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
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
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
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
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—
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
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
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
generally to be cast vppon an acre though I knowe the olde wryters appoynted certayne quantitie to euery acre whiche perhaps might serue with them but we shoulde foulie deceaue our selues â— yf we shoulde obserue the lyke in euery place First because some grounde requireth more seede then other as the grounde is of stiffenesse or lightnesse for the stiffer ground as in Hollande neere the Rhyne requires muche seedeâ— where lighter grounde requireth lesse The timely sowing the thinner and the later as Columella sayth the thicker Secondly their measures and acres differ as the thing that at this day is not throughly agreed vpon But nowe you shal heare what seede euery ground requireth RIGO That I long to heare CONO After long rest or the fyrst dounging eyther Barley or Wheate is to be sowen but Wheate though it require good ground yet yf the ground be to riche where it is sowen it wyll growe to ranke and lye leadge vpon the grounde And therefore vppon suche grounde it is best to sowe your Wheate after a crop of Barley Pease or Buck and after your Wheate crop to sowe it with Rye and then againe yf the grounde waxe not poore with Barley In very riche grounde immediatly after the geathering of Rape seede plowe it presently for Bucke whereby you may haue two Croppes in one yeere In like maner the Cabegged Rape sowen after Rye maketh two haruestes in one yeere Pease Beanes Tares and Fitches and almost al Pulse els requireth riche ground which afterwards may yeerely serue for Wheate Milium and Rape Plinie woulde not haue Rapes sowen but in very well dunged ground but we finde by experience that after a croppe of Rye in meane ground you shall haue the same yeere great Rapes Sandy and Grauesly ground must rest euery third yeere for two or three yeeres that being then well dounged you may sowe Rye or Buck and after Oates In good pasture ground newe broken vp you may sowe Oates after the fyrst plowing after that Rape seede then Barley after that Wheate or Rye and at last Oates or Rye yf the nature of the countrey be for it When this is doone you must eyther doung it or let it lye laye If the ground be mellowe after Barley in some places they sowe Millet then Radâ—she after that Barley and Wheate as in Campania and such ground is sufficiently plowed when it is sowen in some place where Lenten Wheate is sowen it restes three monethes after is sowen with Beanes in the Spring in no other wyse may you charge indifferent ground If after two seasons of Corne you sowe Pulse or Pedwaxe the barrenner ground must rest three yeeres Some wyl in no case haue you sowe Wheate or Barley in ground that lyes fâ—llowe After that ye haue thus sowen your seede in ground thryse plowed and well prepared then must you straight wâ—yes harrowe it which is doone with a lettused instrument full of teeth drawen vpon the ground whereby the Cloddes are broken and the seede couered in some places it is doone with a boorde tyed to the Plowe whiche they call in Latine Lirare Sometime Rakyng is needefull whiche in the Spring looseth the earth made clunged with the cold of Winter letteth in the freshe warmth It is best to rake Wheate Barley and Beanes twyse Moreouer they breake a sunder with the Rouler the greater and stiffer Clods Weeding is when the Corne is knotted the noughtie weedes being plucked vp deliuereth the rootes of the Corne and seuereth it To speake of the season of Sowyng it is agreed vpon of all men that there ought to be no sowing in Winter for the Winter Corne when it is sowed before Winter appeareth aboue the ground somtimes within a seuen night after which yf it be sowed after Winter is begunne it scarsely appeareth in fourtie dayes after Some very fondly thinke it better to sowe in the Spring then in Autumne Plinie wryteth that in Treuers the Haruest being in they haue sowed in the coldest of Winter and rakyng their grounde in the spring haue had an excellent good Croppe after Amongst our haruest sedes there are some harder that are able to abide the Winter which are sowen in hotte Countreys as Virgil sayth about the setting of the seuen starres which Columella vnderstandeth to be about one and thirtie dayes after the Autumne Aequinoctial that is the nienth Kalendes of Nouember and in Fraunce and Germanse in September and the beginning of October as Rape seede Wheate Rye Winter Barley that are nourished in the blade all Winter and grow vp towardes earing in the Spring Some there be that wyll you to sowe before only in drye ground and hotte Countreys Some agayne woulde haue you sowe in colde Countreys after the Autumne Aequinoctial in hotte Countreys later least they shoulde florishe before the Winter and be destroyed of woormes or blasted Some on the other side make haste saying That soone sowing sometimes deceaues but late sowing euer It is good reason to sowe timely in wette groundes that the seede rotte not with ouer muche moysture and later in drye groundes least lying long and not sprowting it come to nought Also in timely sowyng to â—owe thicker because it is slowe in rooting and in later sowyng thinner least with the thicknesse it be choked Sommer seedes whiche are sowed before the risyng of the seuen starres and in the Spring as Beanes Pease and suche Pulse Millet Panicum Sesamum Sommer Barley Flaxe Hempe Oates Buck Sporia and suche other are sowed in the Spring time In Asia and Grece they sowe all as they say at the setting of the seuen starres Now although there be certaine precepts of the tyme of sowing and howe muche seede is meete for euery quantitie of grounde surely they might as I haue saide before for theyr owne Countrey and nature of their ground geue a kind of gesse but to determine any thing herein certainely there is no man that can doo it but the ground and euery mans owne practise is herein the best maister One auncient generall rule of husbandry there is wherein we are warned in cold Countreys to sowe late in temperate Countreyes sooner and in hot regions soonest of al. Eratosthenes sayth that India is subiect to muche raynes in Sommer and that then they sowe Flaxe Sesamum Ryse and Millet and in Winter Wheate Barley Pedware and other fruites that we haue not Hesiodus the Prince in his time of husbandry wyls vs to sowe accordyng to the custome of Grece his naturall countrey Virgil Cato Varro Columella and Plinie appoint their rules for Italy whose mindes yf you wyll haue folowed in all other places you shall but seeke to couer euery pot with one couer But to come to the matter sythe the seedes of sundry natures require sundry times of sowyng and diuers sortes of ordering and that herein euery Countrey hath his guise I wyll here obseruing suche customes as are most generall to them all
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
poore people as not able to beare the charges were banished from the costlier eates and driuen to content them selues with the basest foode And hereof sprang at the fyrst the planting of Orchardes and making of Gardens wherewith the poorest creature that was might store his Kitchin and haue his victuals alwayes at hand the Orchard and Garden seruing for his Shambles with a great deale more commendable hurtlesse dyet Herein were the olde husbandes very careful and vsed alwayes to iudge that where they founde the Garden out of order the wyfe of the house for vnto her belonged the charge thereof was no good huswyfe for they shoulde be forced to haue their victuals from the Shambles or the Market not making so great account of Colwoortes then as they doo nowe condemning them for the charges that were about them As for fleshe it was rather lothed then vsed amongst them Only Orchardes and Gardens did chiefely please them because the fruites that they yeelde needed no fyre for the dressing of them but spared wood being alwayes of them selues redy dressed easie of digestion and nothing burdensome to the stomacke and some of them seruing also to pouder or preserue withal as good marchandize at home as Plinie sayth not driuing men to seeke Pepper as farre as Indie Of Lucrin I the Oysters not regarde as the Poet sayth And therefore to make them of more woorthynesse and that for their common profyte they shoulde not be the lesse regarded there were diuers noble men of the house of Valerius that tooke their surnames of Lettuse and were not ashamed to be named Lettismen The olde people had in great estimation the Gardens of the daughters of Altas and of the kinges Adonis and Alcinoi of whom Homer so muche speaketh as also the great vaulted Gardens eyther built by Semiramis or by Cyrus the king of Assyria Epicure is reported to be the fyrst that euer deuised Garden in Athens before his time it was not seene that the pleasures of the Countrey were had in the Citie Now when Thrasybulus trauayling in the affayres of his Prince chaunced to come to the house of Marius and carryed by him into a Garden that he had whiche was very beautifull being ledde about among the sweete smelling flowres and vnder the pleasaunt Hearbers what a goodly sight quoth Thrasybulus is here howe excellently haue you garnished this paradise of yours with all kinde of pleasures Your Parlers your banketting houses both within and without as all bedecked with pictures of beautifull Flowres and Trees that you may not onely feede your eyes with the behâ—lding of the true and liuely flowre but also delight your selfe with the counterfaite in the middest of Winter seeing in the one the painted flowre to contende in beautie with the very flowre in the other the woonderfull woorke of nature and in both the passing goodnesse of god Moreouer your pleasaunt Herbers to walke in whose shaddowes keepe of the heate of the Sunne and yf it fortune to rayne the Cloysters are hard by But specially this little Riuer with most cleare water encompassing the Garden dooth woonderfully set it foorth and here withall the greene and goodly quickset Hedges in chargeble kinde of enclosures differeth it both from Man and Beast I speake nothing of the well ordered quarters whereas the Hearbes and Trees are seuered euery sort in their due place the Pot hearbes by them selues the Flowres in an other place the Trees and the Impes in an other quarter all in iust square and proportion with Alleys and Walkes amongst them Among these goodly sightes I pray you remember according to your promise for so the time requireth to shewe me some part of your great knowledge in Garden matters syth you haue vppon this condition heard me heretofore garbring or rather weerying you with the declaiming of my poore skill in the tilling of the Feeld MARIVS Your memorie is herein a littel to quicke but what shal I doo promise must be kept and since you wyl needes force me you shall heare me babble as well as I can of my knowledge in gardning but not with the like pleasure that I heard you talking of your grasyng and your ground THRA Yes truely with as great pleasure and desire as may be MARIVS Come on then let vs here sitte downe in this Herber and we wyll nowe and then ryse and walke resting vs as oft as you wyl in the meane time IVLIA shal make redy our supper And fyrst euen as you began with the choosing of a place meete to set your house vpon so must I with the choise of a Plot meete for a Garden The ordring of Gardens is diuers for some are made by the Manour houses some in the Suburbes some in the Citie where so euer they be yf the place wyll suffer they must be made as neare to the house as may be but so as they be as farre from the Barnes as you can for the chaffe or dust blowing into them and eyther subiect to the Doung heape whereby it may be made riche or els in some very good grounde that hath some small Brooke runnyng by it or yf it haue none suche some Well or Condite whereby it may be watred An excellent plotte for the purpose is that which declineth a little and hath certaine gutters of water running through diuers partes therof for Gardens must alwayes be to be easily watred yf not with some runnyng streame some Pompe is to be made or Kettell Myll or suche like as may serue the turne of a naturall streame Columella would haue you make your searche for water when the Sunne is in the latter part of Virgo which is in September before his entrance into the Winter Aequinoctial for then may you best vnderstand the strength or goodnesse of the springes when after the great burnyng heate of the Sommer the grounde hath a long whyle continued without rayne If you can not thus haue water you must make some standing Pond at the vpper part of the ground that may receyue and conteyne such water as falles from aboue wherewith ye may water your Garden in the extreame heate of the Sommer but where neither the nature of the soyle nor conueiance by Conduite or Pompe or running streame is to be had you haue no other helpe but the rayne water of Winter which yf you also haue not then must you delue lay your Garden three or foure foote deepe which being so ordered wyll well be able to abide what so euer droughth doo happen This is also to be regarded that in Gardens that are destitute of water you so order them into seuerall partes that what part you wyll occupie in Winter may lye toward the South and that which shal serue you for Sommer may lye towardes the North. In a Garden as in the choyse of Corne grounde you must looke whether the goodnesse of the ground be not hindered by the vnskilfulnesse of hym that hath
occupied it You must also make choyse of your water of whiche the best as Plinie sayth are the coldest and such as be sweete to drinke the woorst that comes from Ponds or is brought in by trenches because they bring with them the seedes of Grasse and Weedes but the grounde dooth most delight in rayne water which killeth Woormes and baggage that breedes in it but for some Herbes salt water is needefull as the Raddishe Beete Rue Saâ—rile to which al salt water they say is a speciall helper making them both pleasaunt and fruitefull to all others sweete water is only to be vsed And because I haue begunne to entreate of watring I must geue this note that the times of watring is not in the heate of the day but early in the mornyng and at night least the water be heated with the sunne onely Basyl you must water at Noone the seede something wyl come the sooner vp yf they be sprinckled at the fyrst with hotte water You haue here heard that the fyrst needefull thing for a Garden is water The next to that is enclosure that it be well enclosed both from vnruly folkes and theeues and likewyse from Beastes least lying in wayte for your Herbes your Fruites they may both bereâ—ue you of your paynes and your pleasure for yf eyther they be bitten with Beastes or to often handeled with Men it hindereth them both of their growth and seeding and therefore it is of necessitie to haue the Garden well enclosed Nowe for enclosures there are sundry kindes some making earth in mould doo counterfeite Brickwalles others make them of lime and stones some others of stones laide one vpon an other in heapes casting a ditche for water rounde about them whiche kinde Palladius forbiddes to followe because it wyll drawe out the moysture from the Garden except it be in marrishe grounde Other make their fence with the seedes and settes of Thorne some make them of mudde walles couered with strawe or heath Varro maketh mention of foure kindes of enclosure the fyrst naturall the second wylde the thirde souldierly the fourth of Carpenters woorke The fyrst and naturall is the quickset Hedge being set of young Thornes whiche once well growen regardeth neyther fyre nor other hurt The seconde is the common Hedge made of dead wood wel staked and thicke plasshed or raylde The third the Souldiers fortefying is a deepe Ditch with a rampier but the Ditche must be so made as it may receyue al the water that comes from aboue or falles into it wherin the vaumure must be so steepe that it may not easily be climed This kinde of fence is to be made where the ground lyes neare the hie way or buts vpon the Riuer of which sort I shal haue occasion to speake more hereafter The fourth fence made by the Carpenter or by the Mason is commonly knowen wherof there is foure sortes eyther of Stones or of Brickes of Turfe and Earth and little stones framed in moulde Columella folowyng the auncientest aucthours preferreth the quickset Hedge before the dead both because it is lesse chargeable and also endureth the longer continuing a long time which Hedge of young thornes he teacheth to make in this sort The place that you determine to enclose must after the beginning of September when the ground hath been wel soked with rayne be trenched about with two Furrowes a yard distant one from the other the deapth and breadth of euery one of them must be two foote whiche you must suffer to lye emptie al Winter prouiding in the meane time the seedes that you meane to sowe in them which must be the Berries of sharpe Thornes Bryers Holly wylde Eglanttine which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Dogge Bryer The Beries of these you must geather as ripe as you may and mingle them with the floure or meale of Tares whiche when it is sprinckled with water must be put vpon olde ropes of Ships or any other ropes the ropes being thus handled and dryed must be laide vp in some boorded â—â—oore Afterward when Winter is doone within fourtie dayes after about the comming of the swallowe yf there be any water remayning in the Fâ—rrowes it must be â—et out and the mellowed earth whiche was cast out of the Furrowes in the end of Sommer must nowe be cast in againe till you haue fylled them vp to the middeâ—t then must you handsomely vnfâ—lde the rope and lay them in length thorowe both the Furrowes and so couer them taking good heede that you throwe not to much earth vpon them for hindering the spring whiche commonly vseth to appeare within thirtie dayes after when they be growen to be of some heyght they must be made to encline to the space betwixt the two Furrowes in whiche space you must haue a little walled Hedge to teache the springes of other Furrowes to clime by whiche wyl be a 〈…〉 and a comfort to them But I haue an other a more redyer way of making of them which you fyrst practisyng in this Countrey diuers others haue folowed I also doo make a certayne Ditche and geathering in the wood the young springes of Thornes cutting of their toppes I set them on the bancke of the Ditche so that they stand halfe a foote out of the grounde plucking vp al the weedes specially the fyrst sommer that growe about them and sucke away the iuyce that comfortes the set The rootes being thus ridde I couer all the earth about them with strawe whereby both the dewe of the night is let into the rootes and the poore plant is defended from the burnyng of the Sunne The yeere after I make a little sâ—lender rayle of powles wherevnto I leye vp the springes weauing them in such sort as I wyll haue them to growe which I yeerely make higher according to the height that I woulde haue the Hedge to spring Eyght or at the vttermost niene foote is a sufficient heyght and what so euer spring aboue must be plasshed of one side or the other to make the fence the stronger When I haue thus done I matte it thicker and thicker euery yeere filling vp the places where I see it thinne with suche bowes as I see growe out of order and thus is it wouen so thicke with yeerely bindinges that not so muche as a small birde is able to passe thorowe it nor any man to looke through it When it is thicke yenough and bigge yenough the superfluous springes must euery yeerer be cut This Hedge can neuer be destroyed except it be plucked vp by the rootes neither feareth it the hurt of fyre but wyl growe the better for it And this is my way of enclosing a Garden as the pleasantest most profitable and of least charges THRA There is an other way of making of a quicksette Hedge which our Hedgers in the Countrey doo vse which is something the stronger For setting the young settes as you haue sayde
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
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
same name in al other tongues dooth best prosper when it is sowed of seede that is oldest Smalledge and Parsley called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also Petroâ—elinon in Latine Apium Petroselinum and Apium hortense in Italian Apio domestico and Petrosello in Spanishe Petersillie or Peterlin it is sowed at the Aequinoctiall in the Spring time the seede beaten a little and made vp in round pellettes we call it Aequinoctial when the nyght and the dayes are of equall length ouer all the world that is when the sunne the captayne and aucthour of the other lightes the very soule of the worlde dooth enter into the signes of Aries and Libra It is thought to prosper the better the older the seede is and to spring the sooner it commeth vp the fiftieth day or at the soonest the fourtieth day after it is sowen when it is once sowen it abideth a long time it reioyceth in water or wette Fenel in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Eâ—nochio in Spanish Hinozo in French Fenoil in Dutche Fenchel is sowed in the beginnyng of the Spring in hotte sunny places stony grounde or any grounde being once sowen it springeth euery yeere Annise in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Anisum so knowen in most tongues as Cummin and Corriander requireth a grounde well ordered and dressed Dyll in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Anethum in French and Italian almost so in Spanishe Eneldo in Dutch Dyll endureth and abideth all kinde of weathers but delightes most in warme grounde yf it be not wel watred it must be sowed thinner Some neuer couer the seedes when they sowe them supposing that no Birde wyll meddle with it it commeth vp also of it selfe as Fenel dooth Cheruyl in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Câ—râ—foliâ—om in Dutche Kerbel in Italian Gingidia in Frenche Cerfuâ—il desyreth a good ground moyst and wel dounged it is sowed with the rest in colde places In this same moneth they also sowe Beetes though you may sowe them when you wyll at any other tyme of the yeere as Spinage it is a common Countrey hearbe they call it in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Bietola in Spanishe Aâ—elga in Dutch Beett or Mangelt No Garden hearbe hath greater leaues so that with due orderyng it groweth lyke a young tree It is called Beta because when it seedeth it is as Columella affyrmeth to the likenesse of the Greeke letter β. There be two sortes of them the white and the blacke the orderyng of them is after one sort it is sowed as Colwoortes Sozel and Radyshe are in March April or May. Some thinke the best tyme for sowing it is whyle the Pomegranate dooth flowre it may be sowed neuerthelesse as Lettuse Cols and diuers others at any tyme of the Sommer The seede the older it is the better it is to be sowen as are the seedes of Smallage Parsley Garden Cresses Sauery wyld Marierum and Corriander though in all other the newest be best It commeth vp in Sommer the sixth day in Winter the tenth after the sowyng it loueth a moyst a ritche and a mellow ground you may remooue it when it hath put forth fiue leaues yf your ground lyke well to be watred yf it be drye ground it must be set in the ende of the Sommer as I haue sayde of Colwoortes though it make no great matter at what other time you doo it When you remooue it you must rubbe ouer the roote with newe doung This is proper to the Beete that his seede come not all vp togeather but some the yeere after some the thirde yeere and therefore of a great deale of seede there is at the fyrst but a little shewe it groweth the broader and the whyter yf when it is something growen you lay vppon it Tyle stones or suche lyke to cause it to spreade as I spake before of Lettuse Garden Cresses in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Nasturtio and Agretto in Spanishe Mastuerzo in Frenche Cresson de gardin in Dutch Kerss are sowed bath in the spring and at the fall of the leafe it commeth vp the fyrst day after it is sowen and drinketh away the moysture from suche hearbes as growe neare hym mingled with other hearbes he careth not what weather come and therefore prospereth both as well in winter as in sommer yf it be sowed with Lettuse it coÌ„meth vâ— exceedingly it delighteth in moysture which yf it want it wyll doo well yenough in watrie places it groweth of his owne accorde as about Padelbor a Towne in Westphalia it groweth in great abundance in the Riuer and therefore is called of some Water Cresses it was called in the olde time Sisimbrium The branâ—hes when they waâ—e olde are netted togeather with white heary rynges Garden Poppy called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Papauer satiuum is thought best to growe where old stalkes haue ben burnt it is sowed in warme places with other potte hearbes Mustardseede in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Sinapi in Dutch Seneff in Italian Senape in Spanish Mostazâ— in Frenche Seneue there are two kyndes white and blacke it is best to be sowen in the end of sommer and againe in March. Where it is once sowen it is hard to ridde the grounde of it againe because the seede dooth still growe as it falleth It loueth to growe vpon dounghils and cast bankes THRA I see you haue very faire Radishes here MARIVS Nothing so faire as I haue had them for where as they delight in the Sunne and in warme grounde my Gardners haue here set them in the shadowe The order of them is to be set in very good grounde and lying vppon the Sunne some sayth it dooth not greatly care for doung so it may haue Chaffe strawed vppon it When it is come to some growth they must be couered with earth for yf it florishe once aboue the grounde the rootes wyll neuer be good but hard and full of pithe It is called Radishe because it exceedeth all other rootes in greatnesse Plinie wryteth that he sawe at Erford in Germanie Radishe as bigge as the body of an Infant It is sowed twyse in the yeere in Februarie or Marche the Moone being in the wane lest it growe too much in leaues foure fingers distant one from the other and againe in August whiche is the best season for them Those that you set after the tenth of Iune wyll neuer seede the like is to be obserued in all other seedes it commeth vp commonly the third day after it be sowen in hot and Southerly Countreys the weather being faire it groweth soone to stalke and quickly seedes The leaues as they growe must still be trampled downe and trodden vppon wherby the roote shal growe the greater otherwyse it florisheth with leaues and geueth encrease to the leafe and not to the roote the lesse and the smoother the leafe is
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
them and sowe them so shall you haue them very pleasant They wyll haue a very sweete sauour yf theyr seedes be kept many dayes among Rose leaues Your Coucumbers shal be long and tender yf you see vnder them water in a brode vessel two handfulles vnder them They delight in water so much as yf they be cut of they wil yet bend towarde it and yf they hang or haue any stay they wyll grow crooked as also yf you set oyle by them which they greatly abhorre The flowres being suffered to growe in Pipes doo growe to a woonderfull length They loue not the Winter no more then dooth the Gourde wherevnto they are almost like in nature for the flowres the leaues and the claspers are lyke of them both but the Gourde is more busie in climing so that with hastie growth it spreadeth quickly ouer the Herbers and sommer houses runnyng vp by the walles and mountyng vp to the very Tyles of the houses hauing a great fruite of a monstruous bignesse hangyng by a small stalke in fashion like a Peare and greene in collour although when it hath flowred it wyll growe in what fashion you wyll haue it they say there hath been some of them mene foote in length The rounde ones also growe to be vsed for great vesselles the rynde of the newe ones is soft and tender but of the olde ones hard whereof when the meate is out trauaylers make great bottles to carrie drinke in The Gourdes that are vsed to be eaten in sommer are sundry in shape for some are rounde some long some broade and though the fashion be diuers yet the nature is all one for it is made by arte to growe in what shape you wyll as in the forme of a creeping Dragon or what yelist they are called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Zuma in Spanishe Calabaz in Dutche Kuirbisch the French Vne courge The seedes that the Gourde â—eareth next to the stalke as Paladius sayth are longest they in the middest rounde and those that lye on the side short broade and flatte yf you set the sharpe ende of the seede downeward as Columella sayth you shall haue them both greater Gourdes and Coucumbers It delighteth in a moyst riche wel dounged and well watred ground That which groweth without water bringes the pleasanter fruite and that whiche hath water yenough needes the lesse looking to The flowres where they be set must be digged a foote and a halfe deepe the thirde part whereof must be filled with strawe and then with good ritche mould it mâ—st be filled to the middest then the seedes being set must be watred tyl they be sprong and after earth layd to them styll as they growe tyll the Furrowe be filled They must be set thinne two foote a sunder it commeth vp in sixe or seuen dayes after the setting Those that are set in drye grounde must be very well watred therefore they vse to set by them earthen pottes full of water with ragges or cloutes in them to water them When they be a little growen they must haue helpes set by them to climbe vpon the longer they be the better the meate is You must beware there come no women neare where you set them for their presence dooth greatly hurt them Those that you keepe for seede you must suffer to remayne vpon the stalke tyll Winter and then geathering them and drye them eyther in the sunne or in the smoke for otherwyse the seede wyll rotte and perishe They wyll long be preserued and continue freshe yf after they be geathered they be put into a close vessell with the leâ—ues of white wine or hanged in a vessell of vineger so that they touche not the vineger THRA What meaneth that great Thistell that springeth there MARIVS Dyd you neuer reade in your Columella of the Hartichoch specially in his verses that he wrote of Gardnyng where he sayth Goe set the brystled Hartichoch That well with wine agrees c. Athenaeus in his second booke Dipnosophus out of Sophoclus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Thistell is the Hartichoch that euery where dooth growe It is a kinde of Thistel by the diligence of the Gardner brought to be a good Garden hearbe and in great estimation at noble mens tables it is as you see framed with a round prickly head hauing a great sort of flakes set in order steeple wyse The Greekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines Strobilum because the fruite of it something resembleth the Pineapple The Frenchemen call it Alticocalum of the Arabick article Al and Cocalos a Pineapple whereof it is corruptly called Artichault in Italian and Spanishe Cardo in Dutche sometime by the Frenche name sometime Strobirn It is called of Columella Cinara because in his growing he cheefely delighteth in asshes The seede is best sowen in March and the settes in Nouember yf you wyll haue it yeelde fruite in the Spring you must bestowe much asshes vpon it it wyll hardly beare the first yeere that it is sowen Beware that you sette not the seede with the rong end vpward for so shall your Artichoch prooue very little and euil fauoured It loueth good grounde and well dounged and prospereth best in fatte ground Palladius woulde haue you moreouer to sette the seedes in well ordered beddes in the encrease of the Moone halfe a foote a sunder and not deepe but taking them in three of your fingers thrust them downe tyl the earth come to the first ioyntes of your fyngers then couer them tenderly and water them often specially toward Sommer so shall you haue the bigger fruite When they growe vp they must be continually weeded and dounged as I saide with asshes They say they wyll loose their prickles yf the toppes of the seede be made blunt vppon a stone before they be set and sweete they wyll be yf the seede be laide in Milke You must keepe them from Mowles Myse with Cattes or tame Weesels as Ruellius teacheth you Athenaeus calleth the stalke of the Artichoch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that lyeth vpon the grounde and that whiche standeth vpryght 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THRA Well what hearbe is yonder same that commeth vp as it were heares with a blewishe flowre and pale hauyng in the middest of the belles as it were fierie yellowe tongues MARIVS It is Saffron in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Crocus in Italian and Frenche so in Spanishe Aczafran THRA What neede we care any more for either Corycum Sicil or Cyren from whence we fetche it with so great charges MARIVS Yea there groweth great plentie of it in Germanie about Spirs and diuers other places whiche may compare in goodnesse with any other place It is set in Marche of the head that it hath rounde and in cloues as the Lyllie the Leeke and the Sea Onyon Constantine affyrmeth that it may be set of the roote as soone as the flowre is
are set in Gardens for the pleasure of them and for the sauour doo garnishe the sayde Gardens and serue also for other purposes Of Rosemarie I spake before I wyll nowe proceede with these that growe before my feete Lauender called in Latine Lauanda or Lauendula that groweth in borderâ— about the beddes in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and keepeth the Latine name in other tongues dooth growe in wylde places and stonie it is set of the slippes remooued it groweth to Spike in Iune and in Iuly is geathered and tyed in bundels for the sauour the flowre is distilled for sweete waters Flowregentle in Latine Amaranthus in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it haue no sauour at all yet hath it a delightfull beautie to the eye the Frenchemen for the fayrenesse of the colour excelling both crimson and purple in grayne doo call it Passeuelleurs the Italians Fiorueluâ—o because it contendeth in colour with crimson in grayne it loueth to be often geathered and plucked whereby it springeth the better the flowres after they be dead with a little water come againe to theyr colour it is called Amaranthus because it dyeth not THRA Here foloweth Lauendercotten MARIVS This Lauendercotten in Greeke is called as Plinie supposeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were the little Cypres some call it Santonia female Sothernewood in Dutch it is called Cypressen in Frenche Cyprez it groweth commonly in Gardens springing euery yeere Myrtel in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Myrtus in Italian Myrto in Spanishe Araihan in Frenche Mâ—inte in Dutch Welschâ—heidelberr the leaues are not much vnlike to the leaues of the Oliue tree something smaller with sclender branches and leaues growing in order one by another as you see with blacke berries and leaued like the Pomegranate It groweth alwayes greene it is set and sowed both of the seede the slippe and the stocke but you must styll rayse vp y earth about it til it be throughly rooted Some sowe the berries being a little beaten and couered in Furrowes of â—arth it delighteth in continuall weeding so groweth it to a handsome heygth meete to shaddowe Herbers it loueth to be watred with the vrine of men or of sheepe This onely is to be woondred at that of the liâ—our thereof alone may be made all sortes of wine and oyle Cato teacheth to make wine of the berries being dryed and put in water honnie sodden togeather yf they be not dryed they come to oyle howe the wine of them is made Dioscorides sufficiently declareth Plinie reporteth that Cato made three sortes of Myrtels white blacke and a thirde kinde that he calleth coniâ—gale it delighteth to growe by the Sea bankes as Seruius sayth it groweth at this day commonly in Italie along by the Sea coastes THRA Oh what sweete and goodly Gelyflowres are here You may truely say that Solomon in all his princely pompe was neuer able to attayne to this beautie some of them glitter with a perfect crimson dye some with a deepe purple and some with a passing beautifull carnation I marueyle the olde wryters knewe nothing of these in their time MARIVS There are some that suppose to be a kinde of Garden Betony which the Gardner feiching out of the feelde and thrusting Cloues into the rootes of them with diligent planting haue brought to this excellencie others thinke it to be called Vetonica of the Spaniardes who fyrst found it Some thinke it to be Oâ—nanthe because it flowreth with the Uine it delighteth in warme sonny ground it is sowed seeldome of seede but commonly sette of the slippes as I sayde of Rosemarie The Gardners in the end of Sommer doo take the rootes and set them in pannes pottes or payles and when the frostes come they carrie them into their sellers and in fayre warme dayes bring them abroade agayne and suffer them to be nowe or then watred with the rayne It hath been often seene that in such vaultes or sellers they haue flowred all the Winter long through warmenesse of the place some set bowes about them and couer them with strawe and horse doung to preserue them agaynst the colde it often happeneth that one roote beareth one yere white flowre and redde the third speckled or Carnation THRA Loe yonder are Roses growyng in borders and made in a maze doo they growe of the seede or of the sette MARIVS Roses called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Rosâ— and in all other languages as in Latine are diuersly planted sometime of the rootes sometime of the branches being cutte in small settes and planted a foote a sunder Some wrethe them in Garlandes and so sette them to haue them smel the pleasanter The vse of sowing of them is best howe be it they wyll very well growe of the seede though it be long eare they spring therfore they set them of settes a foote in length iâ— nâ—yther delighteth in riche or moyst ground bâ—t is well contented to growe amongst rubbishe and vnder walles The places where they must growâ— must be dygged deeper then come grounde and not so deepe as the Uineyard the Rose is rather a thorne then a plant and groweth vppon the very brambles it commeth fyrst out in a little budde long sharpe beard wâ—iche after they be opened it discloseth it selfe and spreadeth abrode with a yellowe heary tuske in the middest Plinie maketh mention of sundry sortes of them one sort he calleth Milesia hauyng an oryent and fyerie colour an other Alabandica with white leaues and Sâ—ermâ—nia the baseâ—t sort of all the damâ—sâ—e and the white are vsed for sweete waters they differ in roufnesse pricles colour and smell There are that haue but onely fyue leaues and others with an hundred leaues neyther good in beautie nor in smell the roufnesse of the rynde as Plinie sayth is a sygne of the sauour There are some little pale ones called Carnation Prouincers these doo woonderfully growe where they once are planted and haue a most excellent sauour Râ—ses are vsed to be sette in Februarie which is eyther done with the seede or the sette planted in little furrowes The seedes as â—aâ—adius sayth are not the little yellowe thynges in the â—â—ddest of the Rose but the graynes that growe within the redde riped berrie the ripenesse whereof is deemed by the sworthinesse and the softnesse of the berrie where they once are planted they continue long and after they dye they sende ouâ— newe buddes and springes If you lacke settes and woulde of a fewe haue a great number take the branches that begin as it were to shewe their buddes and cuttyng them in sundry sets foure or fyue syngers in length set them in good grounde well dounged and watred and when they be of a yeeres growth take them vp and set them a foâ—te a sunder proyne them and trimme them with often digging about them Roses must styll be cutte for the more you cutte them
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
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
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