are likely Rainy for the most part this I have Observed these Forty Years and found much benifit by it if a drought enters in that Season it is like to be so the most part of the Spring Quarter if not the Summer Quarter too and by that Reason there will be scarcity of Hay If October and November be for the most part Rainy and Warm then is January and February like to be Cold and Frosty on the contrary if October and November be Frosty and Snow then January and February for the most part open Weather If in the Autumn Quarter ground be Flooded that ground will Rot Sheep though you give them never so good Hay If there be no Floods in the Spring Quarter and Summer Quarter then Sheep are not Subject to Rot in the Autumn nor Winter Quarter To destroy all sorts of Vermin TO Kill Rats and Mice take Wheat Flower and bitter Almonds and make them into a Past and lay it into their holes and it will Kill them Another cast Hemlock seed into their holes and it will Kill them To catch Moles lay a head of Garlick or Onion before the holes and they will Immediately come forth To Kill Weasels Wheat Flower Sal Armoniack made into a Past with some Honey throw it where the Weasels usually come and they will eat it and it Kills them To Kill Pismires Origanum beaten to Powder and strewed before their holes and it Kills them To Kill Bugs or Fleas take Rue and Wormwood a good quantity boil them about a quarter of an Hour then take some common Salt the more the better and use it as before To Kill Lice and Nits and to cure Scabby Heads Stave saker and Fresh Butter mixed together and the Head anointed with it kills Lice To Kill Caterpillars take Lees of Oyl and Ox piss and boil them together then cast it upon the Trees or Bushes and it kills them To preserve Cattle from Flies take oil wherein Bakeleer hath been boiled and anoint the Beast with it and they will not come near them To make abundance of Cream TAke a Skiming dish full of the Top of the Milk add to it four spoonfulls of scraped Sugar and a drop of good Runnet then stir them together that they may thicken a little then sett it in a warm Place and a great deal of Cream will rise in an Hours time To Fatten any sort of Fowl in Fifteen Days TAke Nettle seed and Leaves gathered and dryed in their proper Season beat them to Powder and make them into Past with Wheat Bran and Flower adding a little sweet Olive Oyl make this up into little Lumps Coop them up and daily feed them with it giving them to Drink Water that Barley hath been boiled in and they will be fat within the time Proposed For Burns or Scalds MIngle Lime Water with Linseed-Oyl by beating them well together with a Spoon and with a Feather Dipt in it anoint the place grieved till the Fire is gone To Brew Ale and Beer AN Ingenious Author says That we may Brew as good Liquor at London as either York or Nottingham affords and that our Derby Malt Water and Hops is as good as theirs and that the difference lies only in the Brewing and well Ordering it 1. He advises to put to one Quarter of Malt 75 Gallons of Liquor or River-Water letting it Boil for one Hour and so proportionably for a greater or lesser quantity and to every Quarter of Malt half a Pound of Hops your Malt being ready in the Mesh-tub pour so much Water on it as will wet it quite thro' insomuch that the Mesh may be rais'd in the Tun a considerable hight then cover it up with Cloth very close two Hours preserving the remaining part of the Liquor very hot in the Coopper if not Boiling Next the two Hours being expired work your Mesh with proper Instruments very well till you can discern no dry Malt in the Mesh this done let your Mesh Tun run gently into a convenient Vessel and when you have let it run about half an Hour according to the largness of the Mesh put on the remaining part with a Pail throwing it all over the Mesh by degrees 3dly Your Worts being all gathered and emptied from the Vessel wherein you have gathered it into the Copper and the Hops put therein boil it three Hours at least then empty your Copper into the back Cooller 4thly While your Worts are Milk-warm clear it in your guile Tun while it runs clear from dregs you may put your dregs into a Flannel Bag and drain a quantity off clear and of the Strongest Liquor from them 5thly To your Worts 54 Gallons from a quarter of Malt put two Quarts of good Yeast and let it work 24 Hours beating it in three or four times a day according to the Season Winter requiring great Care The Guile being well wrought Tun it up into well Seasoned Vessels leaving liberty for it to Work for about half a Day then bung it up so close Let your Cask stand undisturbed 6 or 10 Weeks and it will be Fine and Strong He says that if by accident it does not Work a Remedy is Take the Whites of two Eggs and half a quartern of Brandy beat them well together and pour them into the Guile if the Drink is in the Cask pour it into the Bung and lay a warm Cloth over it and in an Hours time it will work briskly Remember you under-lay you Cloth that you cover your Vessel with that it may have room to begin to work then take off the Cloth Another way take a quarter of an Ounce of Zinziber Pouder 2 Ounces of fine Loaf Sugar mix them well with some of the Liquor being warm and pour it in The best time for Brewing is March and October A way to clear Ale or Beer tho' never so thick TAke a Pint of Water half an Ounce of unslackt Lime mix them well together let it stand three Hours and the Lime will settle to the bottom and the Water as clear as Glass pour the Water from the sediment and put into your Ale or Beer with half an Ounce of Ising-glass well boiled and in five Hours time or less the Drink will settle and clear This quantity will serve a Hogshead To make Cyder equal to Canary and very cheap CYder of which Red Streak is best is a good Stomach Liquor purifies the Blood is Diuretick and roots out the Scurvy To make Cyder as good as Canary you must make Sweets thus Take 112 Pound of Sugar Water 8 or 10 Gallons in which 30 or 40 Eggs are well beaten and dissolved put your Sugar into your Kettle or Vessel on a gentle Fire and put to it 4 Gallons of the Egg Water stir all about till the Sugar is dissolved when it boils put in more egg-Egg-water to keep it from boiling too high and thus continue putting one Quart of another for about an Hour till your Egg-water is
come about it then with a Net you may take abundance of Fish Proper Flies for every Month. February PAlmer Flies little red Brow the Silver Hackle the plain Hackle the Gold Hackle the great blew dun the great dun the dark brown March The early bright brown the little whirling dun the Thorn-tree Fly the whitish dun the little black Gnat the blew dun the little bright brown April The little dark brown the small bright brown the Violet Fly the great whirling dun the Horse flesh Fly the yellow dun May. The green Drake the dun Cow the black May Fly the Stone Fly the little yellow May Fly the Camlet Fly the great Drake the yellow Palmer the Turky Fly the black flat Fly the little dun the brown light the white Gnat the Cow Lady the Peacock Fly the Cow-turd Fly June From the 1st to the 24th The Stone-fly and green Drake the Barn-fly the Owl-fly the purple Hackle the Flesh-fly the purple Gold Hackle the little Flesh-fly the Ant-fly the Peacock-fly the little black Gnat the brown Gnat the green Grashopper the brown Hackle the dun Grashopper July The Orange-fly the Badgers-fly the Wasp-fly the little white dun the black Hackle the black brown dun the Shell-fly August The Fern-fly the late Ant-fly Harry-long-leg the white Hackly September The late Bagger the Camel brown Fly October The same Flies that were used in March Artificial Flies how to make them and the Season they are to be used in IN April a Stone-fly is in Season the body of it is made with black Wooll made yellow under the Wings and under the Tail the Wings made of Mallards Feathers May at the beginning a ruddy Fly is in Season make the body of red Wooll wrapt about with blew Silk the Wings make of the Wing of a Drake and a red Hackle The yellow or green Fly is made of yellow Wooll his Wing made of red Hackle and the Wing of a Drake The dun Fly is made of black Wooll and sometimes dun in season in March his Wings made of Partridge Feathers black Drake's Feathers and the Feathers under his Tail The black Fly in season in May made of black Wooll and wrapt about with Peacock's Tail his Wings the Feather of the Wings of a brown Capon with the blew Feathers in his Head In June the said yellow Fly is in season made of black Wooll with a yellow List on either side the Wings of a Buzzard bound with broken Hemp. Also the Moorish Fly in season in June made of duskish Wooll the Wings the black Feathers of a Mall Drake Also in the middle of June the Taring Fly made of Bear 's Wooll the Wings made contrary one against the other of the whitish Feathers of a Mall Drake In July the Wasp Fly in season made of black Wooll wrapt about with yellow Silk the Wings made of the Feathers of a Buzzard or Drak The Shell Fly good in the middle of June made with greenish Wooll wrapt about with Pearls of a Peacock's Tail the Wings made of a Buzzards Feathers The dark Drake Fly made of black Wooll wrapt about with black Silk in season in August the Wings made of the Feathers of a Male Drake with a black Head The May Fly made of greenish coloured Cruel or Willow Colour and darken it in most Places with waxed Silk or ribb'd with a black Hair or some of them ribb'd with a Silver Thread and such Wings for the Colour as you see the Fly to have at that Season The Oak Fly the Body made of Orange paring and black Cruel the Wings the brown of a Mallard's Feathers To take Pikes TAke what quantity of blown Bladders you please and at the mouth of it tie a Line longer or shorter as the Water is in depth bait your Hooks Artificially and put them into the Water and as the Wind blows them gently the Pike will strike himself and make pleasant Diversion by flouncing about when spent take him out the same may be done by tying your Line at the Leg of Ducks or Geese To take a Pike as he lies sleeping and sunning in fair Weather with a Loop or Net MArch and August is the best time Take a long Pole or Rod that is light and strait on the small end fasten a running Loop of twisted Horse-hair and Silk or made of Wyre of a large Compass which gently draw on him and when it is 5 or 6 Inches over his Gills hoist him up if it is a small Pike draw it not so far on make no Noise in walking nor speaking if he lies so that you cannot conveniently noose him touch his Tail with the Rod and he 'll turn as you please also with a hand Net putting it gently under Water guide it just under him and lift it softly till you just touch him and then do it as quick as you can Baits for Fish TAke Oculus Indiae soft Cheese and Honey and Crumbs of White Bread make it into a Paste and throw little Pellets into the Water and the Fish will swim above the Water Of FOWLING LET your Net be made of the best Pack-Thread well twisted and dry'd and for great Fowl let your Meshes be two Inches at least form point to point the larger the better provided the Powl cannot creep through Let the Net be about 2 Fathom deep and 6 in length is the best verge it on each side and at either end extend it with long Poles that the lower end of the Poles may be fastned with a piece of a Line or two Stakes fast driven into the Ground And observe to do this at the Places where Birds feed and haunt in the Mornings and you may expect Sport To take Birds with Lime twigs THus you must make it At Midsummer peel the Bark from the Holli-Trees and fill a Vessel and put running Water to it then boil it over the Fire till the white and grey Bark rise from the green Take it off the Fire drain the Water well away and then separate the Barks and take the green lay it on some moist Floor and close Place and cover it with Weeds and let it lie about a Fortnight and in that time it will rot and turn to a slimy Substance and then put it into a Mortar beat it well and then take it out and wash it in some running Stream till the foulness is gone Then put it in a close Earthen Pot let it stand five days look to its purging and scum it When clean put it into another Earthen pot and keep close for use As for your Setting-dog it must be elected and trained thus He must be of good Scent and love naturally to haunt Fowls the Land Spaniel is best being of a good nimble size and couragious Mettle which you may know by his Breed and being of a good Ranger c. Then the first Lesson is to make him crouch and lie down close to the Ground and it s done by frequent laying him on the
another with a gentle Hand shake the Bough they hang on that they may fall into the Hive them immediately set it on a large Cloth and take Boughs that are Green and put just under the place you take the Bees from and cover them with some more Boughs and the Corner of The Cloth they stand on and let it rest till all the Bees are gaue 〈◊〉 If in a hard Winter Honey fail then replenish their more with Brown Sugar mixed with Anniseed-Water till its just Liquid and by fiting long pieces of 〈◊〉 Cans with it and then put the Cane gently into the Mouth of the Hive You may give them also Honey and Raisins after the same manner Be sure you cover them with warm Housings of Staw and feed them with Care and they 'l reward your Pains Bountifully Thus I have given you the Opinion of several of the best Authors for the improving of this Noble Insect and that with as much Brevity as possible It s said Bees will not Fly away if you smear the Holes of their Hives with the Dung of a Calf newly Killed Wicker Bees will not Fly away if you bruise the Leaves of the Wild and Garden Olive-Tree together and about the Evenings anoint their Hives with the Juice or else with Water and Honey both the Walls and the Hives To know if Honey is mixed or falsified throw some into the Fire and that that is false will not burn clear Diophans The best Water for Bees is That that runs through Stones and Pebbles and is very clear This makes them Healthful and makes good Honey and you must lay in great Stones and pieces of Wood for them to pitch upon when they drink If you have no Running Water bring it to them from a Well or Fountain in Pipes least they fall Sick with carrying Water In taking Honey you ought to leave them a Tenth part both in Summer and Winter but in Winter you must take but one third part Dodymus How to Order Silk-Worms the right way THe Silk Worms feed chiefly on Mulberry-Leaves the scarsity thereof is the cause of their fewness some say they will feed on Lettice Dandelion Poplar-Trees Plum Trees and Apple Trees but I leave the certainty of it to be tryed by Experience In the beginning of May the Mulberry Trees begin to spread their Leaves and the Silk-worms Eggs are at it were adapted for a release from their Imprisonment that if you lay them in a Window in the Sun or keep them in a warm place about you but keep them warm in the Night and they will quickly appear in a new form cut them some Paper full of little holes and lay over them and some of your young Mulberry Leaves over that these Worms will Easily find the way to the Food and as fast as Hatched apply themselves to the Leave after they betake themselves to the Leaves place them on Shelves or Tables at a distant convenient according to the Number of Worms and Proportion of place you have for them in their feeding thy are four times sick about twelve or thirteen Days after they are Hatched and from that time Successively every Eight Days and their sickness lasteth two or three days then feed them but little which is but to Relieve such as are past their sickness before the rest and those that do not fall sick so soon the time of feeding them is Nine Weeks and then feed them twice a Day laying Leaves over them and they 'l soon make way through them and as they grow in bigness and strength feed them more Plentifully and oft Observe the Leaves be clear of Rain or Dew before you give them in case they be wet spread them on a Table you may gather them and keep them two or three days in case you live Remote from Mulberry Trees or the Weather prove bad rid their Shells often off their Dung and Remainder of their Leaves by removing the Worms when they are fast on new Leaves laid on for then Easily you may remove the Worms with the Leaves A Principal means to preserve them is keeping clean the Shelves of the Room also give them some Air in warm Weather and keep the Room warm in cold Weather keep them not in a cold moist Room nor too near the Tiles or Top of the House They will look clear of an Amber Colour when they are feed as long as able and are then ready to go to Work therefore with Heath made very clean make Arches betwixt their Shelves or with Lavender Rosemary-stalks and upon those the Worms fasten themselves and make their bottom which is finished in fifteen days but the best way is to make small Cones of Paper and with their sharp ends downward place them in Rows in each of which put a Worm as they appear to you to be just going to work and then they 'l Finish their bottom most Compleat When their bottoms are Finished take as many as you intend for Breeders then lay them by themselves and in Four or Five days time the Worms within will Eat their wayout then put them together on some Piece of old Say or the backside of old Velvet or the like made fast at the Hangings or Wall of the House or on a Tables these Flies will then Engender and the Male having spent himself dyes and the Female doth the like when she hath Lain her Eggs then with the point of a Knife put them on a piece of Say or old Velvets keep them in a Box among Woolen Cloaths till next Spring the Female will lay abundance of Eggs but a few kept for Increase is Sufficient the Residue put into an Oven after Baking of Bread that it be only hot enough to kill the Worms for their gnawing their way out prejudices the bottom then take the Bagg having obtained the bottoms and having found the end put twelve or more in a Bason of Water where a little Gum Traganth is mixed and then you will Easily wring them if you feed them not well the Silk is small and Easily breaks Prognosticks of the Weather HOw to know when it will be fair for four or five days together which seldoms fails When the Wind hath been in the North or North-East two days without Rain and sits there the third Day then go your Journey if the Air be clear How to know when it is like to Thunder WHen the Wind hath been South two or three days and it grow very Hot or when you see Clouds rise with great high Tops like Towers as if one Cloud were upon the Top of another and joyn'd together with black on the nether side then it is like to be Thunder and Rain suddenly in many places How to know when it is like to be a wet Spring and Summer and Danger of Rotting Sheep If the Eighteen last Days of February and the Ten first Days of March prove for the most part Rainy then the Spring Quarter and the Summer Quarter