne And where the Northerne blactes did blowe Also you must consider well the nature of the soyle that you remooue out of a dry ground into a moyst and from a barraine hill to a moyst playne and rather fatte then otherwyse The young plantes being thus remoued must in the second or third yeere be proyned leauing still about three or foure branches vntouched so shal they the better growe this must you vsually doo euery other yeere The old tree we remoue with the toppes cut of and the rootes vnperished whiche must be helped with often dounging and watering Apple trees that blossome and beare no fruite or yf it beare they sodenly fall away you shall remedy by slitting of the roote and thrusting in of a stone or a woodden wedge Also yf you water your trees with vrine that is old it greatly auayleth as they say both to the fruitfulnesse and pleasantnesse of the fruite Yf the tree decaye by reason of the great heate of the sunne you must rayse the earth about it and water the rootes euery night setting vp some defence agaynst the sunne To cause theyr fruite to be quickly ripe you must wette the little rootes with vineger and vrine that is old couering them againe with earth and oft digging about them The vrine of men yf it be kept three or foure monethes dooth wonderful much good to plantes which yf you vse about Uines or Apple trees it dooth not onely bring you great encrease but also geueth an excelent taste sauour both to the fruite and the wine you may also vse the mother of oyle such as is without salt to the same purpose which both must spedely be vsed in winter THRA We see that frostes and mystes doo often times great harme to trees haue you any remedy agaynst it MARIVS Agaynst frostes and mystes you must lay vp round about your Orchard little Fagottes made of stalkes rotten bowes or strawe whiche when the frostes or mystes aryse may be kindled the smoke whereof auoydeth the danger You must haue also dry doung amongst your Uines whiche when the frost is great you may set a fyre the smoke whereof dispearseth the frost THRA What yf the trees be sicke and prosper not MARIVS When they haue any such sicknesse they vse to powre vppon the rootes the lees of wine mingled with water and to sowe Lupines round about them The water also wherein Lupines haue been sodde powred rounde about is very good as Plinie saith for Apple trees THRA Trees are often times also hurt with woormes MARIVS Yf your trees be troubled with woormes there are diuers remedies for the iuyce of Woorme wood destroyeth the Caterpillers The seedes or grayne that are steeped in the iuyce of Sengreene or Houseleeke are also safe from any woormes also asthes mingled with the mother of oyle or the state of an Oxe medled with a third part of vineger Moreouer they say that the trees that are smoked with Brimstone or Lyme are safe from hurtful vâ—rmine Galbanum likewyse burnt vpon the coles driues them away The blades also of Garlicke the heades being of so burnt as the smoke may passe through the Orchard dooth destroy the Caterpillers some mingle Soote with the seedes and sprinckle them with water Democritus wryteth that a woman in her vncleannesse vngyrt and her heare hanging about her shoulders yf she goe bare foote round about the place the Caterpillers wyll presently fall but perhappes I trouble you with this tedious or long discourse of hearbâ—s plantes and trees and therefore though there be much more to be spoken of lest I should seeme to ouer weery you I wyll make an end THRA A trouble no you haue done me a singuler great pleasure in declaring vnto me the right ordring of a Garden and an Orchard which not throughly entreated of by others you haue breefely and perfectly to our great commoditie described And whereas you haue largely spoken of our trees at home it remaineth for you to say something of the disposing of Wooddes It was my chaunce to passe yesterday by a great Wood of Okes and Coppisse planted in very good order and hard by a Wyllowe grewe vpon the side of a Riuer excellently wel ordred where the Feeldes were enclosed round about with great Elmes whiche greatly beautifyeth your dwellyng and yeelde I warrant no small profyte I therefore greatly desyre to heare some thing of this part of husbandry MARIVS Though it be without my couenant and
Mast bearing Oke there is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— in Latine Quercus siluestrum in Frenche Chesne a kinde whereof some thinke the Cerre tree to be called in Latine Cerrus growing in wilde and barrayne places Tâ—ere are some that doo number the Chestnutte tree amongst the Mast bearers but of this I haue spoken before The best Mast is the Oke Mast the next the Beech and the Chestnutte then the wylde Oke c. all very good and meete for the fatting of cattell specially Hogges The Oke Mast or Acorne maketh thicke Bacon sounde fleshe and long lasting yf it be well salted and dried on the other side Chestnuttes and Beeche Mast make sweete and delicate fleshe light of digestion but not so long lasting The next is the Cerre tree that maketh very sounde and good flesh the Mastholme maketh pleasant Bacon fayre and weyghty Plinie saith that it was ordayned by the lawe of the twelue tables that it should be lawfull for any man to geather his owne Mast falling vpon the ground of his neighbour which the Edict of the cheefe Iustice dooeth thus interprete that it shall be lawfull for him to doo three dayes togeather with this prouiso that he shall only geather the Acornes and doo no harme to his neighbour as Vlpianus witnesseth Glans Mast as Caius saith is taken for the fruite of all trees as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth with the Greekes though properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be those fruites that are shelde as Nuttes and suche other Upon these Mast bearers there groweth also the Gall in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in French Noixâ— de Galle in Italian and Dutch as in Latine in Spanish Agalla a little ball rugged and vneuen without whereof some be massie some hollow some blacke some white some bigge some lesser It groweth as Plinie saith the sunne rising in Gemini comming all out suddenly in one night in one day it waxeth white and yf the heate of the Sunne then take it it wythereth the blacke continueth the longer and groweth sometime to the bignesse of an Apple these serueth best to curry withall and the other to finishe the leather the woorst is of the Oke and thus of such trees as beare Mast. Nowe wyll I ioyne with all the principalest of the other trees to make vp your Wooddes amongst whiche are the Elme and the Wyllowe the Elme in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Vlmus in Italian Spanish Olmo in French Orme in Dutch Vlmbaum and Yffenholiz the planting whereof because it is to great vse and easily growes we may not let passe fyrst because it groweth well with the Uine and ministreth good foode to cattell secondly as it is al hart it maketh good tymber Theophrastus and Plinie doo both affyrme the Elme to be barrayne peraduenture because the seede at the fyrst comming of the leafe seemeth to lye hyd among the leaues and therefore it is thought to be some of the leafe as Columella affyrmeth He that wyll plant a Groue of Elmes must geather the seede called Samara about the beginnyng of March when it beginneth to waxe yellowe and after that it hath dryed in the shadowe two dayes sowe it very thicke and cast fine sifted mould vpon it and yf there come not good store of rayne water it well after a yeere you may remoue it to your Elme Groue setting them certayne foote a sunder And to the end that they roote not too deepe but may be taken vp agayne there must be betwixt them certaine little trenches a foote and a halfe distance and on the roote you must knit a knotte or yf they be very long twyst them like a garland and being well noynted with Bollockes doung set them and treade in the earth rounde about them The female Elmes are better to be planted in Autum because they haue no seede at this day in many places cutting of settes from the fayrest Elmes they set them in trenches from whence when they are a little growen they geather like settes and by this dealing make a great gaine of them in the like sort are planted Groues of Ashes The Ashe in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Fraxino in Spanish Fresno in French Fraisne in Dutch Eschen the Ashe delighteth in riche and moyst grounde and in playne countryes though it growe well yenough also in dry groundes he spreadeth out his rootes very farre and therefore is not to be set about corne ground it may be felled euery third or fourth yeere for to make stayes for Uines The Ashe groweth very fast and such as are forwardes are set in February with such young plantes as come of them in good handsome order standing a rowe others set such Ashes as they meane shall make supporters for garden Uines in trenches of a yeere olde about the Calendes of March and before the thirty sixth moneth they touch them not with any knife for the preseruing of the branches after euery other yeere it is proyned and in the sixth yeere ioyned with the Uine if you vse to cutte away the branches they will growe to a very goodly heygth with a rounde body smothe playne and strong Plinie writeth of experience that the Serpent doth so abhorre the Ashe that if you enclose fyre him with the branches he wil rather run into the fire then goe through the bowes Byrch called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Betula as Theoprastus writeth in his fourth booke is a tree very meete for Woods it prospereth in colde countryes frosty snowie and grauely and in any barraine ground wherfore they vse in barraine grouÌ„des that serue for no other purpose to plant Byrches it is called in Italian Bedolla in Dutche Byrken in Frenche Beula Pine Woods Fyr Woods Pytch tree and Larsh are common in Italy about Trent The Pine tree in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Pinus in Italian Spanish Pino in Dutch Hartzbaum is planted of his kernells from October to Ianuary in hotte and dry countryes and in colde and wette places in February or March the kernelles must be geathered in Iune before the clogges doo open and where you lyst to sowe them eyther vpon hilles or else where you must first plowe the grounde and cast in your seede as ye doo in sowyng of corne and couer them gently with a light Harrow or a Rake not couering them aboue a hand broade you shall doo well if you lay the kernells in water three dayes before The kernells of the Pine are called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Spanish Pinones The Fyrre tree in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Abies in Italian Abete in Spanish Abeto in Dutch Deamen loueth not to haue any great adoo made about it if you be too curious in planting of it it wyl growe as they say the worse it growes of his owne kernel in wilde mountaines playnes or any
and the wylde Oke but the Fyners rather desyre the coles that are made of the Pine tree because they better abide the blowing and dye not so fast as the other The Cerre tree though the tymber be of no great vse yet serueth it wel to make cole of for the Brasse Forges because as soone as the bellowes leaue the fyre ceasseth and there is little waste in it but for building the tymber thereof is altogeather vnprofitable because it dooth easely breake and moulder away but being in â—ostes vnhewed it serueth well yenough within doore The aptest to take fyre is the figge tree and the Olyue tree the Figge tree because it is soft and open the Olyue tree for the fastnesse and the satnesse The Earth tree as Vitruuius sayth resisteth the fyre though Mathiolus as I sayde before goeth about to disprooue it In all the bodyes of trees as of liuely creatures there is skinne senowes blood fleshe vaynes bones and marowe theyr skinne is their barke of great vse among countrey people the vesselles that they geather their Uines and other fruites in they make of the barke of Lynd tree Fyrre Wyllowe Beech and Alder. The Corke hath the thickest barke which though he loose he dyeth not for so be benefâ—ciall hath nature been to him â— that becâ—use he is commonly spoyled of his barke she hath geuen him two barkes Of his barke are made Pantoffels and â—â—yppers and Floates for fyshing nettes and Angles yf the barke be pulled of the wood sinkes but the barke alwayes swimmeth The next to the rynde in most trees is the fatte the softest and the woorst part of the tree and most subiect to woormes therefore it is commonly â—ut away The sappe of the tree is his blood which is not alike in all trees for in the Figge tree it is milkie whiche serueth as a rennet for Cheese In Chery trees it is gummy in Elmes saltishe in Apple trees clommy and fatte in Uines and Peare trees watrishe they commonly spring the best whose sappe is clammiest The iuyce of the Mulbery is sought for as Plinie sayth of the Phisitions Next to the fatte is the fleshe and next to that the bone the best part of the tymber all trees haue not any great quantitie of this fatte and fleshe for the Box the Cornel and the Olyue haue neyther fatte nor fleshe nor marowe and very little blood as neyther the Seruisse nor Alder haue anâ— bone but both of them full of marow Reedes for the most part haue no fleshe at al in fleshe of trees there are both vaines and arteryes the vaines are broader and fayrer the arteryes are onely in such trees as wyl cleaue by meanes of which arteryes it commeth to passe that the one end of a long beame laide to your eare yf you doo but fillippe with your finger vppon the other end the sound is brought foorthwith to your eare whereby it is knowen whether the peece be straight and euen or not In some trees there are knoties on the outside as the wenne or the kernell in the fleshe of man in the whiche there is neyther veyne nor artery a hard knoppe of fleshe being clong and rolled vp in it selfe these are most of price in the Cedar and the Maple In some the fleshe is quite without veynes hauing only certayne small stringes and such are thought to cleaue best others that haue not their stringes or arteryes wyll rather breake then cleaue as the Uine and the Olyue wyll rather breake then cleaue The whole body of the Figge is fleshy as the body of the Mastholme the Cornel the wylde Oke the Mulbery and suche others as haue no pith is all bony The grayne that runneth ouerthwart in the Beech was taken as Plinie sayth in the olde time for his arteryes THRA There are other commodities beside the tymber to be geathered of these trees MARIVS Uery true for as I sayde before of the Medlar the Oke the Chestnut the Pine and the Beech these trees that growe in the Wooddes beside their tymber beare fruite also good and meete to be eaten So of the Fyrres the Pitch trees and the Pines we geather Rozen and Pitch to our greate commoditie and gayne as of the Oke the Beech the Chestnut the Medlar and the Pine we haue fruite both meete for man and also good for feeding of Hogges and other cattell In time of dearth both our forefathers and we haue tryed the good seruice that Akornes in bread hath doone yea as Plinie and others haue written they were woont to be serued in amongst fruite at mens tables Neyther is it vnknowen what great gaynes some countreys geat by Akornes Rozen and Pitch the Gaile also groweth vpon these Akorne bearing trees whereof I haue spoken before Amongest all the trees out of which runneth Rozen the Tarre tree a kinde of Pine is fullest of sappe softer then the Pitch both meete for fyre and light whose boordes we vse to burne in steede of candelles The Cedar sweateth out Rozen Pitch caled Cedria Moreouer of trees is Brydlime made the best of the Cerre tree the Mastholme and the Chestnut specially in the Wooddes about Sene and neare the sea side where they are carefully planted in great plentie by the Byrdlyme makers for they geather the berryes from the trees and boyle them tyl they breake and after they haue stamped them they washe them in water tyl al the flesh fall away Plinie affirmeth that it groweth only vpon Okes Mastholmes Skaddes Pine trees and Fyrre Byrdelyme is also made of the rootes of certaine trees specially of the Holly whose rootes and barkes withall they geather and lay them vp in trenches couered with leaues in a very moyst grounde some doo it in doung and there they let them lye tyll they rot then take they them out and heate them tyl they waxe clammy and after washe them in warme water and make them vp in balles with their handes it is vsed beside other purposes for the taking of byrdes Besides all this there sweateth out of trees a certayne Gumme knowen to all men as of the Chery tree the Plome tree the Iuniper the Olyue the Blackthorne the Iuie and Almond Out of the Iuniper commeth Uernish out of the Myrrhe Scorax out of the white Poplar Amber Plinie wryteth that Amber commeth out of certayne Pine trees in the fatte as Gumme dooth from the Chery tree And thus these thinges that I haue here at your request declared touching the order of plantyng and sowing I beseeche you take in good woorth you heare my wyfe calleth vs to supper and you see the shaddowe is tenne foote long therefore it is hye tyme we goe THRA I geue you most harry thankes that you haue thus freendly enterteyned me in this your fayre Orchard with the sweete desâ—ription of these pleasant hearbes and trees IVLIA Syr your supper is redy I pray you make an ende of your talke and let the Gentleman
a sharpe poynted knife slytte the skinne a quarter of an inche long aboue the hole and as much beneathe and put thy one hande in the hollowe of the foote vnder the hinder Clee and set thy thumbe aboue almost at the slytte and thrust thy finger vnderneath forwarde and with your other hande take the blacke heares by the ende or with thy kniues poynt and pulling the heares a little a little thrust after thy other hand with thy finger and thy thumbe and there wyll come out a woorme like a peece of fleshe neare as bigge as a little finger when it is out put a little Tarre in the hole and it wyll shortly mende If they happen by the extreame heate of the sunne to fall downe and to forsake their meate geue them the iuyce of the wylde Beete and cause them beside to eate the Beetes If they hardly drawe their brethe slytte their eares and let them bleede If they be troubled with the cough Almondes beaten with wine and powred a prettie quantitie into their nostrylles remedieth them A Sheepe or Swyne that hath the murreyne of the Loonges you shall helpe by thrusting through their eare the roote of Setterworâ— this sicknesse dooth commonly spring of want and skarsetie of water and therefore in Sommer time specially you must suffer no kinde of cattell to want water Their legges yf they happen to be broken are to be cured in like sort as mens be being wrapped fyrst in wooll dipped in Oyle and Wine and afterward splented The young Lambes other Sheepe also whyle they goe a broade are troubled with skabbes and manginesse about their lippes which they geat by feeding vpon deawy grasse the remmedie is Hysope and Salt of eache a like quantitie beaten togeather and their mouthes their pallattes and their lippes rubbed withall the vlcerous places must be noynted with Uineger Tarre and Swynes grease Yf they chaunce to swell with eating of any woorme or venemous grasse you shall let them blood in the vaines about the lippes and vnder the tayle and after power into them chamberly If they happen to swallowe a Horsleache power into them strong and tarte Uineger warme or Oyle Agaynst the murrion or the rotte I haue seene geuen them certaine spoonefulles of Brine and after a little Tarre this medecine was vsed by Maister Ihon Franklin of Chart in Rent who was in his life time a skilfull husband and a good housekeeperâ— In like sorte haue I seene this medecine Take for euery fore one peniworth of Treacle and likewyse one little handfull of Hempseede ground Iuie Elder leaues and Fetherfewe as much as a Tenisballe of Lome and asmuch Bay salte put thereto Chamberly and alittle Soote make it all luke warme and geue to euery one three spoonefulles good and after euery one a little Tarre before they goe out of hand In some places they vse to take the dryed flowers of Woormewood mingling them with Salteâ—they geue them to their Sheepe as a general medecine against all diseases This medecine is commended by Hierominus Tragus both for aswaging of any paine and driuing away any hurtfull diseases from cattell EVPHOR Good HEDIO forgeat not to speake something of your Goates HEDIO Goates haue many thinges common with Sheepe for they goe to Buck at one time goe as long with young as the Sheepe doo they yeelde commoditie with their fleshe theyr milke theyr cheese their skinnes and their heare the heare is profitable to make ropes of and packes and diuers like instrumentes belonging to sea men by reason that it neyther rottes with moysture nor is easely burnt with fyre Varro maketh mention of two sortes of them a heary sort and a smoothe Suche as haue Wennes or Wartes vnder theyr Chynnes are taken to be most fruitefull theyr Udders would be great theyr mylke thicke the quantitie much The hee Goate would be softer heared and longer his Necke short his Throte Boll deeper his Legges flesshy his Eares great and hanging it is thought better to bye the whole flocke togeather then to bye them seuerally At the Chinne of euery one of them hangeth a long beard which Plinie calleth AruncuÌ„ by which yf any man drawe one of them out of the flocke the whole flocke as amased stand gazing vppon him The hee Goate because of his beard and as Alianus sayth by a certayne instinct of nature preferring the male before the female goeth alwayes before his woman The bargayning for this cattell is not after the maner of bargayning for Sheepe for no wyse man wil promise that they be free from sicknesse being as they be neuer without the Agewe but he assures them that they be well to day and can drinke One thing is to be woondred at in this beast that he draweth not his winde as all other beastes doo at his Nose but at his eares The best kindes of them are those that bring foorth twyse a yeere and suche you must seeke for your breede The Goate is able to engender at seuen monethes olde being euen as lecherous as a Goate for whyle he is yet sucking he wyl be vpon y backe of his damme and therefore he waâ—eth feeble and vnable before he be sixe yeeres olde being nowe soked and consumed with his ouertimely lustinesse of his youth and therefore after he come to be fyue yeere olde he is no longer to serue your turne for breede The tyme when you shall suffer them to goe to rutte is in Autume a little before December that at the comming of the spring and blossoming of the trees the young may be brought foorth The Goate goeth with young as I sayde fyue monethes as the Sheepe dooth she bringes foorth commonly two and sometime sixe as Plinie witnesseth Suche as beare twyse you must keepe for your stocke for the renuing thereof and the encrease As touching their breeding you must in the ende of Autume seuer your hee Goates The young Goates of a yeere olde and two yeeres bring foorth Kiddes but as Columella sayth they are not to be suffered to bring them vp except they be three yeeres olde and therefore you must away with the young that the Goates of the fyrst yeere may breede and suffer the Kydde of a two yeere damme to sucke no longger then it is meete to be solde When the Kyddes are brought foorth they must be brought vp in like sorte as I tolde you of the Lambes sauing that the wantonnesse of the Kydde is more to be restrained and heedelyer to be kept in and must be fed beside theyr milke with young bowes Plinie affirmeth that they be skarse good for breede at three yeere olde but yf they passe foure they be starke nought that they begin at seuen moneths euen whyle they be vnder the mothers brest The fyrst ryding prospereth not the second is somewhat to the purpose the third spredth shee bringes foorth tyll shee be eyght yeeres olde and therefore the she Goates when they
Thyme Cassia Rosemary Sauery Smallage Uiolettes Sage Lauender Myrrhe wylde Marierum wylde Thyme Balme sweete Marierum Saffron Beanes Mustardseede Poppey Mellilot and Roses And yf there lye ground neare it for the purpose sowe it with Rapeseede and Beechwheate for they woonderfull delight in the flowres hereof Plinie writeth that Bees delight greatly to haue Broome flowres neare them of trees they most delight in these The Pine the Wyllowe the Fyrre tree the Almond the Peache the Peare tree and the Apple and such as the flowres thereof be not bitter Of the wylde sortes the Terebinth the Lentise the Lyndtree the Cedar and the Mastholme The best Hony as Palladius saith is made of Tyme the next of wylde Tyme the third of Rosemary You must remooue from your trees Yew tree the Box and the Cornel Plinie would also haue the Olyue away Banishe also all the kindes of Sporge for with that as also with the flowres of the Cornel they fall into a Flixe and dye Besides you must suffer no Woormewood nor wylde Cocomber to growe neare them for they both destroy the Bees spoyle the Hony. And because the flowre or fruite of Elmes dooth specially hurt them therefore in such partes of Italy where plenty of Elmes growe the Bees doo not long continue Touching your Hiues they are made of diuers fashions according to the maner of the countrey Some are made rounde some square some three foote in height one in bredth made very narrowe toward the top least the Bees should ouerlabour them selues in filling of them Some make their Hiues of Lanterne horne or Glasse to the end as Plinie sayth that they may viewe the maner of their woorking Varro maketh mention of earthen Hiues well plaistred within and without with good Oxe doung so as the roffenesse and ruggednesse can not displease them but for all that the earthen Hiues be the woorst that may be because in Sommer they be too hotte and in Winter too colde The best Hiues are those that are made of Corke wicker or ryndes of trees because they keepe out both cold and heate the next are suche as are made of Strawe and Bentes matted togeather two foote in bredth and so much or more according to the number of your Bees in heigth In som places they make them of one peece of wood cutte and hollowed for the nonce or of ioyned boordes fiue or sixe foote in heigth and these neyther are to hotte in Sommer nor to cold in Winter Of these woodden Hiues the best are those that are made of Figge tree Pine Ashe and Walnutte of suche length as I tolde you and a cubitte in bredth Besides they would be couered with eyther Lyme or Oxe doung for so saith Florentine you shall keepe them long without rotting You must also boare them through slopewyse whereby the winde gently entring may dry vp all cobwebbes or such like noyances You must alwayes haue good store of Hiues lying by you that may be remoued and easely carryed where you list for the fixed or standing Hyues be discommodious as which you can neyther sell nor remoue though Celsus seeme to commend the standing Hiues because they are neyther subiect to stealing nor burning being made of Brycke or Loame Your Hiues as Columella out of Celsus dooth teache must stand vpon some table of stone a yarde from the ground and so much in bredth so smothed and playstered as neyther Toade Euette or Snake may creepe vp and in such order they must be placed as there may be betwyxt euery one a little wal or particion being open both before and behind If you haue no such particions then place them so as they be a pretty way distant one from the other that in dressing and looking to any one of them you shake not nor hurt the other for a little â—â—â—ling dooth soone marre all theyr houses and many times spoile the Bees It is yenough to haue three rankes of them one aboue the other for the keeper shall haue yenough to doo to ouer looke the vppermost The part where the Bee doth enter must stand a little lower then the hinder part so as the rayne can not run in and the water yf there be any may easely voyde And because colde dooth more annoy the Bee then heate you must arme your Hiues well behind agaynst the hurt and bitternesse of the North wind and let the sunne come bountifully to them in the Front. And therefore it is best for you to make the holes where they come in and out as small as you may that they suffice only for the bignesse of the Bee partly for auoyding of cold partely to keepe out Euets Beetels Butterflyes Battes Mothes and such other hurtfull vermine that would otherwyse destroy the Coames wherefore it is good you haue two or three such small holes togeather in euery Hyue for the commodity of the Bee and restraynt of the enimy PVLLARIVS Well I pray you let vs know when the Bee beginneth to labour and when he ceaseth MELISSEVS Because I haue declared vnto you before theyr toyle theyr diligence and order of theyr trauayle I wyll now likewyse shewe you what time they begin to labour In the winter time from the setting of the seuen starres tyll the beginning of the spring they keepe theyr houses and come not abroade by reason of the cold in the spring they come strayght abroade and from that time forward yf the weather let them not they neuer rest day First of all they frame theyr Coames and Wax that is they make theyr houses and chambers whereof they make so many as they thinke them selues able to fyll then fall they to breeding and last of all to making of Hony. Theyr Wax they make of the flowres of trees and plantes theyr Hony of the gummes and clamminesse of trees that are glewy as Wyllowe Elmes Reede Iuyce Gumme and Rozen Aristotle sayth they make theyr Coames of flowres theyr Wax of Gummes and theyr Hony of the dewe of the ayre that falleth cheefely at the rysing of the starres and that there is no Hony made before the rysing of the seuen starres and theyr Coames of flowres and that the Bees doo not of them selues make the Hony but only geather the honyed dewe that falleth because the keepers finde the celles to be filled in some one or two dayes and that the Hony being taken away in the ende of Sommer the Hyues are not found to be furnished agayne though there be flowres yenough at that time This and much more hereof sayth Aristotle whom Plinie following him affirâ—meth Hony to be made of the ayre most of all at the rysing of the starres cheefely the Dogge shining out early in the morning therefore you shal find in the morning betimes the leaues of the trees bedewed with Hony as you shall likewyse haue the Apparayle Heare and Beardes of such as haue been early abroade In the morning our common people call it