best prouender for Horses and foode for Cattell Plinie also witnesseth that the Germanes vsed to make pottage of Oates And Dioscorides maketh mention of Oaten poâ—tage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pottage or gruell is made of Oates it is called of the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Vena in Spanishe Auena in Frenche Auoyne in Dutche Hauer whiche though it growe not commonly in Italy yet vpon monte Ficâ—lâ—o and in the kyngdome of Naples about Siponto it is founde We haue amongst vs two kyndes of them one full and weyghty seruing in deere yeeres to make bread and drynke of specially yf it be medled wiâ—h a little Barley and this kind prospereth in riche and newe broken vp ground exceedingly The other kinde is lyghter whiche the common people call Gwen and Brumhauer it is very lyght and yeeldeth but little flowre nor foode it groweth vpon sandy and barrayne groundes and serueth well for Cattell and for Horse both the kyndes haue busshy toppes from whence hangeth the seede in lykewyse resemblyng the Grassehopper the flowre of it is white and from one grayne there springeth diuers stalkes With Dioscorides Bromos is a kynd of Oates that resembleth Wheate in the stalke and the blade and groweth like wylde Wheate Theophrastus calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Oate is not daungerous in the choyse of his grounde but groweth lyke a good fellowe in euery placeâ— where no seede els wyll growe Of the lyke disposition almost is Buck or Beechewheate vnknowen to our olde fathers It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beechewheate or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blackwheate though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth an other grayne I had rather call it Beechwheate because the grayne thereof is threecorned not vnlyke the Beechemast both in colour and fourme differing onely in the smalenesse The stalke is very great and straked like to the greater Fearne It hath many branches with a bushy toppe a great sort of white flowres in a knop lyke the flowres of Elder it flowreth long togeather and after appeareth the grayne fyrst white and greenishe in shape threecornerd after they be ripe the colour chaungeth to blacke or brownishe like a Chestnutte This grayne hath not long since ben brought from Russia the Northerne partes into Germanie nowe is it become common and vsed for fatting of Hogges and serueth the common people in deare seasons to make bread drâ—nke withal it may be sowed in any ground how â—adde so euer it be howebeit it dooth best in good grounde and is sowen in April and May and in Iune after the reaping of Rape seede You must sowe lesse of it vppon an acre by a fourth part then of Wheate or Rye it is much vsed to be sowed vpon the ground where Rapes growe wherby the ground dooth yeeld a double Croppe in one yeere When it is sowen it commeth vn yf it be moyst weather within foure or fiue dayes after hauyng two leaues at â— fyrst appearing not much vnlike to Purcelaine Amongst the Sommer seedes is also receiued Sommer Barley whiche from the Sonnes entring into the Aequinoctiall till the end of Marche and April is sowen and is reaped againe for the most part in three monethes or at the vttermost foure It requireth as Winter Barley dooth a riche and a mellowe grounde and to be sowed after twyse plowing though sometime for necessitie it is sowed after the fyrst plowyng And though it yeelde noâ— so good nor so perfect a grayne as the Winter Corne dooth whose grayne as Theophrastus wryteth is farre more perfect and of stronger substaunce bringing greater strawe and weightier Eares yet because it is harder husked and the Sommer seede more fyne and gentle is therefore of most men desired and counted to yeelde more flowre then the Winter grayne some agayne preferre the other Millet called in Latine Millium in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Milio or Miglio hauing as it were a thousand graynes in a Eare as Festus seemeth to auowe in Spanishe Mijo in Frenche Millet and in Dutche Hyers where they make pottage of it and bread The Russians and Moscouians are chiefely nourished with this kind of pottage which they make with the flowre mingled with milke and the blood that they let from their Horses The men of Ind as Plinie sayth knowe no other grayne buâ— Barley and Millet which grew in his time plentifullest in Campania it is the best leauen that may be made neither is there any grayne comparable to it for weyght that more increaseth in bakyng for of one busshell hath been drawen threescore pounde of bread and a busshell of sodden meate made of three quarters wet and vnsodde It is sowed at this day in euery place though very litâ—le in the lowe Countrey it groweth with a stalke full of ioyntes a cubite high a leafe like a Reede a round and a small seede hanging downe in long ruinnes with many toppes it groweth sometime seuen foote hie it delighteth in a watrishe moorie grounde and in grauel so it be nowe and then ouerflowen it hateth drye and chalkie groundes Some geue counsell to sowe it fyrst in a colde and a wette ground and then in a hotte ground before the Spring you must not sowe it for it delighteth muche in warmth A little seede of it is sufficient for a great deale of ground yf it be sowed thicke it comes to nought a great handfull wyll serue a whole acre wherefore in raking you must rake out what is more then needefull an acre beareth fourtie busshels yf it be wel sowed euery seede yeeldeth about a pottell It is forbidden to be sowen among Uines or fruite trees and must continually be weeded and raked When the eare is full growen it must be geathered with the hande and dryed in the Sunne least the whâ—t weather shatter the seedes This grayne may very long be preserued for being well layde vp where the winde can not come it wyll well laste an hundred yeere There is an other like grayne that they call Indian Millet with a great grayne and a blacke and bigge reedy stalke whiche was fyrst brought into Italy in the raigne of Nero which as Plinie sayth was called Loba wheâ—e as Lobae are rather the Coddes of all Pulse and Phobae the manes and â—oppes of Millet as it appeareth by Theophrastus Panicum is called of the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Dutch Psennich or Heidengreâ—ss of the Italiansâ— Pannacho the Spaniardes Panizo the Frenchemen Paniâ— so called of the little Pannicles wherein the seede lyeth It commeth vp like Millet with many leaues and slippes glittering with a reddishe busshy toppe full of seedes lyke Mustard seede some yellowe purple blacke and white it must be ordered in all thinges almost as Millet being sowed in Sommer it is ripe in fourtie dayes after in other places sowed in May in wette grounde it is to be geathered in September The haruest and the vse of
call the common Borage the lesser Buglose and the greater Buglose is thought to be that whiche Dioscorides calleth Circium the true Buglose the flowres of both sortes are vsed in sallettes and in wine because it maketh the hart meery and therefore is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say gladnesse the leaues are also vsed in dressyng of meates it is sowen about March and once sowen it wyl neuer away there is also a wilde kinde of it THRA I pray you goe forward and tell vs some thyng of Straberries which here grow with great plentie and beautie helped as it seemeth with good orderyng MARIVS They are so for we vse to bring rootes out of the wooddes whiche beyng set and planted in the Garden prosper exceedyngly two or three yeeres togeather and after we eyther remooue them agayne because they waxe wylde or set the wylde in theyr places and so haue we them to yeelde theyr fruite twyse in the yeere in the spring and in the ende of sommer And although it groweth of it selfe in shadowy woods in great plentie as yf it delighted in shadowe of Trees yet beyng brought into the Garden it delighteth in sonny places and good orderyng yeelding a great deale more and better fruite it creepeth vpon the ground without a stalke with small stringes comming from the roote with a white flowre and a leafe lyke a Trefoyle indented about The berries whiche is the fruite are redde and taste very pleasauntly the Dutchmen call them Erdbern the Frenchemen Freses There is an other fruite that groweth somethyng hygher whose berrie is also like the Straberie Dioscorides seemeth to call it Rubus Idaeus the Bryer of Ida because it groweth in great abundance vppon the mountayne Ida. It is not ful of prickles as the other brambles are but soft and tender full of branches whytish leaues it beareth redde berries somethyng paler then the Straberie and very pleasaunt in taste The Grecians call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Dutchmen Imberen the Frenchmen Framâ—osas THRA What is that groweth yonder a yard in height MARIVS It is commonly called Liquerise in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Dulcis Radix in Italian Regolitia in Spanishe Regaliza in Frenche Reclisse in Dutche Clarits or Sussholts THRA I dyd not thinke to haue founde it here I heare it groweth very plentifully about the Meyne I woulde be glad to heare howe you doo order it for it hath a roote for the sweetenesse thereof whence it taketh his name very commendable MARIVS It is set of young springes of the roote as the Hoppe is in drye light ground and sonny THRA What say you to small Reazyns called in Latine Ribes doo you thinke the olde wryters knewe this bushe MARIVS That whiche we call at this day Ribis and the Dutchmen Saint Iohns pearle because about Midsommer it is garnished with redde riche berries hauyng a tarte taste quenchyng thyrst cheefely the ragyng and extreame thryst of feuers and coolyng the stomacke whiche the Appothecaries in Suger or Honie keepe all the yeere is thought was vnknowen to the olde wryters but nowe a comâ—on bushe vsed for enclosyng of Gardens and makyng of Borders and Herbers it wyll easyly growe but that it is somethyng troublesome by reason of his sharpe prickles to be bent about sommer houses THRA You spake euen nowe of Hoppes doo you set in these your princely paradises that plant that is so common with the Countrey man for about vs they make great gayne of it MARIVS Tell you therefore I pray you howe they doo vse it THRA It is set of the young shootes as you tolde a little before of Liquerise and that in the ende of sommer or yf they feare a hard winter in Mâ—rch The seâ—tes or shootes are cutte from the olde rootes and are set in grounde well couered with doung and good mould and afterward hilled and so suffered to remayne all Winter In the spring the earth is stirred with Rakes and not with Spades and the hilles raysed and the grounde ridde of all hurtfull weedes About May certayne powles are set vp vppon whiche the Hoppe clymeth all the spraye that springeth aboue the flowre is commonly cutte of About September or in the ende of August the flowres or bels are geathered and kept to make Beere with when the Hoppes are geathered the remaynes are cut downe close to the ground and the hilles being agayne raysed are couered with doung The toppes and the young buddes that come fyrst out in April are vsed to be geathered for sallettes and keepeth them from growyng to ranke But nowe I pray you goe on and returne to the description of your Garden O what excellent Mellons Pompens Cowcumbers and Gourdes haue you here I pray you tell in what sort you order them MARIVS Melons whiche some because they are fashioned like Apples call Pomes are of the kinde of Coucumbers and so are the Pepones which the Frenchemen cal Pompeons The Coucombers in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Cucumer in Italian Cucumero or Cedruolo in French Dutch Cocumbre They change to Pompeons and Muskemillions from whiche they onely differ in shape and greatnesse when they exceede in greatnesse they become Pompeons and when they growe rounde they are Mellonpompeons al these kindes are called of some wryters Melons The Grecians call all the sortes as well Coucumbers as Mellonpompeons by the name of Pompeons and Mellons though there are some that make a difference betweene Pompeons and Mellons neither doo the learned yet throughly agree vpon these meanes nor can it be certaynely saide what kinde the olde wryters ment by Pompeons and Melonpompeons Pompeons doo creepe along vppon the ground with ruffe leaues and a yellowe flowre and are pleasaunt to be heaten when they be ripe The sweetest sort of them they call Succrino or Muskmillions The Mellonpompeons are supposed to spring first in Campania being fashioned lyke a Quince This kinde hangeth not but groweth rounde lying vpon the grounde and being ripe doo leaue the stalke Some Coucombers are called Citrini of their yellownesse when they be ripe and also Citruli or Citreoli they growe all in length and are spotted as the Citrons are some be called Maâ—in and be called in Italian Cucussae Marinae the seede whereof is to be eaten before they be ripe they are cut in peeces and porredge made of them not much vnlike in fashion to the Mellon There is also an other kinde of Coucumber of a houge compasse almost as bigge as a busshel the Mowers and Haruest folkes in Italie vse to carrie great peeces of them to the Feelde with them to quenche their thyrst You must set al these kindes in March the seedes must be set thinne two foote one from an other in watrie ground well dounged and digged specially sandy grounde you must lay them in milke or water and honie three dayes and after drye
in them Midae Lomentum is the Meale which the people in olde tyme dyd vse for the smoothing of their skinnes Fresa Faba was the Beane that was but finally broken and hulledâ—in the Myll Refrina was that whiche they vsed to offer in sacrifyce for good lucke with their Corne. It is good to steepe your Beanes in the water of Saltpeeter a day before you sowe them you shall keepe them from Wyuels as Palladius sayth yf you geather them in the wane of the Moone and cherishe them and lay them vp before the encrease Beanes and all other Pulse doo mend the ground that they are sowen in The next to Beanes in woorthynesse and sowyng is Pease called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Pise and Piselle in Spanishe Aruera in Frenche Pese in Dutch Errettem a Pulse that groweth with hollowe stalkes and full of branches lying vpon the grounde many leaues and long the Coddes rounde conteyning in them round seedes and white though Plinie wryte that they be cornerd as Chych of which sort we haue some at this day blewishe with flowres in shape like the Butterâ—lye purple coloured toward the middest There are two sortes of Pease the one sort coueteth to climbe aloft and runneth vp vppon stickes to whiche with little wynders he bindeth hym selfe and is for the most part onely sowen in Gardens the other sort groweth lowe and creepeth vpon the grounde both kindes are very good to be eaten specially when they be young and tender they must be sowen in warme groundes for they can in no wyse away with colde they are sowed eyther vppon fallowes or rather in riche and yeerely bearing ground once plowed and as all other Pulse in a gentle and a mellowe moulde the season being warme and moyst Columella sayth that ground is made very riche with them if they be presently plowed and the Culter turne in and couer that whiche the Hooke hath newely left They are sowed among Sommer Corne commonly with the fyrst Fyrst Beanes Pease and Lentiles then Tares and Oates as is sayde before Pease and Tares must be sowen in March and April and in the wane of the Moone leâ—t they growe to ranke and flowre out of order where as the best sowing for all other Pulse and grayne is in the encrease of the Moone There are that count Pease to be the Pulse that the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines Eruum the Italians Eruo the Spaniardes Yeruo the Dutchmen Eruen of which there are two kindes the one white the other red The later is wylde and groweth in Hedges and Corne feeldes it is a small plant hauyng his leaues narrowe and sâ—lender his flowre eyther white or medled with purple growyng neere togeather like Pease there is no great businesse about it it delighteth in a leane barren ground not moyst for it wyll be spilt with too muche rancknesse it must be sowed before Marche with which moneth it agreeth not because it is then hurtfull vnto cattell Eruilia is a Pulse like smal Beanes some white some blacke and others speckled it hath a stalke like Pease and climeth lyke a Hoppe the Coddes are smoothe like Pescoddes The leaues longer then the leaues of Beanes the flowre is a pleasant foode to Bees In Fraunce and Lumbardie it is called Dora or Dorella Phaseolus in Latine in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 garden Smalax some call it Fasiolum and Dolichium among the Italians some call it Fagiuoli some Smilace de gli Horti others Fagiuolo Turcheses others Lasanie the Spaniardes call it Frisoles the Frenchemen Fasioles and Fales Pinceos the Dutchmen Fasâ—len or wyld Bonen It is a kynde of Pulse whereof there are white redde and yellowe and some specked with blacke spottes the leaues are lyke Iuie leaues but something tenderer the stalke is sâ—lender wyndyng with claspes about such-plantes as are next hym runnyng vp so hie as you may make Herbers vnder hym the coddes are longer then Fennigrecke the Graynes within diuers coloured and fashioned lyke Kydneys it prospereth in a fatte and a yeerely bearyng ground in Gardens or where you wyll and because it climeth aloft there must be set by them poales or staues from the whiche runnyng to the toppes it climeth vppon Trees seruyng well for the shadowyng of Herbers and Summer houses It is sowen of diuers from the Ides of October to the Ralendes of Nouember in some places and with vs in Marche It flowreth in Sommer the meate of them is but indifferent the iuyce not very good the Coddes and the Graynes are eaten togeather or lyke Sperage The Iewes sell them at Rome preserued to be eaten rawe Lens and Lenticula in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Lendi iae bon maenastre in Spanishe Lenteza in Frenche Lentilla in Duch Linsen is a Pulse very thicke and busshy with leaues lyke the Tare with three or foure very small Graynes in euery Codde of all Pulses the least they are soft and flatte The white ones for theyr pleasauntnesse are the best and such as are aptest to seethe and consume most water in their boylyng It is sowen with vs in Germanie in March and in April the Moone encreasyng in mellowe ground being riche and drye yet Plinie would rather haue the ground leane then riche and the season drye it flowreth in Iuly at whiche tyme by ouer muche rancknesse and moysture it soone corrupteth Therefore to cause it quickely to spring and wel to prosper it must be mingled with drye doung before it be sowen and when it hath lyen so mingled foure or fyue dayes it must be cast into the grounde It groweth hyâ— as they say when it is wette in warme water and Saltpeter before it be sowen wyl neuer corrupt being sprinckled with Bengwin and Uineger Varro wylleth that you sowe it from the fiue and twentieth day of the Moone to the thirtieth so shall it be safe from Snayles And Columella affyrmeth that yf it be mingled with Asshes it wâ—ll be safe from all annoyance Cicer in Latine in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Ceci Cicere Rosso and Cicere bâ—ance in Spanishe Ganrangos in Frenche Chiche and in Dutch Cicererbs is a busshy kynde of Pulse hauyng a rounde Codde and therein a couple of three cornered seedes whereof there are that make three kindes whyte read and blacke differinâ— onely in the colour of theyr flowre the best kinde hath a stiâ—â—e stalke crooked little leaues indented a whyte a purple or a blacke flowre And wheras other Pulse haue their coddes long and brode according to their seede this beareth them rounde it delighteth in a blacke and a riche moulde is a great spoyler of land and therefore not good for newe broken vp ground it may be sowen at any time in March in rayny weather and in very riche ground the seede must be steeped in water a day before it be sowen to the end it
may spring the sooner it flowreth in Iune and Iuly and then falleth to seede it flowreth a very long while and is geathered the fourth day being rype in a very short tyme when it is in flowre of all other Pulse it receyueth harme by rayne when it is rype it must be geathered out of hande for it scattereth very soone and lyeth hid when it is fallen In the chych there neuer breedeth any worme contrary to all Pulse else and because it dryueth away Caterpillers it is counted good to be set in Gardens Cicercula in Latine in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Cicerse in Spanish Cizerche it differeth from the Chych only in that it is somewhat blacker which Plinie accounteth to haue vneauen corners as Pease hath and in many places about vs they vse them in steede of Pease esteeming them farre aboue Peason for they both yeeld more flowre then Pease is lighter of digestion and not so subiect to wormes Columella countes it rather in the â—umber of Fodder for cattell then of Passe for man in which number are these that followe And â—irâ—t Viciâ— in Latine in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Dutch VVycken in Frenche Vessae so called as Varro thinkes of wynding because it hath 〈◊〉 or claspes as the Uine hath wherby it clymeth vpon such stâ—lkes as growe next it it groweth halfe a yâ—rde hie leâ—â—â—ed like Tyutare sâ—uâ—ng that they be something narrower the 〈◊〉 like the â—lowre of Pease hauing little blâ—cke seedes in 〈◊〉 nor altogether ounde but broâ—e like the Lâ—ntell it reâ—uired above ground though it wâ—l also grow wel yenough in shadowye places or â—any ground with small labour being not trouâ—le come to the 〈…〉 it requireth but once plowing and sâ—â—keth for 〈…〉 â—or doungâ—ng but â—nricheth the lande of it seâ—â—e specially if â—he grounde be plowed when the crop is of so that the Stalkes may be turned in for otherwise the Rootes and Stalkes remayning doo sucke out the goodnesse of the ground yet Cato would haue it sowen in grassie ground not watrishe and in newe broken vp ground after the dâ—awe be gone the moysture dryed vp with the Sunne and the Winde You must beware that you sowe no more then you mâ—y wel couer the same day for the â—east deawe in the world dooth spoyle it Neither must you sowe them before the Moone be 24. dayes olde otherwise the Snayle will deuoure it his tyme of sowing is as Plinie writeth at the setting of the Starre called the Berward that it may serue to feede in December the secoâ—d sowing is in Ianuarie the last in March. In Germanie they vse to sowe them in March or Aprill chiefly for fodder for theâ—r cattell To sowe Tares and as Plinie sayth Beanes in not broken vp grounde without lâ—sse is a great peece of husbandry they flowre in Iune at which tyme they are very good of skowre horses it is good to â—aye them vp in the codde and to keepe them to serue Cattell withall Tares Oates make a good meslyne sowed together Lupinus in Latin in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian and French almost as in Latin in Spanish Altramuz in Dutch Roomsche Boouen is a Pulse hauing one onely stalke the leafe tagged in fiue diuisions like a starre the flowre white the coddes tagged indented about hauing within them â—iue or sixe seedes hard brode red the leaues thereof doo fal This pulse requireth least trouble and is of smal pâ—ice and yet most helpeth the grounde of any thing that is sowen for there can be no better manuring for barrayne Uineyardes and Corne â—eeldes then this which eyther vpon barrayne ground prospereth or kept in the Garner endureth a wonderfull wâ—yle being sodden and layd in water it feedeth Oxen in Winter very well and in tyme of dearth as Columella sayth serueth men to asswage their hunger it prospereth in sandy and grauelly groâ—ndes in the worst land that may be neyther loueth iâ— to haue any labour bestowed vpon it nor weyeth the goodnesse of the ground So fruitfull it is as if it be cast among Bushes and Brâ—er yet will it roote and prosper it refuseth both Harrowing and Raking is not anoyed with Weedes but killeth the weedes about it If doung be wantyng to mende the ground withall this serues the turne aboue all other for being sowed and turned in with the Plowe it serueth the turne in steede of dounging it is sowed timeliest of all other and reaped last it is sowed before all other Pulse a little after Haruest couer it how sclenderly you wyll it careth not an excellent good seede for an euyll husbande yet desyreth it the warmth of Autâ—me that it may be well rooted before Winter come for otherwyse the colde is hurtfull vnto it It flowreth thryse fyrst in May then agayne in Iune and last in Iuly after euery flowryng it beareth his codde Before it flowreth they vâ—e to put in Cattel for where as they wyll feede vpon all other grasse or weedes onely this for the bitternesse thereof whyle it is greene they leaue vntouched Being dryed it serueth for sustenaunce both of man and beast to cattel it is geuen medled with Chaffe and for bread for mans vse it is mingled with Wheate flowre or Barley flowre it is good to keepe it in a smokie loaft for yf it lye moyst it is eaten of lâ—ttle woormes and spoyled The leafe keepeth course and turneth with the Sunne whereby it sheweth to the husbande euen in cloudie weather what time of the day it is Fenú grecum in Latine in Greeke with Theophrastus and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Dioscorides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Frenche Fenegres and Fenigrent in Italian Faenigraeco in Spanishe Alâ—oluas in Dutche sometime by the Latine name and commonly Roherne and Lockshorne commeth vp with a small stalke the leefe lyke a Threeleaued grasse it is sowed well in a sclender barrayne ground you must take heede you plowe it thicke and not very deepe for yf the seede be couered aboue foure fyngers thicke it wyll very hardly growe Therefore the grounde must be tyld with small Plowes and the seede presently couered with Rakes There are two sortes of it the one called of the common people Siliqua or code whiche they sowe for fodder in Sepâ—ember the other in Ianuarie or the beginnyng of Februarie when they sowe it for seede it flowreth in Iune and Iuly when also it beareth his codde but the seede is not ripe tâ—ll August it is dressed to be eaten after the order of Lupines with vineger water and salt some put to a little oyle it is vsed both for fodder and diuers other vses Furthermore of Pulse called of Gelliuâ— Leâ—amentâ— we haue these generall rules that they al beare coddes and haue single rootes euery one except the Beane the Chich growyng deepest The stalke of the Beanâ—
of the rootes which after two yeeres you must remooue into a warme and wel dounged grounde The trenches where you meane to set them must stand a foote a sunder and a shaftman in depthe wherein you must so lay your Sponges as being couered they may best growe bnt in the spring before they come vp you must loose the earth with a little Forke to cause them the better to spring and to make the rootes the greater Cato woulde haue you to take them but so as you hurt not the rootes after to pull the plant from the roote for yf you otherwyse breake it the roote wyl dye and come to nothing But you may so long croppe it tyll you see it begin to growe to seede in which yeere for the Winter tyme you must according to Catoes minde couer it with strawe or such like least the colde doo kil them and in the spring open it againe and doung it well Some thinke that the fyrst yeere it is needelesse to doo any thing to the plant but onely to weede it From the rootes which they call the sponges there springeth fyrst certayne buddes with crompled knoppes very good and pleasaunt for sallettes whiche yf you suffer to growe it straight bussheth foorth with braunches lyke Fennell and at length growe to be prickely after it hath flowred it beareth a Berrie fyrst greene and when it is rype redde If you would haue Sallettes of Asparagus al the yeere through when you haue geathered the Berries open the rootes that runne aloft by the grounde with dyggyng and you shall haue the rootes send foorth newe buddes out of hand It is thought that yf you breake to poulder the horne of a Ramme and sowe it watring it well it wyll come to be good Sperage In the Spring time they make a very good sallet being sodde in water or fatte broth tyll they be tender for yf you seethe them too muche they wyl waste away When they be sod they dresse them with Uineger Oyle Pepper and Salt and so eate them or as my freend Wylliam Prat very skilful in these matters telleth me they cutte them in small peeces lyke Dyse and after they haue parboyled them butter them with sweete butter a little Uineger and Pepper THRA You haue very well shewed me the orderyng of Asparagus I pray you goe forward to Rue MARIVS Rue which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines Rutam the Italians Rutache the Spaniardes Ruda the Frenchemen Rue de gardin is planted at the ende of Februarie or in March prospering best in drye and sunny groundes it abhorreth both water and doung whiche all other hearbes most delight in it most delighteth in asshes and where all other plantes wyll spring of the seede this they say wyll neuer doo it The branches being slipped of and set in the spring wyll very well growe but yf you remooue the olde roote it dyeth it delighteth in the shadowe of the Figge tree and being stolne as they say it prospereth the better it is sowed with cursyng as Cummin and diuers other and can not abide the presence of an vncleane woman THRA I see goodly Lettuse here I pray you howe doo you order it MARIVS Lettuse is called in Dutche Lattich in Frenche Laictue in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Lactuca and so in Latine in Spanishe Lechugas whereof besides the wylde there are three kindes one croompled whiche Columella calleth Caecilia and Spanishe Lettuse of the Countreys where it most groweth and is greatest esteemed in Dutch called Krauser Lattich in Frenche Crespue the other Cabbedge Lettuse in Dutch Knopf Lattich in Frenche Laictue testue of Plinie called Laconica and Sessilis because it groweth round like an head or a apple The third sort is called Rotunda because it groweth in compasse vpon the grounde THRA But howe come you to haue so good Lettuse and how doo you order them MARIVS At the ende of Februarie or in the beginning of March we vse to sowe it that it may be remooued about April or May. In hotte Countreys as Palladius telleth they sowe it in Ianuarie or in December with intent to remooue it in Februarie but you may sowe it at any time of the yeere so the ground be good wel dounged and watred When you remooue them the rootes must be pared and rubbed ouer with doung and such as be already planted their rootes must be bared and dounged they loue a good ground moyst wel dounged they spreade the better yf you set by thâ—m the Rape or when they begyn to stalke the stalke being tenderly clouen you lay vppon it a clod or a tyleshard they wyl be white yf you sprinckle them often with sand or tye sande within the leaues and both tender white you shall haue them If two dayes before they be geathered theyr toppes be tyed vp they wyll be rounde and Cabbeged yf the roote being remoued when it is growena hand brode in heyght be pared and smered with freshe Cowe doung and earth cast about it be well watred and when it growâ—th hye the top be cut a poâ—shard laide vppon it the sweeter also they wyll be the more you restrayne the stalke from shooting vp which must as I said be kept downe with some stone or weight that they may spreade the better If the Lettuse chaunce by reason of the badnesse of the soyle the seede or the season to waxe hard the remoouing of it wyll bring it agayne to his tendernesse it wyll haue sundry and diuers tastes yf taking a Treddle of Sheepe or Goates doung and hollowyng it cunnyngly with an Alle or a Bodkyn you thrust into it the seede of Lettuse Cresses Basyl Rocket Smallage Parsley and Radyshe and after wrapping it in doung you put it into very good grounde and water it well The Parsley or Smallage goeth to roote the others growe in heygth keeping styl the taste of euery one Constantine affyrmeth Lettuse to be a moyst and a colde hearbe a quencher of thyrst and causer of sleepe and that being boyld it nourisheth most and abateth lecherie for which the Pithagoreans doo call it Eunuchion Galen himselfe the prince of Phisitions dooth greatly commend it who in his youth dyd alwayes vse to eate it rawe and after in his elder yeeres boyled whereby he kept his body in good temperature Endiue in Latine Intabum or Intubus not vnlike to Lettuse some call it Garden Succory the Dutchmen and common sort Endiuiam the Italians and the French Cicoriam the Spaniardes Endibia it is sowen as other Garden hearbes in March it loueth moysture and good earth but you must make your beddes when you sowe it the flatter least the earth falling away the rootes be bared when it hath put foorth foure leaues you must remooue it vnto well dounged grounde that whiche is sowen before the kalendes of Iuly dooth come to seede but that which is sowen afterâ— seedeth not You must sowe that which you
seede To haue very large and great Leekes you must hollowe a Treatle of Goates doung and fâ—ll it full of Leeke seede for the little sproute at the fyrst restrayned wyll runne altogeather in one and so come foorth of the grounde and this as Hieronimus Cardanus wryteth hath been often tryed to be true They shall not sauour of Leekes or Onyons that haue eaten Cummin after It commeth vp the tenth day after the sowyng and lasteth two yeere the fyrst yeere it contenteth it selfe onely with bearyng of leaues the next yeere it ryseth in a long stalke hollowe within the toppe garnished with rounde knoppes of flowres The Onyon in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Cepa or Cepe in Italian Cipella in Spanishe Cebolla in Frenche Oignon the next neighbour to the Leeke is also of twâ— kindes the one kinde called Capitatum that groweth to head the other Fissile that without any head only flowrisheth in blades and is often geathered as Leekes are therefore only is sowen and not set in Februarie or March in fayre weather in the wane of the Moone it delighteth in ritche ground wel digged dounged and therefore Columella would haue the grounde well fâ—llowed that it may be mellowed with the Winter frostes and after dounged after well digged agayne and the rootes and weedes cast out layde out in beddes and sowed it is called Fissile because it is parted and diuided belowe for in the Winter it is least with his toppe naked in the spring time the blades are pulled of and other come vp in theyr places The heades are set and yf you plucke away the tayles the outgrowinges when you set them they wyll growe to be very great Twentie dayes before you set them digge the grounde well and laye it drye and so shall they prosper the better The heades are set in Autume and growe to seede as other plantes doo yf you meane to geather the seedes when the stalke is growen you must prop it vp with little stickes that the windes shakyng of the stalke shatter not the seedes nor breake the stalke whiche seede you must geather before it be all blacke for the blacknesse is a sure signe of the ful ripenesse yf you wyl not haue it seede but head plucke of the blade still close by the ground so shal all the maintenaunce goe to the roote Among all other hearbes onely the Onyon is not subiect to the force of the Moone but hath a contrary power for it waxeth in the wane of the Moone and decreaseth in the encrease of it yet there are that holde opinion that yf you sowe them in the wane they wyll be the smaller and sourer and in the encrease they wil be the greater the milder The redde Onyon is more sharpe then the white they are best preserued in Barley Chaffe yf fyrst you dippe them in hotte water after drye them in the sunne tyll they be through drye They are of the common people thought to laste longest beyng hanged vp in the smoke for the kynred it hath with the Onyon I proceede to speake next of Garlicke called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Alliumâ— in Italian Aglio in Spanishe Aio in Dutch Knobloich in Frenche Aux it groweth with a blade like the Onyon but not hollowe the stalke rounde and the flowres in the toppe in a rounde tufte where the seede lyeth Garlicke groweth both of the head the seede as the Onyon and other of this kinde dooth It is commonly sowed in Februarie or March accordyng to the disposition of the weather as the Onyon is It woulde be set in the vppermost part of little narrowe Ridges the cloues being distant foure or fiue inches one from the other and not very deepe After when the cloues haue put foorth the little stringes or when their blades are come vp they must be well racked for the oftner ye doo so the greater they wyll be but yf you wyll haue the heades the greater before it growe to stalke you shall wynde and wreathe the greene blades togeather and treade them to the grounde for that continual treading vpon them wil make them the greater In October the cloues must be plucked a sunder set in rowe vpon hie borders that they may skape the daunger of the winter stormes They say the seant of them wyll sease yf you eate after them the roote of Beetes tosted at the fyre thus sayth Plinie out of Menander THRA What hearbe is that yonder that commeth vp so hie as a man may make a staffe of the stalke the leaues large and rounde the flowre in shape seeming to compare with the Rose MARIVS It is Hollioke or garden Mallowe in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Malua hortensis in Dutche Peppel in Italian and Frenche â—lmost as in Latine THRA What the same that Horace taketh to so wholesome for the body and whiche of Hesiodus and Martial is so highly commended MARIVS The very same and also which is more woonderfull in it the leaues turne about with the sunne so that it may serue in steade of a Dyall declaryng by the turnyng of his leaues what time of the day it is though the sunne doo not shine whiche the Philosophers thinke to be done by the drawing of his moysture In Africa as Plinie wryteth it commeth in seuen monethes to be lyke a young tree and serue well for a walkyng staffe It is sowed in October or in the ende of the sommer as also at other tymes that by the comming on of Winter it may be restrayned of his high growth it reioyceth it ritche and moyst grounde and must be remooued when it commeth to haue foure or fiue leaues it groweth best when it is young when it comes to greater it dyes in the remoouing We vse it both for the potte and for sallettes the taste is better when it is not remooued you must sowe it but thinne for growyng to ranke and in the middest of them you must lay litâ—le cloddes or stones it requireth continuall rakyng and maketh better the grounde where it growes THRA I marueyle whether you sowe Purcelayne syth it groweth wylde abrode MARIVS The Greekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines Portulacan with the Italians it hath the same name in Spanishe Verdâ—laga in Frenche and Dutch Porchelle it is sowed in Gardens and well ordred dooth growe the better and spreadeth the farther it hath a blacke seede growing in little greene cuppes THRA Buglose that the Greekes cal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines Bugglossum the Dutchmen Ochsenzung or Burretsth the Frenchmen Borague the Italians Borache the Spaniardes Boraje Is not this it that I see here with y fayre blewe flowre and a stalke a foote long and full of branches MARIVS Buglose is at this day with the Potecaries called Borage though they differ somethyng in the flowre and in very deede they are two sundry hearbes for some
¶ FOVRE BOOKES OF Husbandry collected by M. Conradus Heresbachius Counseller to the hygh and mighty Prince the Duke of Cleue Conteyning the whole arte and trade of Husbandry vvith the antiquitie and commendation thereof Nevvely Englished and increased by Barnabe Googe Esquire GENESIS 3.19 ¶ In the svveate of thy face shalt thou eate thy bread tyll thou be turned agayne into the ground for out of it vvast thou taken yea dust thou art and to dust shalt thou returne ¶ AT LONDON Printed by Richard Watkins 1577. POST TRISTIA LAETA TO THE RIGHT WORshipfull his very good freend Syr Wylliam Fitzwylliams Knight IF such a haue paynefully and faythfully of long time serued their Prince and Countrey abroade doo most of all others deserue beside their condigne reward the benefite of a quiet and contented life at home I knowe no man good Syr VVylliam Fitzwylliams that of right may better chalenge it then your selfe who for the long time of your painefull seruise the trustie discharging of the treasureship of Ireland and your woorthy gouerment whyle it pleased her most excellent Maiestie to appoynt you for the saide Realme her highnesses Deputie haue so bâ—haued your selfe as euen your very enimies whereof I knowe you had gooâ— store haue been forced to geue you wyll they nyll they your iust deserued commendation I leaue to remember your sundry and troublesome trauayles your Gentelmanly minde alwayes vnweeried and vnmated with what so euer peril or hazard happened I passe ouer because I knowe you delight not in hearing your prayses that honourable and woorthy for euer to be Chronicled charge geuen vpon the Oneale at Monham in the rescue of your miserably distressed and slaughtred companions and countreymen of which there be sundry yet remayning that wyl attribute the hauing of their liues next vnto God to the prosperous successe of your valeaunt enterprise Neither hath this your loyall seruice to your Prince and Countrey at any time been vnaccompanied without a feruent and zealous affection towardes the Almighty the cheefest and only beauty of all mans actions Since thus as I said you may iustly chalenge for the good seruice you haue done in your youth a place and time of rest and quietnesse in your greater yeeres and that there is in my fancie no life so quiet so acceptable to God and pleasant to an honest mind as is the life of the Countrey where a man withdrawing him selfe from the miserable miseries vanities and vexations of this foolish and nowe tòtoo much doting world may geue him selfe to the sweete comtemplation of God and his woorkes and the profite and reliefe of his poore distressed neighbour to which two thinges we were chiefely created I thought it good to send you here as a token and testimony of my thankfull minde for your sundry freendshippes and curtesies shewed vnto me a rude draught of the order and maner of the saide Countrey lyfe which you may vse yf it please you for your recreation and afterwards if so you thinke it meete publish vnder your protection to the commoditie and benefite of others Fare you well in great haste from Kingstone the fyrst of Februarie 1577. Your assured louing freend Barnabe Googe ¶ THE EPISTLE TO the Reader I HAVE thought it meâ—te good Reader for thy further profite and pleasure to put into Enâ—glishe these foure Bookes of husbandry collected and set foorth by M. CONRAD HERESBACH a great and a learned Councellour of the DVKE of Cleues not thinking it reason though I haue altered and increased his vvoorke vvith myne ovvne readinges and obseruâ—tions ioyned vvith the experience of sundry my freendes to take from him as diuers in the like case haue done the honour and glory of his ovvne trauayle Neyther is it my minde that this eyther his dooinges or myne should deface or any vvayes darken the good enterprise or painefull trauayles of such our Countreymen of England as haue plentifully vvritten of this matter but alvvayes haue and doo geue them the reuerence and honour due to so vertuous and vvell disposed Gentlemen namely Master Fitzherbert and Master Tusser vvhose vvoorkes may in my fancie vvithout any presumption compare vvith any their Varro Columella or Palladius of Rome You haue here set dovvne before you not only the rules and practises of the olde auncient husbandes as vvell Greekes as Latines vvhose very orders for the most part at this day vve obserue and from vvhom yf vve vvyl confesse the trueth vve haue borrovved the best knovvledge skill that our skilfullest husbandes haue but also haue ioyned herevvithall the experience and husbandry of our ovvne husbandes of England as farre as eyther myne ovvne obseruations or the experience of sundry my freendes vvoulde suffer me And though I haue dealt vvith many both Graines Plantes and Trees that are yet strangers and vnknovven vnto vs I doo no vvhit doubt but that vvith good diligence and husbandry they may in short time so be denisend and made acquainted vvith ouâ— soyle as they vvyl prosper as vvel as the olde inhabitantes It is not many ages agone since both the Peache the Pistace the Pine the Cypresse the VValnut the Almond the Chery the Figge the Abricock the Muske Rose and a great sort of others both Trees and Plantes being some Perseans some Scythians some Armenians some Italians and some Frenche all strangers and aleantes vvere brought in as nouelties amongst vs that doo novve most of them as vvell yea and some of them better being planted amongst vs in England then yf they vvere at home I haue also been carefull about the planting and ordering of the Vine though some of my freendes vvould haue had it omitted as altogeather impertinent to our countrey because I am fully persvvaded yf diligence and good husbandry might be vsed vve might haue a reasonable good vvine grovvyng in many places of this Realme as vndoubtedly vve had immediatly after the Conquest tyll partly by slothfulnesse not liking any thing long that is painefull partly by Ciuil discord long continuing it vvas left and so vvith time lost as appeareth by a number of places in this Realme that keepes still the names of Vineyardes and vppon many â—liffes and Hilles are yet to be scene thâ— rootes and old remaynes of Vines There is besides Nottingham an auncient house called Chylvvel in vvhich house remayneth yet as an auncient monument in a great vvyndovve of Glâ—sse the vvhole order of plantinâ— proyning stamping prâ—ssing of Vines Beside there is yet also grovving an old Vine that yeeldes a Grape sufficient to make a right good vvine as vvas lately prooued by a Gentlevvoman in the saide house There hath moreouer good experience of late yeeres been made by tvvo noble and honorable Barâ—ons of this Realme the Lord Cobham and the Lord VVylliams of Tame vvho both had grovvyng about their houses as good vvines as are in many places of Fraunce And yf they ansvvered not in all pointes euery mans expectation the fault is rather to be imputed
man So I with Virgil doo commend great possessions but had rather occupie litle Therefore looke not to see here the house of Lucullus or Hyrcius which is reported to be solde for 4000000. HS. Suche stately dwellinges and marble floores as Cicero sayth I despise RIGO Notwithstandyng here is all thinges faire and as it appeareth commodiously buylt CONO For my part I build my house as they say according to my purse agreeable to my calling and to my liuing I wyl shewe you in order howe I haue cast it folowyng the aduise of Iscomachus in Xenophon whom Cicero doth greatly commend And fyrst the seate of my house hath mooued me to builde it after this sort Cato would haue a man long in determination to builde but to plant and sowe out of hand Our fathers herebefore obserued the same and seemed to folowe the counsell of Cato and Columella with whom agreeth also Plinie that the owner build his house in good order so as neither the house be to great for the lande nor the lande to muche for the house And herein it is written that L. Lucullus and Qu. Scaeuola were both to blame for one of them had a greater house then was answearable to his liuing the other which was Scaeuola built a smaller house then his liuyng required where both are vnprofitable to the maister For the great ruinous house not onely is more chargeable in buildyng but also asketh greater cost in the maintayning Againe if the house be to litle it wyl be a destruction and losse of your Corne fruite therefore is it greatly to purpose in what sort we build and ordeyne our house Cato would haue the house so seated as the ayre be good about it and yf it may be placed at the bottome of a hill looking directly South and in a holsome corner Varros mind is to haue it placed towarde the East that it may haue the shadowe in Sommer and the Sunne in Winter with whom Columella agreeth saying that yf habilitie serue the seate is to be wyshed in a holsome place for Cato as shal hereafter be shewed would haue healthy standing cheefely regarded with a fruitefull moulde some part of it champion some hilly lying East or South well watred and woodded and standing not farre of from some hauen or nauigable riuer to the end he may cary and transport such thinges as him listeth Cornelius Tacitus writeth that the Germanes were woont to build their houses as the Hyll the Riuer the Wood or the Lake would best suffer them RIGO Hereof I thinke sprang at the fyrst so many surnames as are at this day deriued from Mountaynes Riuers Lakes and Wooddes CONO It may be yet others doo counsayle in no case to set your house neere a Marshe or a great Riuer for the Fennes and Marshes in the heate of the yeere doo send foorth pestilent and deadly dampes and a great number of venemous Creatures which dying for lacke of their olde moystoure infecteth the ayre and breedeth sundry and strange diseases Homer affyrmeth very truely that the ayre whiche in the mornyng commeth from the Riuer is very vnholsome and daungerous and therefore yf the house must needes be built neere a Riuer they would haue suche heede taken as the Riuer rather stande on the backside of the house then before it and that the frunt of the house be turned from the hurtfull and vnholsome wyndes and placed towardes the healthiest quarters Sins all waters commonly with dampishe vapours in Sommer and stincking colde mystes in Winter except they be well purged with holsome Windes doo infect both man and beast with pestilence best is it therefore in good and healthy places to set the house toward the East or the South and in suspected ayres to place them agaynst the North. From the Sea it is good to be as farre as may be because the windes that blowe from the Sea are vnholsome and the space lying betwixt you and it yeeldes alwayes a lothsome ayre You must beware besides that you see not your house by any great hie way least you be molested with passingers and troubled often tymes with more ghestes then you would haue RIGO As farre as I remember the olde felowes dyd measure the goodnesse of their dwelling by the qualities of their neyghbours CONO You say very well in deede I had almost forgotten it a frowarde knaue to a mans neyghbour is not one of the least mischiefes as shal be sayde in the end of this booke I haue knowen sundry good men desyrous of quietnesse that haue forsaken good dwellinges rather then they would abyde the iniuries and troubles of suche companions wherfore Hesiodus had some reason in saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As great a mischeefe is a frovvard knaue As is the ioy a neighbour good to haue But you maruayle what I meane by suche a long preamble surely I am the longer in this matter because you should vnderstand the reason of building of my house For whereas there are sundry purposes of building and some build for pleasure some for wantonnesse and some for necessitie I thought it good to resyte the mindes of the olde wryters concerning the building of a house And when as euerie one will not suffer suche curiositie as they require in the placing of a house some building vpon Riuers some without or within the Marshe walles who can not shunne the neighbourhood of the Riuer or the Sea some in Lakes some in Wooddes and some building vpon mountaynes are driuen to supply the defect of nature with arte industrie I mee selfe syth I can by no meanes auoyde the neerenesse of the Riuer do seeke as much as in mee lyes to turne away the discomodities and because I feele the discomoditie of the rysing of the flooddes I haue set my house in this place without the bankes and mounted it as hie as I could and least the rage of the water and force of the yce should beare it away I haue planted round about it great trees and that I might shun the dampes of the ground and the blastes of vnholsome windes I haue turned my doores and my windowes to the holsomest quarters RIGO Surely eyther you or your auncestours haue both commodiously handsomely placed this house for the front is double one part looking towards the East the other towards the South and so built with Galeries and Gables as it both receiueth the Sunne in Winter and the shadowe in Sommer besides you haue a fayre Porche as you enter in that keepeth away the wind and the rayne from the doore CONO All the one side if you marke it where the front is lyeth South receyuyng from the fyrst corner the rising of the Sunne in Winter declining somewhat from the West wherby it is warme in Winter and not troubled with ouer great heate in Sommer for this kinde of building hath an equall medlie of the Winter windes and Sommer windes so that it receiueth the coole windes
in Sommer and is not subiect to the bitter blastes in Winter though there be something in it that might be amended and that dooth not well please me RIGO Some part of the building mee thinketh is after the Italian maner CONO Some part of it being ruinous I built after my fancie and suche as I found sounde I thought yenough for me to keepe the reparations RIGO I pray you proceede with the describing of the rest This base court seemeth also to me to be after the Italian fashion with two gates CONO This Court I thus deuised mee selfe Here was a kinde of Court before but not so commodious therefore I made a square wall here with a great gate for the bringing in of my cariages and a lesser for people to passe in and out In the voyde place here besides the porche I haue made a litle walke couered with a Uine with diuers seates in it for shadowe where I many times walke and talke with suche suters as I haue I haue in it a table of stone to suppe vpon when I am disposed Oueragaynst the gate as you see at the South side of the Court there is a Backhouse and a Cornemill with Ouens for bread and other baked meates there is also a Brewehouse with an Oast for drying of Malt to make Beere with RIGO Surely all very handsome and in very good order CONO These offices for feare of fyre you see are all seuered from the house there is hereunto adioyning a very fayre well which besides the seruice heere dooth also serue my Kitchin and other houses of office for within the house I haue neyther well nor fountayne which is a great discommoditie suche as I would geue a great deale of money to remedie both for health coolenesse in Sommer and for watring my Gardens and my Orchardes Water is one of the principalest things to be cared for as the greatest cause of health both in man beast but this want is supplied partly by a good well without partly by Sesternes receauing the rayne water that falles in certayne Conduites and pipes which water is most holsome for the body and beside the Riuer is not farre of RIGO Come on I pray you let vs see this Backhouse I heare that you haue a newe and a strange fashioned Mill of your owne deuiseâ— CONO You shall see it When as in a great house there is great neede of Corne Mylles and the common Milles being faire of the way foule and I at myne owne libertie to grinde at home or where I lyst thinking to make a mill here at home when neyther place nor aucthoritie wyll serue me to builde eyther a water mill or a wind mill and a querne or a hand mill dooth but a litle good and to build a horse mill were more troublesome When I sawe the wheeles that they vse to draw water with turned with Asses or men I thought in the like sort the wheele of a mill myght be turned and after this sort deuised I this engine whiche a couple of Asses guided by a boy doo easilye turne and make very fine meale sufficient for myne owne house and most times for my neighbours whom I suffer to grinde tolle free RIGO Surely I like well your deuise What wyll not the diligence of man bring to passe CONO I fynde it profitable vnto me but because it is not the speediest way of grinding I haue beside a horse mill whiche yf neede require is turned about with a Iade or two RIGO Lo here is a great leade placed handsomely in a Bricke furnace in the corner whiche I thinke serueth to brewe with all CONO In deede to that ende is it most occupied but it serueth other turnes beside RIGO There is a Hopper mee thinketh ouer the toppe of the Oast whereto serueth it CONO It serueth to conuey downe the Malt after it is watred vnto the heare cloth where it is dryed RIGO Wherefore serueth that great Tonne CONO To water the Barly in when neede is otherwyse it serueth for a Mashfatte Hereby is a Backhouse and a Pastrie with two Ouens one seruing for householde bread the other for manchet for myne owne table and for Tartes and fine baake-meates Here are also troughes to keepe meale in and troughes to lay leauen in and there is a fayre table to mould vpon RIGO All is handsome but what meanes this building about your Court CONO These buildinges seuered from the rest doo serue for gheste chambers with a chamber for my hotte house this syde you see lyeth agaynst the settyng of the sunne in Sommer where the sunne may lye from noone tyll nyght RIGO But that litle Ile moated about and seuered from the court with a Bridge seemeth to be more gorgeously and sumptuously built I take it to be your owne lodging where you your wyfe and your seruantes meane to lye safely CONO It is euen so and therefore it is built vpon a higher ground both for the safegard of the fundation and for the better ayre fayrer prospect beside my Garden and my Orchard are adâ—oyning to it whiche with the sweete smell of the â—loures and the fayre beautie of the trees bringeth both health and pleasure The wyndowes for the most part open al East and some of them North very fewe West except from suche Chambers or Galleries Southward where I dyne and suppe to receiue the sunne in Winter abundantly and in Sommer very litle the Tower that you see serueth for my Douehouse RIGO The great flyghtes of this house must needes fyll the maisters purse and serue the Kitchin well CONO In deede yf as that noble and passing well learned Varro affyrmeth they might be solde as in some ages they haue been at eyght pound a payre or that a man might meete with suche fooles as Columella writeth of that haue geuen 40. pound for a payre I graunt I coulde make a good handsome gayne of them but as they be they hardly serue myne owne table RIGO What dooth not the madde desyre of delicasie procure euen in our dayes of late I haue heard there was threescore Florens geuen for a payre CONO I wyl keepe you no longer here about mine owne lodging you haue seene a great number of better houses and paraduenture had rather ouer looke my outhouses RIGO I had so in deede you haue I see deuided your house into three partes CONO So I thought it best one for mee selfe an other for my husbandmen and the thirde for graine and fruitâ— RIGO What meaneth this Cell here so handsomely built at the entrance CONO This is syr my Bayliffes lodging I lay him by the Gate that he may see who goeth in and out and what is brought and goeth foorth from thence he may also looke inâ—o the Kitchin and see and heare what is there doone for beside the meate that is dressed there are other thinges doone there in the Winter morninges Ouer my Gate I haue laide my Steward from whence he
Nature About Châ—lâ—ia an Ilande about the Rodes it is saide there is a peece of ground so fruitefull that they mowe their Barley being sowen in his season and their Croppe sowe it agayne and geather it with their other grayne The Albanoyses receaue the friuite of theyr lande 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vntylled and vnsowen and beyng once sowen it yeeldeth his Croppe three yeeres togeather Homer calleth Phrigea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Argos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herodotus wryteth that Babylon is so fruitefull as the grounde yeeldeth encrease two hundred and three hundred folde Plinie affyrmeth the encrease in his time to be fiftie and to good husbandes an hundred folde About Monte Gibello it is reported by credible persons to be an hundred folde Italy is so fruitefull that Varro calleth it the Garden of the worlde because it is so fertill and well planted in euery place Campania being full of Corne Apulia plenteous with Wine and Venafri aboundyng with oyle RIGO I haue heard say that Germanie and Fraunce haue not been in times past very fertyll and that they haue been altogeather without Uines and nowe we see no Countrey more fruitefull that yeeldeth greater aboundance of all thinges Where can you finde better wines then about Bauaer and the Rhine I speake not of their great store of Grayne Mines of Golde Siluer Iron and Leade In the Countrey of Thuryn in Germanie it is sayde that after Wheate once sowen the ground wyll yeelde Rye of it selfe two yeeres togeather CONO Yea and in our Countrey here we haue ground that wyll beare Wheate euery yeere Rape seede being once sowen with vs dooth often yeeld his Crop two yeeres togeather without sowyng or labouring RIGO Under the Northren Pole it is reported the grounde is so fertyll as they sowe in the Mornyng and reape at Noone In Barbarye where the ground is lowe they plant vnder the Date tree the Oliue vnder the Oliue the Figge tree vnder the Figge the Pomegranate vnder it the Uine vnder the Uine they sowe Wheate and vnder Wheate Pulse all prospering one vnder the others shadowe and yeelding their fruite the same yeere CONO That made me to say that the grounde folowes the disposition of the Heauens RIGO But syth in all places the ground is not of lyke goodnesse what yf we chaunce vppon a leane and a barren ground as Heathy Brushy Grauelly ground may these be made fruitefull and mended by arte CONO Uery well there is no Countrey that the most gratious Lorde hath left without sufficient yeelde yf labour and trauayle bee not refused RIGO That skill I would gladly vnderstand CONO It is brought to passe diuers wayes principally by dounging and diligent labour and to this end serue those heapes of doung that I lately shewed you RIGO I pray you let me knowe what doung dooth most enriche the ground CONO Varro and Columella his folower appoynt three sortes of dounges the fyrst of Poultrie the next of Men the thirde of Cattell Of the fyrst sort the best is that whiche is had out of Douehouses the next is of Pulleyne and al other foule except Geese and Duckes which is hurtfull The people in the old age had such store of Poultrie and Foule as the doung of them suffised for the manuring of theyr ground The next to this is man â— ordure if it be mixed with other rubbishe of the house for of it selfe it is to hot and burâ—es the grounde Mans vrine beyng sixe monethes kept and powred vppon the rootes of Apple trees and Uines bringeth great fruâ—tefulnesse to the trees and geueth a pleasant taste to the fruite In the thirde place is the doung of Cattell whereof the best is the doung of Asses because this beast dooth chawe with most leysure whereby his meate being wel digested is made the profitabler doung Next to this is the doung of Sheepe next of Goates then of Oxen and Horses the woorst of all of Swyne very hurtfull to Corne but vsed in some places for Gardens for lacke of other doung but is a great breeder of noysome weedes yet Plinie seemeth to allowe it as the fylth of a filthy creature The doung of Horses likewyse where the Horses are fedde with Barley dooth breede great store of weedes The Lupine before he beare his Codde is most commended being turned vp with the Plowe or Mattocke and layd in bundels about the rootes of Trees or Uines Where they haue no store of Cattel they vse to mend their ground with Straw and Ferne and with the stalkes of Lupines and the branches layde togeather in some Ditch herevnto you may cast Asshes the fylth of Synckes and Priuies and strawe with dust and other thinges raked togeather but in the middest you must lay some sounde matter against the breeding of Adders and Snakes also Humlockes Walwoort and the weedes growyng about Wyllowe trees and Ferne with other such rotten weedes you may geather and lay vnder your Sheepe They that dwell in Grauelie and Heathie groundes doo take the Turues of the Earth and the Heath laying them in heapes powdred with a litle doung suffer them to lye rotte and after lay it vpon barren ground but specially where they keepe great store of Sheepe they cast into their Foldes suche Turues pared from the grounde Columella countes them but euyll huâ—bandes that haue of euery one of the lesser kind of cattell lesse then a cart lode of doung in 300. dayes and of eache of the greater sort tenne loade beside the fylth and durt of the yarde This is also to be noted that the doung that hath lyen a yeere is best for Corne for it hath is of sufficient strength and breedeth lesse weedes but vppon Meddowe and Pasture you must lay the newest because it bringes most grasse and this must be doone in Februarie the Moone encreasing for this is the best time to cause encrease of grasse In the manuring of your ground looke that you lay most doung vpon the toppe of the Hill for the rayne wyll beare it to the lower partes fast yenough He that mindes to haue his grounde beare Corne yf he meane to sowe in the ende of Sommer must turne in his doung in September yf in the spring he may lay it on at any time all the Winter What time so euer it be doone you must looke that the winde be Westerly and the Moone in the wane This obseruation helpeth greatly to the bettering of the grounde Besyde you must not forget to let the doung be drye before it be layd vppon the ground For though Columella doo bidde the contrary our owne experience wylles vs not to folowe him for doung whyle it is moyst dooth more harme to the ground then good as dayly experience teacheth Nowe as your lande wyll waxe colde yf it be not dounged so wil it be dryed or burnt if it be manured yeerely or to much The watrie ground requireth more store of
seuerally shewe you of euery seede by him selfe and so declare vnto you the order of their sowyng And fyrst amongest all the fruites and grayne that the Earth dooth yeeld for our sustenance the cheefest place is rightly geuen vnto Wheate called in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Grano in Spanishe Trigo in Dutch VVeyss in Frenche Fourment as a grayne most needefull for man and therefore most fruitefull because God hath ordayned it to nourishe man withall It is woonderfull what yeeld it hath been of in some Countreys Augustus his deputie sent hym from Bisaice in Africa of one grayne of Wheate foure hundred branches And Plinie witnesseth that in the same place one bushel hath yeelded a hundred and fyftie bushels RIGO There are that holde opinion that this which the common people call Wheate the Germanes VVeyss and the Hollanders Terue is not the true Wheate but a kinde of Rye and that the true Wheate whiche the Italians call Grano groweth onely in Italy and in Spayne CONO That whiche growes in Italy and Cicil at this day differeth not from ours in fashion colour nor flowre though the grayne there be somewhat great and the flowre more clammey whiche maketh it that it can not be long kept specially about Rome And whereas our Wheate is eyther bearded or pollarde theirs is altogeather pold we call it pold or pollard that hath no Aanes vpon the eares And that we call the Aane which groweth out of the eare like a long pricke or a darte whereby the eare is defended from the daunger of Birdes With Virgil the Aane is vsed for the Corne as the parke for the Wheate Gluma is the husks of the Corne whose top is the Aane Fâ—it is the small grayne lesser then the corne that growes in the top of the ripe eare To returne to the Wheate I graunt there are some that doubt of this Wheate of ours suche hath been the iniurie of the tyme as all thinges almost forgotten we scarsely knowe howe to name the foode that we daylâ— feede of For my part I wyl followe common vse as a maistresse in speache The olde writers haue written of sundry sortes of Wheate whereof they haue thought that most needefull to be sowen whiche they called Robus as the fayrest and wayghtiest The second called Siligo they vsed in their fynest Cheate The thirde they called Trimestre because it woulde be ripe in three monethes after the sowing Though Columella alowe no suche kinde yet was it most auncient with the Grekes and called Trimâ—non growyng onely in the colde countreys In Thâ—â—cia they haue a kinde that is ripe in two monethes and is couered with a number of huskes against the extreme colde of the Countrey In our Countreys also we haue Wheate and Rye that we sowe with our Sommer grayne as we likewyse doo Rape seede but to no great commodititie for the Winter seedes too farre exceede them and being nourished in the earth al Winter they prooue as Theophrastus sayth of more substance and profyte Amongest all these sortes Plinie recounteth the Wheate of Italy to be the best both for beautie and weyght We vse with vs only two sortes differing in this that the one hath smoothe eares without any beardes the other with long beardes or Aanes very ruffe and sharpe not much vnlike to Winter Bailey in al other properties they are both alike It is sowen in September the season being fayre the grounde thryse plowed and well raked or harrowed although you may sowe it very well after once plowing vpon grounde where Pease Tares or Buck hath been newly had of in a good soyle Plinie and Columella woulde haue you sowe of Wheate and Rye fyue busshels vpon an acre but as I haue saide before this meaâ—ure is to be measured by reason We at this day sowe not so much Wheate vpon an acre as Rye nor so much Rye as Barley It is best yf the Winter be like to be colde to sowe the sooner yf warme the later Wheate delighteth in a leuell riche warme and a drye ground a shaddowy weedy and a hilly ground it loueth not though Plinie say the hil yeeldeth harder Wheate but no great store After it is sowen it putteth out a great company of small rootes and appeareth at the fyrst wy or blade it hath sundry stalkes but suche as can not branche all the Winter as other Winter Corne is it is nourished in blade when the Spring draweth on it beginneth to spindle vppon the thirde or fourth ioynt thereof commeth out the eare which fyrst appeareth enclosed in the blade it flowreth the fourth or fyfth day after yf it growe to rancke at the fyrst it is eaten downe with cattel or in some place mowed it is after weeded it flowres about the tenth of Iune sooner or later as the yeere falles out euen at one time almost with the Uine two noble floures with comfortable sauour flourishing at once Varro affyrmeth that the Whâ—ate lyeth fyfteene dayes in the blade flourisheth fyfteene and ripeth fyfteene after it hath flowred it waxeth greater and as Theophrastus sayth is within fourtie dayes after ful ripe where with the latest they reape in the eyght moneth Other say in sixe and thirtie dayes reaped in the nienth moneth It neuer eares tyll al his ioyntes or knottes he growen There are foure iointes in Wheate as Plinie sayth and eyght in Barley but in our countrey and our dayes both Wheate Rye Barley and Oates haue but foure and that not alwayes Before the full number of the ioyntes there is no appearing of the eare whiche when it commeth beginneth to flowre within foure or fyue dayes and so many or little more it fadeth When the flowre is gone the grayne begins to swel and in foure or fyue dayes after to ripe The blade of the Wheate is something like a Sedge but narrower then the Barley the Spindel Stalke or Strawe thereof is smoother and gentler and not so brittle as of Barley It is closed in many coates The stalke that beareth the eare is higher then that of Barley the eare groweth more vpryghe and farther from the blade the chaffe is softer sweeter and more full of iuyce the eare of Wheate is out of order and vneuen as well of the Pollard as of the hearded where as Barley hath his eare of iust number and in perfect order In Bactâ—iâ— it is sayde a grayne of Wheate is equall in quantitie to an eare of our Wheate In Babylon the blades both of Wheate and Barley as Herodotus reporteth are foure inches brode Wheate as Columella wryteth after the third sowing chaungeth to Rye which hath been knowen in Germanie as I sayde before in many places Of Wheate is made Amyl the making whereof Cato and Dioscorides teacheth After Wheate we sowe with vs Rye There are that thinke it to be that whiche the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though Homer take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a kinde of foode for Horses some others
take it for a kinde of Wheate Herodotus sayth Bread was made of it Of Laurentius it is called Far of Gasa Siligo Diuers learned men call it Secale and take it for Plinies farragoâ— the Frenchemen cal it Segle the Dutchemen Rock the Italians almost as the Latines Saegala the grayne is something blacke and maketh blackishe bread But to passe ouer all controuersies I folowe the Countrey speache and take Siligo for our common Rye whiche is sowed immediatly after Wheate about the ende of September or in the beginning of October in good ground in sandy and grauelly ground it is sowed in Februarie and called Sommer Wheate it requireth the best grounde warme and fast and refuseth not light grounde and grauelly so it be helped with doung it loueth wette grounde as ill as Wheate they both require to be sowen in a deepe moulde and a plaine soyle but Rye is sowed a litle after Wheate in the sowyng whereof you must occupie a thirde part more then of Wheate it prospereth lightly in any grounde and many times with the yeeld of a hundred for one It must be sowed after the third plowing as Wheate harrowed much after the same sort the stalke or steale thereof is smaller then the Wheate stalke taller and stronger his care hanging downewardes and therefore more subiect to blasting because it receiueth and keepeth the water that falles whyle it flowreth and suffereth the violence of mystes and frostes the strawe thereof is gentle and flaxible seruing for Uines and coueringes of houses Nowe foloweth Barâ—ley accounted in the olde generations among the woorthyest sort of grayne and not of small estimation at this day The Italians call it Beade or Beaue or Orze the Spaniards Ceuada the Dutch men Gerst the Frenchemen Orge the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and though it be vsed in Greece and Italie and suche warme and fruitefull Countreys for cattelles foode as Homer also witnesseth yet in the Northerne Countreyes it supplies the place both of Bread and Wine There are of it two sortes Hexâ—stichon and Polystichum whose eares are three foure sometimes sixe square and diuers eares springing from one grayne euery eare conteynyng aboue fourescore graynes so woonderfull are the gyftes and blessinges of god The other sort is called Distichon hauing in the eare but two rankes or orders only Agayne there is one kinde of it to be sowed in Winter an other for Sommer The Winter Barley is of better yeeld but it is soone hurt specially with much wette and frostes folowyng There is nothyng more hurtfull to Winter Corne specially Barley Rape seede and Rye then the wette of Winter nipped with often frostes and after a warme thawe to be presently frozen agayne both the sortes of Barley require grounde that is very riche Winter Barley after two or three plowinges is to be sowed in September Sommer Barley in March or April after twyse plowing and many times necessitie forcing after once plowing in the sowing you must occupie more seede by halfe then in sowyng of Wheate it requires a mellowe and a fatte ground and therfore is best sowed where the grounde is most manured The Winter seede flowreth in May and is ripe in Iune at the furthest This kinde was not woont to be sowed in these partes but great numbers nowe mooued by my example doo vse and receiue great gaynes by it The Sommer Barley in many Countreys is ripe and redy in three monethes afâ—er the sowyng In Aragon as Plinie wryteth it maketh double haruestes euery yeere The seuenth day after it is sowen it commeth vp and one end of the seede runneth downe in roote the other that â—ooner springeth commeth vp in blade the greater ende of the grayne maketh the roote and the slenderer the flowre In other grayne the roote and the blade spring both from one part the blades of both kindes are ruffe It must be geathered with more speede then other graynes for the strawe of it is very brittell Of Barley is made as Dioscorides wryteth both Beere and Ale. RIGO I lyke your Beere you haue excellently wel I pray you tell me in what sorâ— you make it CONO I wyll not hyde my cunnyng in this matter My Barley is fyrst steeped in a Sestorne of water a day or two yf it be Winter seede it is harder hulled and requireth the longer watering The Sommer grayne is thinner and requireth a lesser tyme When it is watred I drye it vpon a floore or a keel tyll it swel and breake putting out as it were litle beardes or threds yf it be layde thinne it wyll in Sommer specially in March drye and breake of it selfe without any fyre You must take good heede that in sprowting it open not to much and loose his flowre This being doone I grinde it and put the meale into a Mash Fatte wherevnto I put my licour sodden and after let it seethe three or foure times adding vnto it both for holsomenesse and taste the flowre of the Hoppe after this I put on Yeest and set it a woorkyng and then cleanse it The more it is cleansed the holsomer and cleerer it is that whiche commeth of the spurging is kept both for brewing and baking the drinke wyll be the better yf you put to it a fourth part or sixth part of Wheate the more Corne you laâ— on the pleasaunter and better coloured wyll your Beere be Your greatest care must be to see it well sodden well cleanseâ— and well hopped otherwyse Malt of it selfe wyll soone corrupt Obseruing this order your drinke shal be both holsome and pleasant that endureth best and longest that is brewed in march There is made of Barley Alica a reasonable good meate and Ptisan How they must be made you may reade in Plinie Next to Wheate and Barley foloweth Zea which the common people both in Italy Spaine and Flaunders call Spelta the Frenche call it Espeltra with Homer is greatly commended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the feel des that beareth the Zeam being as Galen sayth the meane betwixt Wheate and Barley for he hath the qualities of eache of them is of two sortes the one in stalke ioynt and care like to Wheate and carieth in euery huske two seedes and therefore is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other hauing both stalke and eare shorter and but one grayne in euery huske growing in two rankes and in the toppe resembling Barley with his sharpe Aaâ—es In Italy specially about Mirandula and Concordia it is vsed in prouender for Horses it is not in these Countreys in vse I woulde sowe it here syth the ground wyll well serue for it and that both bread and drinke might be made of it very well but that it is something troublesome to grinde because of the double huskes It desyreth a moyst ground riche and good it is sowed after the same maner that Wheate is sowed in September or October it flowreth in Iune and is ripe in Iuly very meete for
cold Countreys because it can abide frost and stormes RIGO There is as I remember a kinde of Wheate called Far the auncient people called it Adoreum that groweth in many Countreys CONO You say true for with the olde sort Far was a general name to all Corne as Wheate Far Barley Far and Rye Far and when Mylles were not yet deuised they did beate their Corne in Morters whereof came that the Meale was callâ—d Farina yet after was the name of Far onely geuen to Adoreum though Columella called it alwayes Far Adoreum making foure sundry sortes of it The Frenchemen call it Brance the Italians Sandala the Spaniardes Escandâ—a the common people of our Countrey call it Farro the Dutche Keskome whose grayne is very like Wheate but that it is shorter and thicker and where Wheate hath a clift there hath it a risyng it is heauier then Barley and lighter then Wheate it yeeldeth more Meale then any other Corne. The people of Rome as Plinie sayth liued with this Corne at the â—yrst three hundred yeeres it groweth in Egypt without Aane with a greater â—are and a waightier it hath in the stalke seuen ioyntes and can not be cleansed except it be parched Fraunce hath two sortes therof one of a reddishe colour which the people cal redde Wheate the other whiter whiche they call white Wheate the eare is threesquare not vnlike to spelt In Italy they make pottage of it for their labourers Far or Adoreum Virgil would haue sowen before the setting of the seuen starres after the Aequinoctiall of Autum but in wette and colde barren groundes it is best to sowe it about the Kalendes of October that it may take deepe roote before the sâ—eezing and colde in Winter It is sowed in lowe grounde watrishe and chalkie after it is sowed it must be harrawed raked and weeded the raking looseth in the Spring the heauie shaâ—tes of Winter In raking or harrawyng you must take heede as I haue said before that you hurte not the rootes weeding when it is knotted seuereth the Corne from all anoyances The Frencheman sowe it in hollowe Furrowes because it is very subiect to blasting thinking thereby to preserue it both from blast and mildewe To sowe it in hie ground is discommended though it prospereth tâ—eâ—e well yenough because cattell can not away with it for the sharpenesse and ruffenesse of the eares and because it requireth great labour in getting of the huskes which yf it be not cleared of is neither good for man nor beast the vncleane Chasfe dooth hurt with the Cough the Cattelles lunges Amongest the Winter seedes Rape seede dooth chalenge his place whiche I take to be the seede of the Rape which Plinie maketh for his third kinde and wylde whose roote lyke the Raddishe runneth in length the leaues being ruffe like the other kindes and the stalke busshy and full of branches the roote of it is good for nothing but is onely sowed for the seede whereof they make oyle seruing for poore mens kitchins fastes and lightes specially in Germanie where they want the oyle of Oliues whereby aryseth great gaynes to the husbandman In the hotte Countreyes where they haue other oyle yenough this seede is of no vse but in feeding of Byrdes it is sowed in the ende of August or the beginnyng of September howe be it sometime it is sowen in March among the Sommer seedes but to nothing so great a profite it is cast into very riche grounde or wel manured thryse plowed and well tylled it must be sowed very thinne for being a very small seede it must not be sowed with the full hande as Wheate is but onely with three fyngers it flowreth in March or there abouts as the yeere is forward and contineweth his flowring a long time the flowre is yellowe and very sweete wherein Bees doo muche delight as soone as it hath left flowring it is presently ripe it groweth two cubites in height bearing a plentifull seede in little small Coddes it rendreth for one bâ—sshell a hundred busshels of seede Hitherto haue I spoken of Winter seedes nowe must I tell you of suche as are sowen towardes Sommer RIGO Wyll you speake nothing of the Rape roote which is greatly occupied of the husbandman and not to be despised as a thing that groweth in great quantitie is meetely good meate boâ—h for man and beast CONO The Rape is named of the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Rapo in Spanishe Nabo in Frenche Rauen. The ordering of which though I tooke it to belong to the garden wherein you are able to say more then I yet because you require it and that sometime the husbandmen doo plant them in their Feeldes I wyl tell you as much as I knowe therein There are two kindes of them the fyrst dooth roote all in length lyke the Radishe whiche in many places of Germanie is vsed for a dayntie meate the other eyther groweth in great roundnesse or els very flatte they are nourished with mystes frostes and cold three monethes togeather and growe to an exceedyng greatnesse Plinie wryteth that he hath seene Rootes of them that haue weyghed fourtie pound Some say they haue seene of them that haue weyghed an hundred pounde It is woonderfull that of so litle a seede shoulde come so great a roote The Greekes make two kindes of them the male and the female both comming of one seede the male when it is sowed thicke and the female when it is sowed thinne There are two seasons for the sowing of it eyther in Marche whiche wyll be ripe about the tenth of Iune or in Iuly or August after the first plowyng commonly vppon the ground where Rye and Winter Barley haue been newely had of It is thought they are the sweeter by lying in the ground all Winter when as the encrease is not in the leafe but in the roote They are also sowed as Plinie wryteth in hot moyst Countreys in the spring and wâ—ll the better encrease yf they be sowed with Chaffe who woulde also haue the sower naked and in castyng the seede to wyshe good lucke to hym selfe and to his neyghbours They are preserued from the Caterpiller which commonly consumeth the young leaues by mingling the seede with Soote or steepyng them all a nyght in the iuyce of Houseleeke Columella affyrmeth that he hym selfe hath seene it prooued RIGO Nowe proceede I pray you with your Sommer seedes CONO The Sommer seedes are almost all suche as are ripe within three monethes or foure at the vttermost after they are sowen and some of them sooner yf the grounde and the weather be good Among the sommer seedes we wyl fyrst talke of grayne and after of pulse Of the grayne Oates are the fyrst that are sowed though Virgil count them barren and Plinie counteth them rather weedes then Corne affyrmyng that Barley when it prospereth not wyll many tymes turne to Oates yet the Frenche men and the Germanes count it at this day the
it is almost all one with Millet neyther can it as Millet be fined without parching when it beginnes to spindel it must be well weeded least the weedes ouergrowe it being well drâ—st with Cheesyl and Milke it maketh indifferent good meate in bread it is not so muche vsed as Millet for the bread is very drye and croombleth lyke Sâ—â—d or Asshes being altogeather without moysture or cleauing but the common people remediyng that with Larde or Oyle doo make a shift with it as wel as they can They that dwell about Pontus are sayde to esteeme it aboue all other foode as the people of Nauare doo at this day In many Countreys it is vsed onely to feede Pigeons withall Of the number of outlandishe grayne is Ryse in share as Theophrastus sayth lyke Darnell hauyng a busshy toppe lyke Millet or Pannicle but no Eare his grayne is lyke the kinde of Barley called Zea the leaues are thicke lyke leaues of Leekes but broader the stalke a cubite hie the floure purple This grayne is but geason in Fraunce and Germanie but in Italy and Lumbardy common where it is called Elriso and Menâ—stro Del riso the Frenchmen leauyng the fyrst letter doo call it Rison the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spaniardes call it Arross Plinie supposeth it to be engendred of the water Sedge There is made of it Furmentie as Horace calles it Ryse Furmentie It is sowed in March as Millet and Pannicle is The Indians they say do bruse it before they sowe it to make it the lighter of digestion And as Strabo reporteth they make drinke of it RIGO What say you to Sesamum that was greatly in vse in the olde tyme. CONO Sesamum is named with the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Italians Seâ—amo the Spaniard Aâ—onioliâ— the Frenchemen Iugiolin In tymes paâ—t it hath been more vsed and greatly commended both of Columella and Plinie At tâ—is day it is knowen to a very fewe as a great sort â—f seedes els are in so muche as the very Corne that we dayly seede of we scarsely knowe what it is Some reckon it in the number of Grayne and some of Pulse the stalke thereof is not lyke Millet or Pannicle full of ioyntes but playne and smoothe lyke a reede the leaues thereof ruddy the seede white not so bigge as Lineseede and is conteined in little knoppes like Poppie it is sowen before the rysing of the Seuen Starres after the maner of Italy Columella sayth that he hath seene it in Cilicia and Syâ—ia sowed in Iune and Iuly and reaped in Autume It requires a mellowe blacke moulde though it wyll growe vppon good sandy grounde and forced ground rayne is hurtfull vnto it after it is sowed where as it â—oth good to all other grayne no great Cattell nor Uermine wyll meddle with it it hurteth ground very muche because of the great quantitie and thicknesse of the stalke and the number of the rootes Plinie wryteth that it was brought out of India and vsed both for meate and oyle But to returne to such graine as we are acquainted with Amongst the Sommer seedes is Myscelyn to be reckoned The husbandmen doo sometime make a medley of sundry sortes of seedes and 〈◊〉 them partly for Cattell and partly for hope that though some of them fayle yet some wyll groâ—e But here must you beware lest you mingle not Winter Corne and Sommer Corne togeather for that were a great ouersight and one of them must needes perishe Some Barley may well be mingled with Oates or Buck as well for brewing as for feeding of cattell and Tares or other lyke Pulse may be myngled with Oates as very good foode for beastes They are to be fowed in tyme and place as I haue colde before in my seuerall entreatyng of them RIGO You haue well satisfied me for Grayne and Corne you may nowe yf it please you doo as much in Pulse CONO Pulse or Pedware is called of the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other partes of the fruites of the grounde of these there are sundry sortes as you haue seene of Corne some put Millet Pannicle and Sesanum to this kind because Columoâ—llâ— sometimes puts them in the number of Grayne and sometime of Pulse but I folowyng Plinie herein doo put them amongest the kindes of Grayne accountyng those to be Pulse whose seedes are conteyned in coddes as Beanes Pease Lenâ—â—es Tares Chyâ—hes Fytches and such lyke which all are to be sowen in the Spring Of all kinde of Pulse the greatest honour is due to the Beane as Plinie witnesseth as to a Pulse that is most commodious for man and beast In Greeke it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian and Latine Faba in Spanishe Haua in Frenche Feue in Dutche Bonen This amongest all other Pulse groweth in height wâ—thout any stay it hath a thicke leafe a creasted flowre of diuers colours spotted white and blacke whiche Varro calles the lamentable letters it hath a long Codde his fruite within broade lyke the nayle of a man of diuers colours it appeareth at the fyrst with many leaues lyke a Pease and not with one alone lyke Wheate It is sowed fyrst of all other Pulse in the Spring tyme as Virgil wyll haue it and timely because of Fabalia whiche is the offall of the Beanes for both the Coddes and the stalke is a foode that cattel muche delightes in Columella reporteth howe he heard a skilfull husband say that he had rather haue the offall of Beanes timely sowed then the Croppe of that which is ripe in three monethes you must sowe them in the encrease of the Moone and after once plowing It is sayde that yf they be enclosed in Goates doung and sowed they wyll yeelde great encrease and that the partes that are eaten or gnawne in the encrease of the Moone wyll fyll vp agayne If they be sowed neere to the rootes of Trees they wyll kyll them Some holde opinion that yf they be steeped in Capons blood they wyll be safe from all hurtfull weedes and that layde in water a day or two before they be sowen they wyll growe the sooner The Beane delighteth in riche and wel dounged ground as all other Pulse dooth wette and lowe grounde it dooth not refuse though all the rest desyre drye grounde it wayeth not weedyng being able to ouergrowe them Of all other Pulse it onely springeth with an vpryght stalke full of knottes and hollowe And where as all other Pulse are long in flowre this flowreth longest flowring fourtie dayes together one stalke beginning when others end and not all at one time as Wheate they codde in sundry dayes the lowest part of the stalke flowring fyrst and so vpward styll in order So fruitefull are they in some places as you shall finde one stalke to beare a hundred Beanes The Beanes sticke close to their Coddes the blacke in theyr â—oppes the Latines call Hilum the Coddes Valuuli the woormes that breede
hath noted Flaxe vvhere he grovves dooth burne the feelde The lyke dooth Oates and Poppey yeelde And therefore but that women must haue something to occupie theyr handes withall it were more profite to sowe the grounde with corne and to bye linnen abrode especially yf you way the hart of your grounde and the charges of the makyng Hempe in Latine Canubis in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Canabe in Spanishe Cannamo in Frenche Chamura and in Dutch Haueph is a plant of the Reedishe kinde hauing a very strong sauour it groweth with a single stalke and many times to suche a heyght that it matcheth with indifferent Trees it is of great necessitie for the vse of man and serueth both for makyng of Canuisse and framing of Ropes the stalke hath many knottes out of whiche proceedeth branches with narrowe leaues indented and sharpe Dioscorides describeth both the wylde Hempe and the Garden Hempe to haue leaues lyke the Ashe hollowe stalkes a stinkyng sauour and rounde seede There are two kindes of it the Male that is without floure and beareth a seede of sundry colours and the Female that to recompence her barrennesse dooth yeelde a white flowre it is sowed in Gardens Orchardes or other gooâ— grounde as Plinie would haue it after a Southwest wind with vs it is sowen in the ende of April for it can not away with cold some sowe it at the rysing of the starre called the Berward which is at the ende of Februarie or the beginning of March it loueth riâ—che grounde well dounged and watred and deepe plowed it is noughty sowing of it in raynie weather the thicker you sowe it the tenderer it wyll be and therefore many times it is sowen thryse though some there be that appoynt to euery foote square sixe seedes The Female or fyrble Hempe is fyrst pulled vp afterward the Male or the Carle when his seede is ripe is plucked vp and made vp in bundels layde in the Sunne for three or foure dayes and after is cast into the water with weyght layd vpon him for eyght or tenne dayes tyll he be sufficiently watred and as Flaxe tyll the Rynde waxe loose then taken out it is dryed with the Sunne and after broken in the Brake and then combed and hacked for Yarne and Ropes Of Hempe are made Cables Cordes Nettes and Sayles for Shippes garmentes for Labourers Shertes and Sheetes the Shales or Stalkes serue for the heating of Ouens or kyndeling of Fyres RIGO In the Countrey of Gulicke and some partes of Fraunce I remember I haue seene an hearbe planted of the common people with great diligence that serueth as they sayd for Dyars CONO You say true that hearbe Cesar in his Comentaries of the warres of Fraunce calleth Glastum in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Gnado in Spanishe Pastel in Frenche with the common sort Guadum and Guesde in Dutch VVeyt the Dyars doo vse it and with them it is greatly esteemed and great gayne aryseth thereof vnto the people of Gelderland Iulyes and Turyn and diuers Countreys els the leaues as Plinie wryteth are lyke vnto Dock leaues Dioscorides wryteth of two kindes the wyld and the Garden Woade saying that the Garden Woade whiche Dyars vse hath leaues lyke Plantayne but something thicker and the wylde leaues lyke Lentyll with yellowe flowres with this hearbe Cesar sayth the people of Englande were woont to paynt theyr faces and bodyes to seeme more terrible to theyr enimies it requireth lyke sowyng and soyle as Wheate dooth but it is a great soker of the grounde and muche hurteth it it woulde haue a very riche and a fatte grounde and well dygged for the grounde were better to be turned vp with Spades then with Plowes for the sowyng of this Plant and it must be very well weeded It is sowed in Gelderland in April and after the common peoples rule in Easter wecke at the first fâ—llowing they marle the grounde after sowe it you must be very heedefull in the weedyng of it When it is growen a handfull hye and more they suffer it not to flowre but with an instrument for the purpose they cut it close by the roote washe it and carry it to the Myll and suffering it to growe agayne they cut it three or foure times and so leaue it to seede The greene hearbe they grinde in Milles like Apple Milles pressing it til they get out al the iuyce thereof then roule they it vp with their handes in rounde balles and so laye it vpon boorded floores to be dryed RIGO You haue greatly delighted me in describing vnto me the order of sowyng of seedes without whiche not onely the people of the Countrey but also the Courtiar and Citizen are not able to liue my desyre is nowe to vnderstande the order of Haruest the Countrey mans long looked for tyme and the reward of all his toyle CONO I wyl proceede in the accomplishing of your request When the Corne is ripe before it be scorched with the great heate of the Sunne whiche is most extreame at the rysyng of the lesser Dogge it is to be cut downe out of hande for delay herein is daungerous Fyrst because that birdes and other vermine wyll deuoure it and agayne both the Grayne and the Eare the toppe and the strawe being brittell and ouer drye wyl soone fall to the ground yf storme or tempest chaunce to aryse the greatest part thereof wyll to the grounde and therefore it must not be lingred but when it dooth looke yellowe in euery place and before that the Grayne be thorowe hard when they come to looke reddishe you must then haue it in that it may rather waxe in the Barne then in the Feelde Experience teacheth that yf it be cutte downe in due time the seede wyll growe in fulnesse as it lyeth in the Barne for the Moone encreasyng the Corne growes greater at the chaunge you must geather such seede as you woulde should be least fautie Varro sayth that the best tyme for Haruest is betwixt the Sunnestay and the Dogge dayes for the Corne they say dooth lye in the blade .xv. dayes flowreth .xv. dayes and ripeth in .xv. dayes Amongst Grayne Pulse the fyrst that is to be geathered is Rape seede And because the seede when the cod beginneth to waxe yellowe declareth ripenesse it must be geathered out of hand and sythe the seede wyll easyly skatter it must be layde eyther in playne smoothe places in the Feelde or vpon Canuasse and yf it be presently to be carryed the Wayne or Cart must be lyned with sheetes lest with iogging and tottring of the carryage the seede fall thorowe You must take good heede as well here as in all other Pulse that you preuent the rayne for the rayne falling the coddes doo open As soone as your Rape seede is of yf the grounde be plowed you may sowe Bucke or Branke as they call it so that of one peece of ground in one yeere you may make
two haruestes Next vnto Rape haruest in these Countreys followeth the haruest of Winter Barley whiche is to be dispatched before the seede the Eare being ouer dryed doo fall for they haue not huskes to conteyne them as Wheate hath the Eares being brittel wyll soone fall yet some thinke it best to let the Barley lye a whyle in the Feelde whereby they thinke the Grayne wyll waxe the greater Then foloweth the Hempe haruest But fyrst as I sayde before the Fymble or the Female is pulled and is dryed a whyle in the Sunne then bounde vp in bundels it is throwen into the water and kept downe with some weyght that it swimme not aboue After lykewyse the Male the â—eede declaryng his ripenesse is pulde vp and the seede beyng threasshed out it is cast into the water tyll the stalke be softe after beyng dryed in the Sunne it is made vp in bundels to be knockt and shaled in Winter euenynges Rye is to be mowed in Iune or Iuly and after that Wheate No better rule then before the Grayne be hard and when it hath changed colour An olde Prouerbe as Plinie sayth it is better to haue in haruest two dayes to soone theâ— three dayes to late In Rye there is not suche seare in scattering as in Wheate whiche as soone as it is ripe wyll shedde with euery wynde Wherefore good heede must be taken that you linger not with Wheate after it is ripe although Plinie affyrmeth that Wheate wyll haue greater yeelde when it standes long but surely deferring of it is daungerous as well for the deuouryng of Byrdes and Uermine as for shattring and fallyng of the seede through storme and weather as the proofe was seene in the great wyndes that were in the yeere of our redemption .1567 Then foloweth the haruest of Pease Beanes Tares and Lentyles accordyng as they are tymely sowed wherein you must take heede as I warned you before in Rape seede that they lye not abrode in the rayne for yf they doo they wyll open and loose their seede Last of all commeth the haruest of the other sommer seedes as of Barley Pannicle Myllet and Oates It is founde by experience that rayne is good for Oates after they be downe for it causeth them to swell and to be fuller and to that ende they are left in the Feelde many times two or three weekes after they be downe RIGO What order haue you in your reaping CONO There are diuers sortes of reaping accordyng to the maner of euery Countrey Some with Syâ—hes which differ also as the woorke requires In this Countrey we vse three sortes of Corne Sythes for eyther we haue a Sythe like a Syckle which holden in the ryght hande they cutte the strawe close by the grounde and haue in the leaft hande a long hooke wherewith they pull togeather that that they haue cut and laye it in heapes and in this sort Wheate and Rye and suche Grayne as hath the sturdiest strawe is reaped In other places as in Iulis where the grounde being very ritche the Corne groweth higher and rancker there they holde their leaft hande full of Corne and with the ryght hand with tâ—othed Syckles they cut it leauing the strawe vnder their handes long to helpe the grounde withall In other places they vse a greater Sythe with a long Suath and fenceâ— with a crooked frame of stickes wherwith with both their hands they cut downe the Corne and laye it in Swathes as they doo Grasse when they mowe it and with that they mowe the higher sortes of Corâ—e Varro and Columella and other doo tell of sundry other sortes of reaping Palladius teacheth beside the labour of men a shorter way to be doone with an Oxe that shall in short tyme cut downe all that groweth whiche was woont to be vsed in Fraunce The deuise was a lowe kinde of Carre with a couple of wheeles and the Frunt armed with sharpe Syckles whiche forced by the beast through the Corne did cut downe al before it This tricke might be vsed in leuell and champion Countreys but with vs it woulde make but ilfauoured woorke In reapyng you must regarde to goe with the wynde for yf you woorke agaynst the wynde it wylbe hurtfull as Xenophon sayth both to your eyes and your handes If the strawe be but short you must goe neerer the grounde yf it be long you may put your Syckles to the middest to dispatche it the sooner and to make it thresshe the better and the stabble vpon the grounde must eyther accordyng to Virgils rule be burnt or rotte vppon the grounde for the bettryng of the land Some preserue that whiche is longest to â—hatche Barnes Stables and Countrey Cottages withall And where Hay is scant it serueth for foddring of Cattell for Barley strawe is a foode that Bullockes loue wel and beside al kinde of strawe is good to litter withall When the Corne is downe it is presently to be bounde in sheaues although Barley Oates and other Corne and Pulse is made vp in Coppes and Ryckes but not without hurt and hazarde The Corne beyng cut is not to be had into the Barne presently but to be let drye accordyng to the nature of euery Grayne and Pulse for yf it be carryed in before it be through drye it corrupteth and rotteth Oates and Buck are longest left abroade as also Lentyles Pease and Pulse because they are longest in drying Wheate may soonest be carryed yf it be not mingled with too many weedes that hynder the drying of it When haruest is in the grounde must out of hand be plowed both to kyll the weedes and to make it the meeter for the next sowyng The Corne cutte downe and drye is to be layde eyther in Barnes Houels or Stacks and after in Winter to be trode out with beastes or thresshed out with Flayles and to be clensed with Fannes RIGO In Italy they vse to treade out their Corne with Cattell the lyke reporteth Xenophon of the Greekes CONO I haue seene it mee selfe where they rather take Horse then Oxen and that time they also wynnowe their Corne thinking the Southwest wynde to be best for that purpose but to stay for that Columella thinketh but the part of a smal husband RIGO I see you haue very large Barnes what order obserue you in the building of them CONO You must so set your Barne that the Corne may be well brought into it and see it be very close on euery side leauing open a space for twoo doores a fore doore and a backe doore but so as neyther of them open to the West but rather North and East and at both sides of the floore bestowe your Corne in seuerall tasses and moowes so that you may easyly come to euery one at your pleasure And though the Corne be laide vpon Battes in the floores yet let there be a space left in the middest that may be open to the very toppe that you may fetche what sort
nor are in danger of storme or tempestes as other kinde of grounde is except suche parcels as lye neare Riuers and Ilandes whiche are sometimes ouerflowed and that discommoditie is sufficiently recompenced with the fatnesse that the water leaues behinde it whiche enricheth the grounde and makes it the better yeerely to yeelde his gayne eyther in Pasture or Meddowe The Pastures wiâ—h vs doo commonly serue both for Pasture or Meddowe when we list specially in suche places where the grounde is ritche and drye whiche they had ratired to employ to Pasture because with dounging of Cattell it waxeth â—â—wayes the better whereas with continuall bearing of Heâ— in hath growen to be mossie and nought but where the grounde is alwayes wette and watrishe there it is better to let it lye for Meddowe Columella maketh two kindes of Pasture grounde whereof one is alwayes drye the other ouerflowen The good and the riche grounde hath no neede of ouerflowyng the Hay being muche better that groweth of the selfe goodnesse of the grounde then that whiche is forced by waters whiche sometime notwithstandyng is needefull yf the barrennesse of the grounde requireth it for in badde and noughtie grounde good Meddowe may be made if it lye to be ouerflowen but then must the grounde neither lye hollowe nor in hilles lest the one of them keepe the waters vppon it to long and the other presently let it soorth agayne Therefyre lyeth the grounde best that lyeth leuelest which suffereth not the water to remayne very long nor auoydeth it too soone If in suche grounde it chaunce to stand ouerlong it may be auorded with water streame at your pleasure for both ouerplus and the want of water are alike hurtfull vnto Meddowes It is very handsome where drye and barrayne grounde lyeth so by the Riuer as the water may be let in by Trenches when you lyst in fine the occupying of Pasture groundes require more care then trauayle First that we suffer not Busshes Thornes nor great Weedes to ouergrowe them but to destroy some of them as Brembles Bryers Bulrusshes and Sedges in the ende of Sommer and the other that be Sommer Weedes as Sowthystell and all other Thystels in the Spring You must take heede of Swyne that spoyle and turne vp the grounde ilfauouredly and all other Cattell except it be in hard and drye weather for otherwyse they gult and maâ—re the grounde with the deepe sincking of their feete treading in the Grasse and breaking the Rootes The badde and barrayne groundes are to be helped with doung in Winter specially in Februarie the Moone encreasing and the stones stickes and suche baggage as lye scattered abrode are to be throwen out sooner or later as the grounde is There are some Meddowes that with long lying are ouer growen with Mosse whiche the old husbands were woout to remedie with casting of certaine seedes abrode or with laying on of doung specially Pigeons doung but nothing is so good for this purpose as often to cast asshes vppon it for that destroyeth Mosse out of hand Notwithstanding these are but troublesome remedies The best and certainest is to plowe it for the grounde after his long rest will beare goodly Corne. But after you haue plowed it it wyll scarse recouer his olde estate againe for Pasture or Meddowe in three or foure yeeres When you meane to let your ground lye againe for Meddowe or Pasture your best is to sowe it with Oates and to harrowe the grounde euen and leuell and to hurle out all the stones and suche thinges as may hurt the Sythe for Oates is a great breeder of Grasse Some doo cast Hey seede geathered from the Heyloaft or the racks ouer the grounde before they harrowe it Others agayne when their Meddowes haue lyen long sowe Beanes vpon them or Rape seede or Millet and the yeere after Wheate and the thirde yeere they let them lye againe for Meddowe or Pasture You must beware that whyle the ground is loose and soft you let not in the water for the force of the water wyll washe away the earth from the rootes of the Grasse and wyll not suffer them to growe togeather neither must you for the like daunger suffer Cattell to come vppon it except in the seconde yeere Goates or Sheepe or suche like after you haue mowed it and that yf the season be very drye The thirde yeere you may put on your greater sort of Cattell againe and yf the grounde be hilly and barrayne you may doung the highest part of it in Februarie as I saide before casting on it some Hey seede for the higher part being mended the rayne or water that comes to it wyll carry downe some part of the richenesse to the hottome as I saide before when I spake of the manuring of earable grounde But yf you wyl lay in newe grounde for Meddowe and that you may haue your choyse take such as is ritche dewye leuell or a little hanging or choose suche as valley where the water can neither lye long nor runne away to fast neither is the rancke Grasse alwayes a signe of good grounde for what goodlyer Grasse is there saith Plinie then is in Germanie and yet you shall there haue sand within a little of the vpper part Neither is it alway a watrie grounde where the Grasse growes hie for the very Mountaines in Sycherland yeeld great and hie Grasse for Cattell The Pastures that lyes by the Lakes of Dumone in Austri and Hungry are but selender nor about the Rhine specially at his falling into the Sea about Holland as likewyse in Frislande and Flaunders Caesar Vopiscus the Feeldes of Roscius were the principal of Italie where the Grasse would so soone growe as it woulde hide a staffe in a day You may make good Meddowe of any grounde so it may be watred Your Meddowes are to be purged in September and October and to be ridde of all Busshes Brambles and great foule Weedes and al thinges els that annoy them then after that it hath often been stirred and with many times plowing made fine the stones cast away and the cloddes in euery place broken you must doung it well with freshe doung the Moone encreasing Let them be kept from gulling and trampling of Cattel The Mouldhilles dounging of Horse and Bullockes must with your Spade be cast abroade whiche yf they remaine would eyther be harberours of Antes and suche like Uermine or els breeders of hurtful and vnprofitable weedes your Meddowes must be laide in towardes Marche and kept from Cattell and made very cleane yf they be not ritche they must be mended with doung whiche must be laide on the Moone encreasing and the newer the doung be the better it is and the more Grasse it makes whiche must be laide vpon the toppe of the highest of the grounde that the goodnesse may runne to the bottome The best hearbe for Pasture or Meddowe is the Trefoyle or Clauer the next is sweete Grasse the woorst as Plinie saith is Russhes
before when they be growen to some greatnesse they cut the Thorne neare to the grounde and being halfe cut and broken a sunder they bowe it along the Hedge and plashe it From these cuttes spring vp newe plantes which still as they growe to any highnesse they cut them and plashe them againe so dooing continually tyll the Hedge be come to his full height This way the Hedge is made woonderfull strong that neither Hogge nor other Beast is able to breake through it but the other is a great deale more pleasant to the eye But yf I haue not settes yenowe to serue may I make an Impe Garden of their seede MARIVS Yea very wel Make your Thorne Garden or store plotte in this sort Take your Berries or Stones and mingle them with earth lay them vp for the fyrst yeere in some place meete for them the next yeere sowe them as thicke as you canne and ye shall within a little time haue a whole wood of Thornes THRA You haue nowe spoken of water and enclosure two principall poyntes in a Garden it nowe remayneth for you to speake of the ground meete for a Garden and of the order of dressyng of it MARIVS Of the sundry sortes of ground and of the discerning of them because you in your describing of Corne ground before haue sufficiently spoken I doo not thinke it needefull for me to repeate it Againe it is yenough to me to adde onely this that the ground ought not to be too riche nor too leane but fatte and mellowe which bringeth foorth a small kinde of Grasse lyke heares such ground requires least labour the stiffe and the riche ground asketh greater paines about it but dooth recompence it agayne with his fruitefulnesse The stiffe leane and cold ground is not to be medled with as Columella wryteth in appoynting good ground for Gardens The ground that geues the ripe and mellowed moulde And dooth in woorking croomble like the sandes That of his owne good nature yeeldeth manifolde Where Walwoort with his purple berrie standes For neither dooth the ground that still is drye Content my minde nor yet the watry soyle Whereas the Frogge continually dooth crye Whyle in the stincking Lakes he still dooth moyle I like the land that of it selfe dooth yeelde The mightie Elme that branches broade dooth beare And rounde about with trees bedeckes the feelde With trees that wylde beares Apple Plome and Peare But wyll no Berâ—oote breede nor stincking Gumme Nor Yewe nor Plantes whence deadly poysons come And this much of the Garden ground which as I sayde is watred or may be watred and is enclosed eyther with a Wall a Hedge or some other safe enclosure After this it is needefull it lye well to the Sunne and warme for in grounde that is very colde the warmth of the Sunne wyll not muche auayle it And contrary yf it be a hette burnyng Sand the benefite of the heauens can little helpe it You must yet looke that it lye not subiect to ill windes that are drye and â—â—â—â—ching and bring frostes and mystes But nowe to the ordeâ—ing of your Garden Fyrst you must be sure that the grounde whiche you meane to sowe in the Spring be well digged in the fall of the leafe about the kalendes of October and that whiche you garden in the fall of the leafe must be digged in May that eyther by the colde of Winter or the heate of Sommer both the clodde may be mellowed and the rootes of the weedes destroyed nor muche before this time must you doung it And when the time of sowing is at hand a fiue dayes before the weedes must be got out and the doung layde on and so often and diligently must it be digged as the ground may be throughly medled with the mould Therefore the partes of the Gardens must be so ordered as that which you meane to sowe in the ende of Sommer may be digged in the spring the part that you wyll sowe in the spring must be digged in the end of Sommer so shal both your fâ—llowes be seasoned by the benefite of the colde and the Sunne The beddes are to be made narrowe and long as twelue foote in length and sixe in breadth that they may be the easyer weeded they must lye in wette and watrye ground two foote hie in drye grounde a foote is sufficient If your beddes lye so drye as they wyll suffer no water to tarry vpon them you must make the spaces betwixt hyer that the water may be forced to lye and auoyde when you wil. Of the kindes and sortes of dounging being sufficiently entreated of by you I wyll say nothing onely adding this that the doung of Asses is the best because it breedeth fewest weedes the next is Cattels doung and Sheepes doung yf it haue lyen a yeere The grounde as I sayde whiche we meane to sowe in the Spring we must after the ende of Sommer let lye fallowe to be seasoned with the frost and the colde for as the heate of Sommer so dooth the colde of the Winter bake season the ground When Winter is doone then must we begyn to doung it and about the fourteenth or fifteenth of Ianuarie we must digge it agayne deuiding it into quarters and beddes Fyrst must the weedes be plucked vp and turffes of barrayne grounde must be layde in the Alleyes which being well beaten with Beetles and so trode vpon that the Grasse be worne away so that it scarse appeare it wyll after spring vp as fyne as littleheare and yeelde a pleasaunt sight to the eye which wyll be very beautiful When you haue seuered your flowres by them selues your Phisicke hearbes by them selues and your potte hearbes and sallettes in an other place the beddes and the borders must be so cast as the weeders handes may reache to the middest of them so shall they not neede in their labour to treade vppon the beddes nor to hurt the hearbes And this I thinke sufficient for the preparing of your ground before the sowing Nowe wyl I speake of sowing and what shal be sowed in euery season To speake of all sortes of hearbes and flowres were an endlesse labour onely of those that are most needeful I meane to entreate And first of hearbes some are for the potte some for the sight some for pleasure and sweete sauour and some for phisicke And agayne some are for Winter some for Sommer and some betwixt both The first time of sowing after Winter is the moneth of March April and May wherein we vse to sowe Colwoortes Radishe Rape and after Beetes Lettuse Sorel Mustardseede Corrâ—ander Dyll and Garden Cresses The second season for sowing is in the beginnyng of October wherein they set Beetes and sowe Smallage in Gellaci and Arreche The third season which they call the Sommer season in some places the Gardners begin in Ianuarie wherein they set Cucumbers Gourdes Spinnache Basyl Pursline and Sauery Many thinges may be sowed betwixt these
seasons and yet doo very well All Garden hearbes are commonly sowen before the tenth of Iune suche thinges as you would not haue seede you may sowe after this time Some thinges are sowed onely two times a yeere in the spring and in the ende of Sommer Others agayne at sundry tymes as Lettuse Colwoortes Rocket Radishe Cresses Corriander Cheruil and Dyll These are sowed about March or about September and as Columella sayth doo come eyther of the seede or of the slippe some of the Roote some of the Stalke some of the Leafe some of the Clot some of the Head some of both others of the Barke others of the Pith some both of the seede and the slippe as Rue wylde Marierum and Basyl this they cutte of when it comes to be a handfull hye others growe both of the Seede and the Roote as Onyons Garlyke and suche lyke And although al thing wyll growe of their seedes yet this they say Rue wyll not doo for it very seeldome springes therefore they rather set the slippes These that are set of the Roote doo commonly last longer and branche better putting foorth young slippes from his sides as the Onyon and Gith The stalke being cut they all doo spring agayne for the most part except such as haue speciall stalkes called of Theophrastus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is suche as when the stalke is cutte growe no more Gasa interprets it Secaulia The Rape and the Radysh their leaues being pulled away couered with earth doo growe and continue tyll Sommer The fruites of some is in the earth some without and some both within without some lye grow as the Cucumber and the Gourd sometimes hang though of greater weyght by much then the fruites of Trees some require stayes helpes to clime by as Hoppes Lupines Pease some seede groweth better The newer they be as Leekes Nigella Romana Cucumbers Gourdes therefore some vse to steepe their Cucumber-seede in Mylke or Water to cause them to grow the speedelyer On the other side of olde seede better groweth the Beete Garden Cresses Peniryal great Marierum Corriander In the Beete this is onely obserued that the seede commeth not al vp in one yeere but part the second yeere some the third and therefore of a great deale of seede springeth but a little Touchyng seede this is to be well seene to that they be not to olde and drye that they be not mingled or taken one for an other olde seede in some is of such force as it chaungeth the nature for of olde Colwoort seede springeth the Rape and likewyse of Rape seede Colwoortes Also that ye geather not your seedes to soone nor to late The very time as Theophrastus wryteth is at the spring the fall of the leafe and the rysyng of the Dogge but not in all places and kindes alike Of Seedes the soonest that spring are these Basyl Arach Nauen Rocket that commeth vp the third day after the sowing Lettuse the fourth day the Cucumber and the Gourde the fyfth day Parslin longer eare it come Dyl the fourth day Cresses and Mâ—stardseede the fifth day Beetes in Sommer the â—ixth day in Winter the tenth or the twelfth Leekes the nienetienth day sometime the twentieth Corryander later which if it be new except it be thrust togeather it groweth not at all Peneryall and great Marierom come vp after thyrtie dayes Parsley of all other the longest before it come vp appearing the fourtieth day after or many times the fiftieth You must also consyder that the weather in sowyng is of great force for the season being fayre warme they come vp the sooner Some sortes seede one yeere and neuer after come vp some agayne continue as Persley Smalledge Leekes Nigella that beyng once sowed come vp euery yeere Suche as continue but a yeere presently vpon their seeding dye other spring agayne after the losse of their stalke as Leekes Nigella Onyons and Garlyke and commonly all suche as put out from the side and all these require dounging and watring In sowyng beside some thinke you must haue regard to the Moone and to sowe and set in the encrease and not in the wane Some agayne thinke it best from that she is foure dayes olde tyll she be eyghteene some after the thirde others from the tenth tyl the twentieth and best as they all suppose the Moone being aloft and not sette THRA But nowe I pray you tell vs something of the ordering of the best Garden hearbes you haue MARIVS Some deuide their gardnyng time by the monethes as they doo their other husbandry THRA I care not whether by monethes or other wayes but I would faine knowe the orderyng of your Garden here for I knowe in hotte Countreys they garden all the Winter long but I am altogeather for our Countrey whose order we must here folowe MARIVS In these partes they commonly begyn theyr gardnyng yf the weather be fayre and seasonable in the ende of Februarie At this time therefore the Garden being dounged digged raked and cleansed they vse to plant Sperage and Rue THRA I pray you begin with Asparagus or Sperageâ— and the other potte hearbes euery one in his order and afterward with flowres and Phisicke hearbes MARIVS Asparagus was woont to growe wylde but now is brought into the Garden it is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Spanishe and Frenche it is almost all one the one calling it Asparago the other Asperge the Dutche men call it Sparages and Spiritus because it comes vp of it selfe for the Garden Sperage they were not acquainted with It is planted in two sortes eyther of the Seede or the Roote They take of the Seede as much as you may take vp with three fyngers and bestowing it in little hoâ—ls euery two or three seedes halfe a foote a sunder they set them in ritche ground in Februarie and couer the ground with doung The weedes that growe must be well plucked away after the fourtieth day they come vp as it were to one roote and tangled togeather the rootes haue sundry long threedes which they call the Sponge In ground that is drye the seedes are to be set deepe and well tempered with doung In wette groundes on the other side they are to be set shallowe in toppe of the borders lest the moysture destroy them The fyrst yeere you must breake of the stalkes that growe for yf you plucke them vp by the rootes the whole settes wyll folowe which are to be preserued for two yeere with dounging and weeding All the yeeres after you must not geather them in the stalke but pull them from the roote that the rootes being opened may the better spring which except you doo you hurt the spring Him that you meane to keepe for feede you must in no wyse meddle withall after burne vp the busshes and in Winter doung well the rootes with doung and ashes they are planted also
the mileder and the sweeter is the roote colde as some say dooth further the goodnesse of them They say they wyll be very pleasant yf the seede be steeped in meedth or in the iuyce of reyzyus they waxe sweete with colde as the Rape dooth and their bitternesse is taken away with brine and therefore some woulde haue Radishes watred and nourished with salt waters being sodden they come to be very sweete and serue the turne of Rapes geâ—ing fasting they prouoke vomite they are hurtfull to the Uines and to the Teethe Radishe eaten at first is a good preseruatiue agaynst poyson eaten before meate it breaketh winde and prouoketh vryne and after meate it looseth the belly it is called in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Raphanus in Italian Raphaâ— in Spanishe Rauano in French Raue in Dutch Retich THRA There is an other kinde of them that the Dutch men call Merrettich I take it to be that whiche the Romanes called Armaracia called commonly in Italie Ramaracta the first letter misplaced MARIVS You say well but this is more full of branches greater in leaues thinne in body the leaues are not vnlike to the former Radishe but that they are a little sharper and longer and the roote sâ—lenderer and therefore there are some that deny it to be Armaracia but here let the Phisitions contend Theophrastus maketh mention of sundry sortes of Radish This kinde of Radishe hath a woonderfull bityng taste a great deale more then Mustard seede and fetcheth teares from the eyes of them that eate it it is set and planted in this sort The roote is cutte in a great number of peeces whereof euery peece prospereth for yf you plucke vp this kinde of Radishe by the rootes you may cut of a good quantitie of the roote and diuiding them into small peeces set them setting the olde roote agayne by him selfe and they wyl all growe prosper very wel THRA Yea haue you gotten the Rape hytherto I thought he hadde onely belonged vnto vs for we vse to sowe them after the Sunne hath been at the highest and immediatlye after ouer other Corne for the sustenaunce both of man and beast MARIVS You doo well and we sowe it nowe in May and in watry ground sooner and in some places in Iuly There are diuers sortes of them some of them rounde some growe all in length and are most pleasant in tast as at Binge and in the Countrey of Bauar Some agayne of the quantitie of a mans head and of a hundred pounde weyght but the smallest sort is the sweetest There is an other kinde of Rape that they vse to sowe whiche carryeth his seede in little coddes and is cheefely planted in Germanie for to make Oyle of the whiche you the other day spake of it is called in Greeke Goloules in French Raue in Italian Rapo in Spanishe Nabo in Dutche Ruben There is also an other wyld kind called Rapunculus that groweth halfe a yarde hie ful of seede and tender topped This they geather in the spring time before the stalke be sprong vp and pulling it vp by the rootes doo vse it in sallettes supposyng it to be a wylde kynde of Rape The Nauens also called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Napus in Frenche Nauet in Italian Napo in Spanishe Nabicas in Dutch Stockruben may be counted in the number of Rapes for Rapes in some grounde change into Nauens and in some grounde Nauens into Rapes These also loue to growe in a well watred mellowe and a ritche ground though such as growe in sandy and barraine ground prooue often the sweetest in eating They vse to sowe them in March and in some places before as also in August Parsneppe in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Pastinaca in other tongues almost as in Latine is very pleasant to be eatenâ— and requireth a fatte and a ritche grounde and deepe dygged whereby the roote may haue roome yenough to growe in it is sowed and set in the spring and in the end of sommer THRA You haue here also in this Garden red Carrets MARIVS I haue so Yellowe Carrettes is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Siser in Frenche Cheruille in Italian Sisero in Spanishe Chiriuias in Dutche Querlin I thinke you knowe it Plinie wryteth that Tiberius was so in loue with this roote that he caused Carrettes to be yeerely brought hym out of Germanie from the Castle of Gelâ—uba standyng vpon the Rhine It delighteth in colde places and is sowed before the kalendes of Marche and of some in September but the third and the best kind of sowing as some thinke is in August There is also wylde Carret a kinde of Parsnep in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— in Latine Daueus in Italian Dauco in Frenche Carote sauage in Dutche Woortzel there are that suppose it to be the yellowe roâ—te that is so common in Germanie they are to be sowed in march It is general to Rapes Radisheâ— Parsneps Carrets Onyons and Leekes that they be well troden vppon or kept cutte to the end the rootes may growe the greater Of Leekes there are two sortes the one called Capiâ—atum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the other Sectiuum whiche they vse alwayes to cutte close by the ground The headded or set Leeke in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Capitatum in Italian Porro capitato in Spanâ—she Puerro con Cabeza in Dutch Lauch in French Porreau the other Leeke in Latine Sectile in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Dutche Schnitlauch beside the often raking and dounging must be watred as oft as you cut it downe The seedes in colde hotte Countreys is sowed in Ianuarie or Februarie and in colder places in March to cause it to growe the fayrer and the better They vse to knitte vp a good deale of seede togeather in thinne lynnen clothes and so to lay them in the grounde but to make them greater headed when it hath wel taken roote they vse to plucke it vp by the blades and rayse it so that as it were hangyng and borne vp by the earth it is forced to fyll the emptie place that lyes vnder it the blades and the rootes cut of they vse to set the heades vnderlaying them with a Tyleshard that when as they are not able to runne downe in length they should be driuen to growe in bignesse and breadth The Leeke delyghteth in good ground and hateth watry ground sowed in the spryng it must be remooued or set agayne after haruest that they may be the greater the earth must be continually loosed about it and they must be pulted and rayled vp as I sayde before yf when you remooue them you make in the heades of euery one a little hole with a peece of a Reede or any thyng except Iron and thruste therein a Cucumber seede they wyll growe to a woonderfull greatnesse some vse in steade of Cucumber seede to put in Rape
the thicker and the doubbler they growe otherwyse they wyll ware syngle and wylde it wyll also doo them good sometime to burne them being remooued it springeth very soone and well being sette of settes foure fyngers long or more after the setting of â— seuen starres and after remooued in a westerly winde and sette a foote a sunder and often dygged The olde Rosyars must haue the earth loosed about them in Februarie and the dead twigges cutte of and where they waxe thinne they must be repaâ—red with the young springes To haue Roses of fyue sundry colours vppon one roote make when they begin to burgen a fine hole beneath in the stocke vnder the ioynt and fyll it with redde colour made of Brasell sodde in water and thrust it in with a clâ—ute and in the like sort put into an other part of the stocke greene colour and in an other yellowe and what other colours you wil and couer the holes well with Oxe doung and Lome or very good earth If you wyl haue your Roses beare betimes make a little trenche two hande breadthes of rounde about it and powre in hotte water twyse aday and thus dooing as Democriâ—us promiseth you shall haue Roses in Ianuarie You may preserue Roses before they open yf makyng a slitte in a Reede you enclose the blossome and when you would haue freshe Roses take them out of the Reedes others put them in earthen pottes close couered and set them abrode the Roses continue alwayes freshe that are dipt in the dregges of Oyle If you wyll haue them at all tymes you must set them euery moneth and doung them and so as Didymus sayth you shall haue them continually To cause them or any other flowres to growe double put two or three of the seedes in a Wheate strawe and so lay them in the ground If you sette Garlicke by your Roses they wylbe the sweeter the dryer the grounde is where they growe the sweeter they wyll be as it appeareth by the season of the yeere for some yeeres they are sweeter then others the Rose wylbe white that is smokte in with brimstone when it beginneth to euen amongst all Roses those are most to be commended that they call Carnations and Prouincials The oyle of Roses was greatly had in estimation euen in Homer his time and at this day the vinegre of Roses is greatly vsed Next vnto the Rose in woorthynesse for his sauour and beautifull whitenesse is the Lillye called iu Greâ—ke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Giglio in Spanishe Tirio in Frenche Fleur de Lis in Dutch Lilien The Greâ—kes holde opinion that it sprang fyrst of Iunos milke sprinckled vpon the ground In Februarie we beginne to sette Lillyes or yf they grewe before to loose the earth about them with a rake taking good heede that the young tender shootes about the roote be not hurt nor the little head which taken from the olde roote we sette for newe Lillyes As the Roses are so are the Lillyes the sweeter the dryer the ground is where they growe Lillyes and Roses being once sette continue both very long There are redde Lillyes made so by arte for they take the stalkes and rootes of the Lillye and hang them in the smoke till they wyther and when the knottes begyn to vncouer they are layde in Marche in the lees of redde wine tyl they be coloured and then sette in the grounde with the lees powred about them so wyll they come to be purple Uiolet in Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Viola Uiolet blacke and Uiolet purple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian it is called Viola porporta in Spanishe Violetta in Frenche Violets de Marts Caresme in Dutche Fiolen these although they growe wylde about euery Hedge and Wall yet are they sette in Gardens with other flowres There are sundry sortes of Uiolettes both of kinde and colour but the orderyng of them is in a maner all one THRA I haue nowe heard yenough of Kitchin hearbes and flowres therefore nowe I pray you let me heare you saye something of the third sort that is Phisicke hearbes for mee seemeth I see a great sort of healyng hearbes here in your Garden MARIVS Nature hath appoynted remedyes in a redynesse for al diseases but the craft and subteltie of man for gaine hath deuised Apothecaries shoppes in which a mans lyfe is to be solde and bought where for a little byle they fetche their medicines from Hierusalem and out of Turkie whyle in the meane time euery poore man hath the ryght remedyes growing in his Garden for yf men would make theyr Gardens their Phisitions the Phisitions craft would soone decay You knowe what your olde freende Cato sayth and what a deale of Phisicke he fetcheth out of a poore Colwoort THRA I doo remember it and that he sayth he was wont both to helpe him selfe and his whole familie with the hearbes of his Garden But what hearbe is younder with the long stalke and the long blacke indented leaues on the toppe yf I be not deceiued it is Bearfoote with whose roote we vse to heale our cattel when they be sicke MARIVS It is so in deede and is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Veratrum there are two kindes of it the blacke and the white the white is that whiche the Dutchmen call Nyswurts wranckrauâ— the blacke they call Kristwurts because it flowreth about Christmas the Italians the Spaniards and the Frenchmen keepe the Greeke name The roote of this Bearfoote they thrust through the eare or into the brest of the beast that is eyther diseased in his loonges or hath the murren Columella seemeth to call it Consiligo it groweth not in Gardens except it be sowed it continueth long and loueth cold and woody ground There standes not farre from that an other very noble hearbe in Phisicke called Angelica it is supposed to be called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and whether it be Myrrhis with the Latines or no. I leaue that to the Phisitians to discusse it is called with the Italians Spaniards Frenchmen and Germanes Angelica His roote because it is a soueraigne remedie agaynst the plague and hath diuers other good operations it is cherished in our Gardens and being once sowed it commeth vp euery yeere it groweth also wylde in the mountayne countrey and flowreth in Iuly and August Here is also Helicampane in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Enula in Italian Enela in Spanishe Enula campana in Frenche Aulne in Dutch Alanâ— this also is set in our Gardens for medicines sake we make muche of it for the roote it groweth wylde in hilly Countreys and drye shaddowy places In Sommer the roote is taken out of the ground and cutte in small peeces is dryed at this day it is called Enula campana it hath a yellowe flowre a leafe lyke Mullin but white and hoarie at the one
yf a man doo geat vpon one acre .xx. s. a yeere it is thought a great matter THRA But the Uine asketh great charges and great trauayle about it and it is subiect to many mishaps as the cold frostes of Winter the blastes burning of Sommer and from the fyrst appearing til the third of May which is the last decretorie day of the Uine the hurt of the colde and frost is feared When it hath scaped this daunger then commeth a greater mischiefe which lightly euery yeere dooth great harme for eyther with blastes in the Dogge dayes or for lacke of rayne the Grapes are wythered and spoyled or els with ouermuch rayne they waxe sowre and not ripe Sundry other mishappes there happen that the Uine is subiect to MARIVS I graunt so is your Corne likewyse for both it asketh great charges and such casualties oft times vndooeth the poore husband For in all kinde of husbandry yf there be not great diligence and good skill imployed there wyl be but small commoditie reaped And especially the Uine requireth great husbandry about it for it is tender and soone harmed and therfore in choyse of the Uineyard there must be good heede and both the nature of the countrey and the disposition of the Heauens to be well consydered Most men plant theyr Uines without any great care or heede of them and when they growe vp vse little diligence in the trimming of them by whiche negligence many times they wyther before they be ripe Others agayne thinke it makes no great matter what grounde they bestowe about it most times lay out for this purpose the worst ground they haue as though it would serue for this plant that wyll serue for no other thyng Some agayne reape all the commoditie they can the fyrst yeeres not prouidyng for farther time and so complaine that their gaynes dooth neyther answeare their trauayle nor their charges whereas in deede their owne folly and negligence is the cause for yf there be diligence and paynes bestowed vpon it as Columella prooueth by many reasons there is no husbandry so profytable as the plantyng of Uines THRA I doo not deny but that there is great profyte in it where the grounde is meete for Uines and not so fitte for Corne otherwyse I thinke the sowing of Corne to be an easier matter and speedyer way to enriche the husband MARIVS Surely as touchyng the easinesse of the husbandry and the greatnesse of the gayne the olde wryters haue euer preferred the Uineyard afore the Corne feelde for as Columella reporteth Siserna wryteth that the labour of one man is sufficient for eyght acres of Uines or at the least for seuen of the encrease I haue spoken before THRA Mary syr at this day one man thinkes three acres too much for him but not to trouble your talke I pray you goe forward with the husbandry of your Uines MARIVS The ordering of the wine bearyng Uines as the sortes of Uines are sundry neyther can they be conteyned in certayne numbers for there is as many sortes as there is of ground Homer geueth the cheefest prayse to the wine of Maronia and Pramnium Virgil most commendeth Rhenishe wine others the wine of Aminea Lamentana Candy and Corsega but I meane to speake of those that are common in our dayes In Italy at this day they make most account of wine of Corsega Romani and Mesina In Spayne they cheefest esteeme wine of S. Martin of Ribodaui and Giberaltar In Fraunce the greatest prayse is geuen to the wine of Orleans Anjou and Greues Germany began but of late to meddle with planting of Uines for Varro wryteth that the Frenchemen and the Germanes had in his tyme both Uines and Olyues but at this day the Rhine the Necker the Mene Mosel and Danow may compare with any Countreys for goodnesse of theyr Uines THRA I see that the Uines are diuersly dressed otherwyse in Italy then in Fraunce and otherwyse in Fraunce then in Germany euery Countrey vsyng his seuerall fasshion MARIVS True for as Plinie after Columella teacheth the Uine may be planted fiue sundry wayes for eyther his branches are suffered to runne in safetie vpon the ground or els without any stay growe vpryght or hauyng a stay or a proppe set for them they climbe vp by it or els runne vp by a couple of suche proppes called of Liuy a yoke or els susteyned with foure of those yokes whiche of the resemblance that they haue with the hollowe gutters of a house are sayde to be guttered others agayne suffered to runne vpon frames lyke Arbers seruyng to sitte vnder and are called Arber vines others runne vp by the walles of houses Moreouer the yoked Uines called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are tyed togeather and ioyned with three or foure proppes as yf they were yoked some doo let them runne vpon trees as commonly in Lumbardy they are suffered to climbe vppon Elmes Wyllowes and Ashes where they greatly prosper neyther doo they like all maner of trees for they hate the Nuttree the Bay the Radishe and the Coll as agayne they loue the Poplar the Elme the Wyllowe the Figge and the Olyue tree The Uines that are yoked or stayed vp with proppes receiue more ayre and beare their fruite the hygher and ryp◠the better but aske more trouble in the lookyng to and these are so ordered that they may be plowed wherby they are the more fruitefull because they may the oftner and with the lesse charge be tylled The Uines that creepe vppon the ground make much wine but not as Columella sayth so good THRA Nowe to your orderyng of them MARIVS Fyrst I wyll speake of the ground and of the diggyng of it and after of the plantyng and cuttyng of them And fyrst you must take for a speciall note that euery Uine wyl not agree with euery place nor yeelde his wine in like goodnesse of suche force is the qualitie of the ayre neyther wyll all kynde of ground serue for Columella dooth counsell to sette the Uine in a wylde ground rather then where Corne or Busshes haue growen for as for olde Uineyardes it is most certayne they are the woorst places of all other to sette newe in because the ground is matted and as it were netted with the remaynes of the olde rootes neyther hath it lost the poyson of the rotten and olde stinkyng rootes wherewith the soyle glutted as it were with venime is benommed And therefore the wylde and vntyld ground is cheefely to be chosen which though it be ouer growen with shrubbes and trees may yet easily be ridde If such wylde ground be not to be had the best is the plaine champion lande without trees yf neyther suche a grounde then the lyght and thinne busshie grounde or Olyue grounde The last and woorst as I sayde is the olde rotten Uineyard which yf necessitie compell you to take you must fyrst ridde the grounde of all the olde rotten rootes and then couer it eyther
store Garden for Uines Pallaâ—tius teacheth you The set requireth a time to roote and being remoued wil beare the better fruite The rootes doo beare fruite the second yeere or sooner the settes or branches skarse in the thirde or fourth yeere though in some places sooner Didymus in Constantine teacheth an easie and a redy way of plantyng the quicksette whiche is to take of a strong and ten yeere Uine the longest and fayrest branch that groweth lowest a foote from the ground and laying it along in a trenche of a foote deapth to couer it with earth the space of foure ioyntes so that the remayne in the toppe exceedâ— not two or three ioyntes and yf the branche be so long as it wyll serue for two buryinges you may make therof two rootes You must not suffer two rootes to runne vp vppon one stay but allowe euery roote his supporter The branches or settes that you meane to plant you must cut from a â—â—ry fruiteful and florishing Uine that hath borne ripe and perâ—â—â—â— good fruite full of ioyntes and not any wayes taynted but whole and sounde Of suche you must choose your settes and not of young Uines that are weake and feeble but suche as are in there chefe state Moreouer you must geather your sette not of the highest nor the lowest but from the middest of the Uine the sette must be round smooth full of knottes and ioyntes and many littel burgeons As soone as you haue cut it of looke that you sette it for better dooth it agree with the ground and sooner growe If you are dryuen to keepe them burie them in the ground eyther loose or loosely bounde and yf the tyme be long that you meane to keepe them you must laye them in empty barelles strawing earth vnder them and vpon them that the earth may lye round about them and the barrel you must stop closely with clay that there enter neyther wynde nor ayre so shall you preserue them two monethes in their goodnesse Such as are ouer drye you must lay them in water .xxiiii. houres afore you sette them and you must set two settes togeather that though the one fayle the other may take and yf they both grow you may take vp the lesser of them you must not make a medley of sundry sortes specially white and blacke togeather but as Columella sayth must sort them seuerally You must beware that the settes haue not put out their springes and that you sette not a wythered sette Constantine would haue the sette something crooked affirming that it wyll the sooner take roote You must lay about them three or foure stones and then rayse the earth that it may equally with the doung be troden downe for the stones keepeth the earth fyrme and as I sayde before cooleth the roote Both the endes of the sette you must annoynt with Oxe doung for the killyng of the woormes as for the length yf it be full of ioyntes it may be the shorter yf it haue fewe ioyntes you must make it the longer and yet not exceedyng a foote in length nor a shaftman in shortnesse the one for being burnt with ouer drynesse in Sommer the other least being sette to deepe it be with great hardnesse taken vp but this is for the leuell ground for vppon hilles where the earth styll falleth you may haue them a foote and a hand breadth in length Florentine woulde not haue the trenche lesse then foure foote in deapth for being sette shallowe they sooner decay both for the want of sustenance and great heate of the Sunne which is thought to pearse foure foote into the grounde though some there be that thinke three foote sufficient for the plant The trenches for Uines Virgil woulde not haue very deepe but deeper a great deale for trees Such Uines as you meane shall runne vpon trees you must plant three cubites distant from the tree afterwardes when they be well growen and neede to be ioyned with the tree whiche you shall perceyue by his thicknesse you shall lay it downe in length and bury it till it come within a foote of the tree suffering the remaine to goe at liberty nipping of all the buddes with your nayle except one or two that it may the better prosper whiche when it is growen vp you must ioyne by little and little to the tree that it may rest vpon it which part of the tree must be diligently proyned and the springes and scyenses that growe out of the roote must according to Florentinus be cut cleane away The trees as much as may be must be forced to the East and the West and both the Tree and the Uine must haue the earth well digged and dounged about them In riche ground you may suffer the trees to growe in heygth but in barrayne ground they must be polled at seuen or eyght foote least all the substance of the earth be soked vp of the tree After your planting you must digge the ground euery moneth and weede it specially from the first of March till the first of October euery thyrtie day you must digge about the young plantes and plucke vp the weedes specially the grasse which except it be cleane plucked vp and cast away though it be neuer so well couered wyll spring agayne and so burne the plantes as they wyl make them both foule and wythered the oftner you digge them the more good you doo them When the Grape beginnes to alter you must in hande with your third digging and when it is ripe before noone wheÌ„ it waxeth hotte and after noone when the heate decreaseth you must digge it and rayse the dust whiche dooing defendeth the Grape both from the sunne and the myst Accordyng to Virgils mind the Uine must be digged and weeded euery moneth some would haue them digged all the Sommer long after euery deawe others agayne wyll not haue them digged as long as they â—udde or burgen for hurtyng the springes saying that it is yenough to digge them thryse in the yeere from the entring of the sunne into Aries tyll the rysing of the seuen starres and the Dogge Some agayne woulde haue it done from the vintage before Winter and from the Ides of April before it take and then agayne before it flowre and likewyse before the burning houres of the day in some places when they haue digged them they doo not straightwayes couer them but suffer the trenches to lye open all the Winter in wette and rayny places they couer them sooner closyng vp the rootes with earth and stopping al the passages of the water Some make the trenches very deepe and some not passing a foote deepe and when they haue done they couer them aloft with Oxe doung Sheepes doung or Hogges doung or of other cattell Pigeons doung is the hottest and suche as causeth the Uine fastest to growe but maketh the woorser wine The doung must not be laid close to the Uine but a little distant from it whereby the rootes that spreade
abroade may haue some helpe of it and the doung must not touche the rootes for breaking of them yf there be no doung at hand the stalkes of Beanes and other Pulse wyll well serue the turne whiche both defendeth the Uine from frost and cold and keepes them likewyse from noysome wormes the kernelles and the stalkes of the Grapes doo likewyse supply the want of doung but the best of all is olde stale vrine The plantes of a yeere or two yeere old and so foorth til fiue yeeres must be discreetely digged and dounged accordyng to theyr state in sandy grounde the best doung is of Sheepe and Goates and in such sort you must digge the grounde that the earth that lyeth hyghest be cast to the bottome and that whiche was at the bottome be layde aloft so shall that that was drye by the moysture within be helped and that whiche was moyst and stiffe by the heate aboue be loosened You must also see that there be no holes nor pittes in the Uineyard but that it lye euen When you haue thus digged it and that the Uines haue taken roote the fyrst yeere the rootes that growe aboue must be cut away with a sharpe knife for the Uine yf it be suffered to roote euery way it hindereth the deepe downe growing of the roote The Uines that are now of two yeeres growth we must digge and trenche about two foote deepe and three foote broade according to the rule of Socion Of those Uines that climbe vppon trees you must likewise cutte of the sprigs that runne among the rootes of the tree least the small roote tangled with the greater be strangled and therefore you must leaue some little space betwixt the Uine the Tree OfteÌ„ digging causeth great fruitfulnesse good heede must be taken that the plantes be not hurt in the digging also it must be digged before his florishing or shooting out of his leaues for as immediatly therewithal he beginneth to thrust out his fruite So he that diggeth after the romming foorth thereof looseth muche fruite with the violenâ— shaking and therefore must digge the timelyer Cutting and dressing of the rootes you must begin in hand with at y Ides of October so that they may be trimmed and dispatched afore Winter After Winter digge about the rootes that you haue dressed and before the sonne enter the Aequinoctium leuell the roots that you haue trimmed After the Ides of April rayse vp the earth about your Uine in Sommer let the grounde be oftentymes harrowed After the Ides of October as I haue sayde before the colde come in you must dresse the rootes of your Uines which labour layeth open the Sommer springes which the good husband cutteth away with his knifeâ— for yf you suffer them to growe the rootes that growe downe wil perishe and it happeneth that the rootes spreade all aboue whiche wyll be subiect both to colde and heate and therefore what so euer is wâ—thin a foote and a halfe is to be cutte of but so as you hurt not the principall You must make this ryddance of the rootes at euery fall of the leafe for the fyrst fiue yeeres tyll the Uine be full growen after you must dresse them euery fourth yeere suche Uines as are ioyned with trees for the vnhandsomenesse can not be thus handled Uines and Trees the sooner theyr rootes be thus dressed the stronger and weyghtier they wyl be bâ—t such as growe vppon the sides of hilles must so be dressed as the vpper rootes neare to the stocke may spreade largely and vnderneath towardes the foote of the hill the earth must be bancked to keepe the water and the mould the better The olde Uâ—ne must not haue his roote medled withall for wytheryng nor be plowed for breaking of them but the earth a little loosed with a Mattocke and when you haue thus drest the roote lay doung about it After this ridding of the rootes then foloweth proyning or cuttyng whereby the whole Uine is brought to one twigge and that also cutte within two ioyntes of the earâ—th which cuttyng must not be in the ioynt but betwixt the ioyntes with a slope cutte for auoyding the water neyther must the cut be on that side that the budde comes out of but on the contrary least with his bleeding he kill the budde Columella appoynteth two seasons for the cuttyng of Uines the spring and the fall of the leafe iudging in colde countreys the cutting in the spring to be the best and in hotte countreys where the Winters be milde the fall of the leafe at which tyme both trees plantes by the deuine and euerlastyng appoyntment of GOD yeelâ— vp their fruite and theyr leafe Yet must not your settes be too nearely cut except they be very feeble but the fyrst yeere they be set they must be holpen with often digging and pullyng of the leaues moonthly whyle they beare that they may grow the better Pamphilus in Constantine declareth the time of cuttyng or proynyng to begin in Februarie or March from the fiftienth of Februarie tyll the twentieth of Marche some he sayth thought good to cut them immediatly after the geathering of the Grapes least by bleedyng in the spring they loose theyr sustenance though being cut in the fall of the leafe it springeth the sooner in the spring and yf the cold of frost happen to come it is spoyled Therefore in colde countreys it were better to proyne it a little then to cut it throughly that is to suffer the principall springes and branches to growe Agayne it is very necessary to cut them in the spring the cuttes must be made with a very sharpe knife that they may be smoothe and that the water may not stand in them to the engendring of wormes and corruptyng of the Uine you must cut them rounde so wyl the cut be sooner growen out agayne but Plinie woulde haue them slope wyse for the better auoydyng of the water The branches that be broade olde crooked or wrythen cutte away and set young and better in their place You must make an ende of your cutting with as much speede as you may from the Ides of December tyll the Ides of Ianuarie you must not touche your Uines with a knife for Columella witnesseth that Uines in Winter may not be cut In cuttyng remember well to cut it betwixt two ioynes for yf you cut it in the ioynt you spill it let the cut be alwayes downeward so shall it be safe both from sunne and weather You must not cutte them very early but when the sunne hath drunke vp the frost or the deawe and warmed the branche the springes of the settes the fyrst yeere must be cut with good discretion nor suffered to growe to ranke nor cut too neare but making the olde set to suffer a spring or two to growe out Next vnto cuttyng foloweth the proppyng or supportyng of the Uine and it is best for the young and tender Uine not to be stayed vp with any
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
that you demaunde more then I promised yet since you force me I wyll not refuse it least you shoulde thincke I would fayle you in any thing As touching Woods Ancus Martius as Petrus Crinitus wryteth was the fyrst in Rome that euer dealt in them the olde Fathers had alwayes a speiall regarde of Wooddes wherefore Virgil sayth Yf that of Woods I frame my song Woods vnto Princes doo belong Yf that of Woods I lyst to singâ— Woods may full well beseeme a King. It was ordayned by the Romanes that the Consuls shoulde haue the charge of the Woods that there shoulde no Tymber be wanting for bulding of Houses and Shyppes and other Tymber woorkes both publique and priuate The state of Venis at this day obserueth the same order poynting a priuate officer for their Wooddes who hath in charge as well to see to the yeerly planting of theÌ„ as to let that there be wanting no Tymber for their necessary vses The Wood that you tolde me you passed by is of Okes Beeches and other Mast trees some part seruing for Tymber and other for Fewell Of these therefore wyll I fyrst beginne to speake and then of Olyue Groues and Wyllowes some of them be wylde and grow of them selues not needing any looking to but suche as dayly experience shewes are nothing so good as those that are planted Wooddes and Forestes doo cheefely consist of Oke Beeche Fyrre tree Byrche Pine Pitch tree Mastholme Corke wylde Olyue Medlar Crabbe tree Iuniper Cornel and Pyrry other Wooddes haue other trees according to the nature of the ground The great Wood of Harteswald in Germany as it runneth through diuers Countreys beareeth in some place onely Oke in others Beeche in others Fyrres The Forest of Arderne for the most part beareth Oke Montisicello Larshe Fyrre Cornel and Tamarice Monte. D S. Cothardo great abundance of Chestnut trees These wylder sort though they growe of them selues may yet well be planted yf you haue meete grounde of the Acorne and the berry eache of them liketh some one kinde of ground better then an other as fyrst Theophrastus and after Plinie hath declared In the mountaines delighteth the Fyrre tree the Cedar the Larsh the Pitche tree and such as beare Rosyne as also the Holme the Terebinth the Chestnutte the Mastholme the Oke the Beeche the Iuniper the Cornel and the Dogge tree though some of these also prosper well yenough in the playne The Fyrre the Oke the Chestnutte the Fyrrebeech the Mastholme and the Cornel growe aswell in the Ualley as on the Mountayne vpon the playnes you shal haue the Tamarix the Elme the Poplar the Wyllowe the Hasel the Wallnutte the Hornebeame the Maple the Ashe and the Beeche You shall not lightly see the Plome tree the Apple the wylde Olyue nor the Wallnutte vppon the Mountayne all suche as growe as well in the playne as vppon the Mountayne are larger and fayrer to the eye growing in the playne but are bâ—tter for Tymber and fruite vppon the Mountayne except the Peare and the Apple as Theophrastus sayth In marrishe ground delighteth the Wyllowe the Alder the Poplar and the Priuey And although the most Wooddes doo spring of their owne nature and accord yet are they by planting labour and diligence brought to be a great deale more fayre and fruitefull for as afore I told you howe fruite trees were nourished and brought vp in Impe Gardens so are these wilde and fruitelesse trees set and planted for Tymber and Fewell He that is disposed to plant a Woodde must fyrst according to his soyle choose his sets and yf he haue them not springing of his owne let him make an Impe Garden of the seedes enclosing well the grounde with Hedge Rampyre or Dytch lest Shepe Goates or any other cattell come in to byte and brouse it for what so euer they haue once bitten as yf it were infectted with a deadly poyson perisheth and therefore those that meane to plant Woods eyther for Tymber Fewell or Mast must carefully prouide agaynst these hurtfull enimies The country lawes haue therein well prouided that where suche springes are they shall feede no Goates nor such cattell Amongest the Mast trees and suche as serue for Tymber the fyrst place of right belongeth to the Oke called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Quercus â— in Italian â—uercia in Spanish Roble â— in French Chesne in Dutch Eichenbaum he that wyll then plant an Oke Grone must prouide him of ripe Acornes not ouer dryed nor feutâ—e or any way corrupted these must he sow in good ground well tylled with as great carefulnesse as he plantes his Orchard and well enclose it that there come no cattell in it which when they be something growen you must about February remooue to the place where you entende to plant your Wood yf you cutte proyne them it is thought they wyl prosper the better for Mast but yf you reserue them for Tymber you must not touche the tops that it may runne vp the straighter and higher In remoouing them you must make your trenches a foote and a half deepe couering the rootes well with earth taking good heede you neyther bruse them nor breake them for better you were to cutte them The Oke agreeth wel yenough with all maner of grounde but prospereth the better in Mâ—rshes warry places it groweth almost in al groundes yea euen in grauell and sande except it be ouer dry it liketh worst a fatte ground neyther refuseth it the Mountayne We haue at this day and Oke in Westphalia not farre from the Castell of Altenam whiche is from the foote to the neerest bowe one hundred and thyrty foote and three elles in thicknesse and an other in an other place that being cutte out made a hundred Wayne lode not farre from this place there grewâ— an other Oke of tenne yardes in thicknesse but not very hie the Rouers in Garmany were woont to vse for theyr Shyps hollowed trees whereof some one as Plinie sayth would carry thyrtie men The next amongst the Mast trees is the Beech in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Fagus in Italian Faggio in Spanishe Haya in Frenche Faus in Dutch Buchen planted almost after the same maner that the Okes be The Mastholme in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Hex in Italian where it is better knowen â—liâ—e in Spanishe Enzina in Frenche Haussen it groweth hye yf it haue a ground meete for it it prospereth vppon hilles and likes not the playne it beareth Acornes lesser then the Acornes of the Oke a leafe like a Bay and is continually greene The like hath the Corke tree in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— in Latine Suber in Spanishe Alcornoque in Frenche Liege whiche is counted amongst those that beare Mast the barke whereof we occupie for the flotes of our fisshing nettes and in Pantofels for Winter all other trees sauing only the Corke yf you spoyle them of their barke doo dye An other
where The Pitch tree in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Picca in Italian Pezzo in Spanish El pino de que se haze la pez in Dutch Rododemem is a tree of the kinde of Pines and very like to the Pine sweating out his Rozen as he doth for there are sixe kindes of these Rozen trees the Pine the Pitch tree the wylde Pine the Fyrre the Larsh and the Tarre tree the planting of them al is alike The Alder a tree also meete for woods in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Alnus in Italian Auno in Dutch Elsen in French Aulne it groweth in plaine and marishe places neare to Riuers Theophrastus saith it yeeldeth a fruitfull seede in the ende of Sommer many places are commodiously planted with Poplar whereof there are two sortes the white called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the blacke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the white is called with y Italians Populo bianco with the Spaniards Alamo blanco the blacke of the Italians Populo negro of the other Alamo negrillo in French Peuplier in Dutch Peppelem it is planted of the branches and settes and delighteth in watry places or any other grounde it proueth very fast the blacke hath the ruggedder barke his leaues rounde while he is young and cornered in his age white vnderneath and greene aboue The tymber hereof is good for buyldinges specially within doores his Wood is whitishe within and the rinde blackish whence he hath his name Theophrastus addeth a third kinde called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some call the Poplar of Libya and of the Alpes it hath a rugged barke like the wylde Perry a leafe like Iuy and is in colour like a darke greene sharpe at the one end and brode at the other The blacke Poplar groweth in greate plenty about the lower partes of the Rhyne though Homer call the Wâ—llowe a fruitelesse tree because his fruite turneth into Cobwebs before they be ripe yet is the soueraintie geuen him amongest Wooddes that are vsually feld Cato geueth the third place of husbandry grounds to the Wyllouwe preferring it eyther before the Olyue Groue corne grounde or meddow for it is oftner to be cutte and groweth the thicker neyther is there so greate gayne with so little charge in any thing it delighteth in watry groundes darke and shadowy and therefore is planâ—ed about Ryuers and Lakes howbeit it groweth in the Champion and other ground it is planted of young settes a foote and a halfe long and well couered with earth a wette ground requyreth a greater distance betwixt them wherein you shall doo well to â—et them fiue foote a sunder in order like the sinke vppon a Dye in the dry ground they may be set thicker to geather yet Columella would haue them fiue foote distance for passing by them There are two sortes of Wyllowes one sort enduring for euer called Osyar seruing for making of Baskets Chayres Hampers and other country stuffe the other kinde growing with greate and high branches seruing for stayes to Uines or for quicksettes or stakes of Hedges and is called stake Wyllowe it is planted both of the tiwgge and of the stalke but the stalke is the better which muâ—t be set in a moyst ground well digged two foote a halfe in the ground before it spring and when the twygges are bare you must take them from the tree when they be very dry otherwyse they prosper not so well these stakes or settes being taken from the young stocke that hath ben ones or twyse cutte and in thicknesse as mâ—ch as a mans arme you must set in the ground three foote or a foote and a halfe deepe and sixe foote a sunder laying good moulde about them fence them well that there come no cattell to pill of the barke of them After three or foure yeeres you may pull them whereby they wyll growe and spreade the better and so you may continually cutte them euery fiue or fourth yeere wherof you may make sets for planting of more for the olde ones are not so good to be occupied The time of cutting of them is from the fall of the leafe vntill April the Moone encreasyng and in Westerly or Southerly windes for yf you doo it the winde being in the North we finde by experience they wyl not growe so wel you must cut them cleane away that the olde branches hurt not the young springes some thinke the young Wyllowe to growe the better the nearer the ground and the smoother he is cut The Osyar commonly groweth of his owne selfe and is also planted of his roddes in watry and marishe groundes the earth raysed vp and laide in furrowes it is planted and springes most plentifully where the earth is beaten vp with the rage and ouerflowinges of the water it serueth as a sure defence for making of Bankes and Walles in Marshes and that cheefely in March the Moone encreasing the Osyar may be cut euery yeere or euery two yeere yf you wyll Loe here haue you concerning Wooddes what needefullest are for our countreymen to plant for as for Woods of Cedar Cypresse and other strange trees it is not for our husbandes to busie them selues about wette and riche groundes that are meete for corne is also good to be planted with Okes Beeche Wyllowe Poplar although the Oke and the Beeche refuse hilly and lighter ground sandy and barraine groundes are good for Byrche Bramble Broome and Hethe as I haue sufficiently saide before Nowe perhaps you would haue me proceede with Coppisse wooddes that are continually to be feld THRA I would yf it were no paine to you MARIVS Coppisse or sale wood were fyrst brought vp as Plinie sayth by Qu. Martius This kinde of Wood groweth commonly of his owne accord in Forrestes and watry places but all Wooddes are not for this purpose for some trees there are which yf you cut and poule often wyl fade and dye as the Ashe the Iuâ—iper the Chery the Fyrre the Apple and the Pyrry and some againe yf they be not cut wyll perishe the Uine requireth yeerely cutting the Olyue the Myrtel and the Pomegranate eache other yeere In cutting of them as they are diuers so is their order for the Oke as he groweth slowly so is he not to be cutte before he be of seuen or eyght yeeres growth and the nearer the ground you cut him the better he growes though he may be polled seuen or eyght foote aboue the ground the like is of the Beeche sauing that he may sooner be cut The great Wyllowe and the Poplar are cut after one sort as I shewed a little before though the Osyar may be cut euery two yeere or euery yeere The Chestnut may be feld euery seuenth yeere both for Fewel or for Uine stâ—ues Trees are cut and pold sundry wayes for eyther they are feld close by the ground or the body is pold when it comes to be of the bignesse of
Whay is thought to be very hurtful for the Chickins After they be a moneth old you may let them goe into the feeld and followe the Henne tying the Henne with a long line that she goe not to far abroade but that the Chickin may come home in time After the sixth moneth you may geue them Barly and bread and after the seuenth moneth you may put them to roust in the house with the other Peacocks not suffering them to sit vpon the ground but vpon Pearches for taking of colde And although when they waxe greate they cheefely delight to sitte vppon the toppes of houses and be as the Goose is which are the best watchmen and also the best warnyng geuers in the nyght tyme yet is it best for you to vse them to sitte vpon Pearches in houses made purposely for them Columella thinkes it not good to suffer sundry Hennes with theyr Chyckins to feede togeather because the Henne after she seeth a bigger then her owne maketh the lesse accompt of her owne Chickins and many tymes by that occasion forsaketh them The Cocke for the great lust that he hath of treade breakes a sunder the Egges that be vnder the Henne and therefore it is best to haue the Hennes to sit as secretly as may be they also vse to beate and chase their owne Chickins tyll they see them cressed vppon the head taking them tyll then to be none of their owne One Cocke suffiseth for fiue Hennes who by two oft treading dooth many times cause that the Egges neuer come to good In warme countreys they beginne to treade in Februarie when setting vâ— his tayle round about him taking him selfe for no small person he beginneth to wooe and therefore at this time both the Cocke and the Henne are to be cherished with meates for the purpose to encrease their lust as Beanes tosted a little by the fyre and geuen them warme euery fiue dayes in the mornyng The quarellous troublesome Cockes must be seuered from their fellowes for hurting the weaker and keeping others from tâ—eading The Hennes must be kept so as they may laye onely in their houses and euery day groped for their Egges and heedely looked to with soft stâ—awe layd vnder their Pearches for many times they say as they sitte vpon the Pearch The diseases of this Foule and the remedies are almost one with the diseases of the house Cocke and the Henne spoken of before that is the Pippâ— and yll digestion Their greatest danger is when their Coames come fyrst out for then are they payned as children are in breeding of teeth MELISSEVS I would faine learne the right ordring of their outlandish Birds called Ginny Cocks Turky Cocks CHENOâ—OSCVS This kind of Poultry we haue not long had amongst vs for before the yeere of our Lord. 1530. they were not seene with vs nor I beleeue knowen to the olde wryters Some haue supposed them to be a kind of the Birdes called in the olde times Meleagridesâ— because of their blewishe Coames but these kindes haue no Coames but only Wattles Others agayne reckon them for a kind of Peacockes because they doo in treading time after the same sort spread and sette vp theyr tayles bragging and vaunting them selues howbeit they neyther resemble these in all poyntes But because this kinde of Foule both for the rarenesse and also the greatnesse of theyr body is at this day kept in great flockes it shall not be much amisse to speake of them for in dayntinesse and goodnesse of meate the Hennes may compare with eyther the Goose or the Pâ—henne and the Cocke farre excell them The colour of theyr feathers is for the most part white blacke or pâ—ed white and blacke some blewe and blacke Theyr feete are like vnto the Peacockes theyr tayles short but spread and borne vp after the Peacockes guyse specially when they tread The heades and the neckes of them are naked without feathers couered with a wrinckled skinne in maner of a cowle or a hood which hanging ouer theyr bylles they drawe vp or let fall at theyr pleasures The Corke hath the greater Wattles vnder his câ—inne and on his brest a â—ufâ— of heare The colour of that wrinckled skinne about his head which hangeth ouer his byll and about his necke al swelling as it were with little blathers he changeth from time to time like the Chamâ—leon to al colours of the Rainebowe sometimes white sometimes red sometimes blewe sometimes yellowe which colours euer altring the byrd appeareth as it were a myracle of nature The dieting and keeping of them is almost all one with the Peacocke sauing that this Byrd can worse away with colde and wette It is a Byrd woonderfully geuen to breeding euery Cocke must as the Peacocke haue foure or fiue Hennes with him they are more forward in breeding then the Peacocke beginning eyther the fyrst yeere or at the farthest at two yeere old they beginne to lay in Marche or sooneâ— In hotte countrâ—s they lay great numbers of Egges yf they be continually taken from them and set vnder Hennes and yf so be you take them not away they begin â—o sit at the first for they be of all others most geuen to sitting and â—o much that yf you take away al theyr Egges they wyl sitte vpon a stoneâ— or many times the bâ—re nest You must therfore restraine them of this desire eyther by thrusting a â—eather through theyr nose as I before told you or by wetting theyr bellies with cold water You must set vnder theyr Egges as I taught you before in the Peacocke for they haue both one time of hatching The keeper must marke the one side of the Egges and alwayes turne them sprinckling them nowe and then gently with fayre water and take heede the Cocke come not at them for he wyl breake them as wel as the Peacocke for the Cocke of this kind is a froward and a mischiuous Byrd The Chickines being hatched vnder a Henne may be kept with the Hennes Chickins or els very well alone with the Henne growing faster a great deale then the Peachicke You shall feede them in like sort as you doo the Peacoke or other Poultry for they wyll eate any thing and delight in grasse weedes grauell and sande And because they can not away with colde nor wette you must keepe them in Winter in the warmest and dryest places you haue The Pearches whereon they vse to sit must not be hye but an eyght or tenne foote from the grounde neyther â—e they able to flee any great height and therefore must be holpen with lathers or steppes The greatest disease that they are subiect vnto is the Pippe and the Squecke which must be holâ—en in like sort as the Hennes and the Egges kept after the same maner In some places they vse to make Capons of them when they be young which are serued as a daynty dishe to the table as was much vsed in the house of that godly and vertuous Semproma the Lady
and restoreth the hearing For the proofe of his greate force against poyson they bring foorth a young mayden of Pauy that hauing vnwares eaten of a poysoned Apple and therewithall so swolen as no Treacle nor medcine could cure her was at the last restored to health by the destilled water of this Thistell and likewyse that a boy into whose mouth as he slept in the feelde happened an Adder to creepe was saued by the drinking of this water the Adder creeping out behind without any hurt to the childe In fine they affirme that the leaues iuyce seede and water healeth all kind of poysons and that the water hath healed a woman whose brest was eaten with a canker to the very ribbes I haue also set in this little peece of ground great store of the hearbe called Numularia or Penigrasse which creepeth close by the ground hauing vpon a long string little round leaues standing directly one against the other and a yellow flowre like the Crowfoote It is a soueraine hearb for healing of woundes not only outward greene woundes but also inward sores and vlcers specially of the Loonges wherof there hath ben good profe Tragus affirmeth that he hath seene dangerous desperat woundes cured with this hearbe being boyled with Hony and Wine and drunke It healeth exulcerations of the brest and Loonges and may be well geuen to those that cough and are short breathed and to little children diseased with the dry cough who by reason of theyr tender age may take no stronger medicine I haue seene good plenty of it growing by the shadowy Ditches about great Peckam in Kent I haue beside there growing Scabious an hearbe that groweth commonly in Corne with a iagged leafe lying round vpon the ground and thrusting out in Sommer a long stalke with sundry branches the flowres growing in blewe knoppes or tuftes like Honycomes This hearbe being sodden with white wine and drinke doth helpe the Plurisie against which diseases the women of the countrey that many times take vpon them to be great Dâ—ctâ—esses in Phisicke doo stil the water thereof in May and geue it to be drunken at eache time two or three sponefuls not only against the Plurisie but against inward imposternes coughes and all diseases of the brest Against imposternes diuers as Traâ—us wryteth doo make this composition they take a handfull of Scabious the hearbe dryed of Liquerisse cut small an ounce twelue Figges Fenell seede an ounce Aniseede as much Or as halfe an ounce these they lay al a night in water the next day they boyle them tyl a third part be consumed and after making it sweete with Suger or Hony of Roses they geue it waâ—me in the morning and the euening wherewith they say the imposterne is ripened made soft and cought out â—VLLARIVS I remember that passing by the house of that honorable Baron the Lorde Cobham whose house you shall seeldome see without great resort by reason of his noble disposition and honourable intertainement that he geueth to all commers I chanced to see in his Parke at Cobbam a certaine hearbe called Veronica whereof I haue heard vertues MELISSEVS That can I also shewe you amongest the hearbes that I haue about my Bees it is called of some Feueriuum and Veronica as it is supposed of a certaine French King who was thought by the iuyce thereof to be cured of a great Leprosie it is called in english Fluellin it creepeth lowe by the ground as Penigrasse doth and beareth a leafe like the Blackthorne with a blewish speâ—kled flowre with a seede inclosed in little powches like a shepeheards purse and groweth commonly vnder Okes. D Hieron wryteth that the force thereof is marueylous against the pestilence and contagious ayres and that he him self hath often times proued The water of the hearbe steeped in white Wine and destilled therewithal he hath cured sundry times hotte burning and pestilent feuers as well in young men as in old Hieron Transchweyg commendeth it to be singuler good for all diseases of the Spleen the shepheardes of Germany geue it with great profite made in powder and mingled with salt to theyr cattell diseased with the cough being steeped in Wine and destilled it is a most present remedy in all pestilent feuers being geuen two ounces thereof with a little Treacle and after layed warme in bedde and well couered it expelleth the poyson by sweate and driueth it from the hart The water of this hearbe taken certaine dayes togeather two ounces at a time helpeth the turnesicke giddinesse of the head voydeth fleame purgeth blood warmeth the stomacke openeth the stopping of the Liuer healeth the diseases of the Loonges and the Spleen purgeth the Uaines the Matrice and the Bladder it driueth out sweat and venome helpeth the Iandise the stone of the Reygnes and other greeuous diseases You shall also haue amongest these plantes of myne the good sweete hearbe Cariphilata or of some Benedicta of others Sanamanda called in English Aueus whose roote whether it be greene or olde resembleth the Cloue in sauour the leafe is iagged rooffe of a darkish greene and not much vnlike to Agrimony the flowre is yellow and after the falling thereof leaueth a prycly knoppe like a Hedgehogge the roote the longer it hath growen the sweeter it is the speciall vse of this roote in some countreys is to be put in Wine in the spring time for it maketh the Wine to tast and sauour very pleasantly which Wine as many hold oppinion doth glad the harte openeth the obstruxion of the Liuer and healeth the stomacke that is ouer burdened with cold and grosse humors this roote boyled in Wine and geuen warme doth ease the greefe of the stomacke or the belly proceading of eyther cold or winde Hard by this hearb haue I planted the great water Betony called of some Ocimastrum of Mathiolus Scrophularia Maior it hath a great square stalke and bigge leafe indented round about the the flowre is in colour Purple and in fashion like the shell of a Snayle it flowreth in Iune and Iuly and groweth most by waters in shadowy places Tragus teacheth to make a speciall oyntment thereof seruing against all scabbes and sores wherewith he saith he hath seene people so mangy as they haue seemed euen Lepers to be cured his oyntment is this Take the hearbe rootes and all gathered in May washed and well clensed from all filth stampe it and strayne out the iuyce and keepe it in a narrowe mouthed glasse well stopped wherein you may keepe it a whole yeere and when so euer you list to make your oyntment take of the same iuyce of Wax and Oyl of eache a like quantitie and boyle them together vpon a Chafingdish of coles stirring them well tyll they be incorporated and so vse it Mathiolus teacheth to make a singuler oyntment thereof against Kernells the Kinges euil and the Hemrodes his order is this You must gather the rootes in the end of sommer