cold Countreys because it can abide frost and stormes RIGO There is as I remember a kinde of Wheate called Far the auncient people called it Adoreum that groweth in many Countreys CONO You say true for with the olde sort Far was a general name to all Corne as Wheate Far Barley Far and Rye Far and when Mylles were not yet deuised they did beate their Corne in Morters whereof came that the Meale was callâ—d Farina yet after was the name of Far onely geuen to Adoreum though Columella called it alwayes Far Adoreum making foure sundry sortes of it The Frenchemen call it Brance the Italians Sandala the Spaniardes Escandâ—a the common people of our Countrey call it Farro the Dutche Keskome whose grayne is very like Wheate but that it is shorter and thicker and where Wheate hath a clift there hath it a risyng it is heauier then Barley and lighter then Wheate it yeeldeth more Meale then any other Corne. The people of Rome as Plinie sayth liued with this Corne at the â—yrst three hundred yeeres it groweth in Egypt without Aane with a greater â—are and a waightier it hath in the stalke seuen ioyntes and can not be cleansed except it be parched Fraunce hath two sortes therof one of a reddishe colour which the people cal redde Wheate the other whiter whiche they call white Wheate the eare is threesquare not vnlike to spelt In Italy they make pottage of it for their labourers Far or Adoreum Virgil would haue sowen before the setting of the seuen starres after the Aequinoctiall of Autum but in wette and colde barren groundes it is best to sowe it about the Kalendes of October that it may take deepe roote before the sâ—eezing and colde in Winter It is sowed in lowe grounde watrishe and chalkie after it is sowed it must be harrawed raked and weeded the raking looseth in the Spring the heauie shaâ—tes of Winter In raking or harrawyng you must take heede as I haue said before that you hurte not the rootes weeding when it is knotted seuereth the Corne from all anoyances The Frencheman sowe it in hollowe Furrowes because it is very subiect to blasting thinking thereby to preserue it both from blast and mildewe To sowe it in hie ground is discommended though it prospereth tâ—eâ—e well yenough because cattell can not away with it for the sharpenesse and ruffenesse of the eares and because it requireth great labour in getting of the huskes which yf it be not cleared of is neither good for man nor beast the vncleane Chasfe dooth hurt with the Cough the Cattelles lunges Amongest the Winter seedes Rape seede dooth chalenge his place whiche I take to be the seede of the Rape which Plinie maketh for his third kinde and wylde whose roote lyke the Raddishe runneth in length the leaues being ruffe like the other kindes and the stalke busshy and full of branches the roote of it is good for nothing but is onely sowed for the seede whereof they make oyle seruing for poore mens kitchins fastes and lightes specially in Germanie where they want the oyle of Oliues whereby aryseth great gaynes to the husbandman In the hotte Countreyes where they haue other oyle yenough this seede is of no vse but in feeding of Byrdes it is sowed in the ende of August or the beginnyng of September howe be it sometime it is sowen in March among the Sommer seedes but to nothing so great a profite it is cast into very riche grounde or wel manured thryse plowed and well tylled it must be sowed very thinne for being a very small seede it must not be sowed with the full hande as Wheate is but onely with three fyngers it flowreth in March or there abouts as the yeere is forward and contineweth his flowring a long time the flowre is yellowe and very sweete wherein Bees doo muche delight as soone as it hath left flowring it is presently ripe it groweth two cubites in height bearing a plentifull seede in little small Coddes it rendreth for one bâ—sshell a hundred busshels of seede Hitherto haue I spoken of Winter seedes nowe must I tell you of suche as are sowen towardes Sommer RIGO Wyll you speake nothing of the Rape roote which is greatly occupied of the husbandman and not to be despised as a thing that groweth in great quantitie is meetely good meate boâ—h for man and beast CONO The Rape is named of the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Rapo in Spanishe Nabo in Frenche Rauen. The ordering of which though I tooke it to belong to the garden wherein you are able to say more then I yet because you require it and that sometime the husbandmen doo plant them in their Feeldes I wyl tell you as much as I knowe therein There are two kindes of them the fyrst dooth roote all in length lyke the Radishe whiche in many places of Germanie is vsed for a dayntie meate the other eyther groweth in great roundnesse or els very flatte they are nourished with mystes frostes and cold three monethes togeather and growe to an exceedyng greatnesse Plinie wryteth that he hath seene Rootes of them that haue weyghed fourtie pound Some say they haue seene of them that haue weyghed an hundred pounde It is woonderfull that of so litle a seede shoulde come so great a roote The Greekes make two kindes of them the male and the female both comming of one seede the male when it is sowed thicke and the female when it is sowed thinne There are two seasons for the sowing of it eyther in Marche whiche wyll be ripe about the tenth of Iune or in Iuly or August after the first plowyng commonly vppon the ground where Rye and Winter Barley haue been newely had of It is thought they are the sweeter by lying in the ground all Winter when as the encrease is not in the leafe but in the roote They are also sowed as Plinie wryteth in hot moyst Countreys in the spring and wâ—ll the better encrease yf they be sowed with Chaffe who woulde also haue the sower naked and in castyng the seede to wyshe good lucke to hym selfe and to his neyghbours They are preserued from the Caterpiller which commonly consumeth the young leaues by mingling the seede with Soote or steepyng them all a nyght in the iuyce of Houseleeke Columella affyrmeth that he hym selfe hath seene it prooued RIGO Nowe proceede I pray you with your Sommer seedes CONO The Sommer seedes are almost all suche as are ripe within three monethes or foure at the vttermost after they are sowen and some of them sooner yf the grounde and the weather be good Among the sommer seedes we wyl fyrst talke of grayne and after of pulse Of the grayne Oates are the fyrst that are sowed though Virgil count them barren and Plinie counteth them rather weedes then Corne affyrmyng that Barley when it prospereth not wyll many tymes turne to Oates yet the Frenche men and the Germanes count it at this day the
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—
you doo it then the conditions of a man for being well tylled it wyll not deceaue you but deale iustly with you To knowe the nature of euery grounde Iscomachus in Xenophon dooth wyll you to marke wel the plantes and the yeeld of the Countrey except you wyll loose your labour or fyght with god Varro counsels you to looke whether there be in the land eyther Stone Marble Sande Grauell Raddell Chalke Claye Preble or Carbuncle that is ground ouer heated and parched with the Sunne whiche wyll burne the rootes of what so euer commeth in it Also yf it be wette or weepyng ground or subiect vnto other inconueniences and suche grounde also according to the nature of the soyle is good or euyl In some Countreys stonie grounde is altogeather barren specially for Corne and Fruite In other places agayne they vse stones in the manuring and bettring of their lande as in certayne places of Arden is to be seene Theophrascus wryteth that the Corynths dyd cast away all the stones out of the Feeldes of Sarragosa and thereby made the ground the woorse when the stones being away and the Countrey hot there was no succour left to defend the ground from the extreame heate of the Sunne In other places in stonie and hilly groundes Otes doo prosper well In lyke sort in all Countreys we must regarde the layre of the Countrey and the nature of the seede that we sowe for Grauell in some places is cast vppon the ground in steade of doung and some thinges prosper best in grauelie groundes In Barbarie as Columella dooth wâ—tnesse the very rotten sandes exceede any other grounde in fruitefulnesse It is also something to the purpose whether the grauell be white redde or yellowe besides some grounde dooth deceaue both with colour and qualitie In some Countreys the blacke mould is onely esteemed in others the fat redde mould is thought best In Englande the chalkie grounde beareth good corne and pastures very well In some places the thicke and the clammie ground is most fruitefull In al these it is to be learned what is best for the hill ground what for the valley what for the tylled what for the leye grounde what the moyst seggie grounde requires and what the drye and barraine Also in planting what ground is best for Uines what for other trees what delightes in drie ground what in moyst ground Virgil commendeth a mellowe ground that is fatte and wyll soone be resolued for such ground is tylled with smalest charge and labour the next is that whiche is faâ—â—e and stiffe which greatly recompenceth the husbande his trauaile and charges the woorst is that which is dry leane and stiffe for both it is tylled with great labour and beside neither answeareth in his croppe the husbandes trauayle neither serueth it for good meddowe or pasture any time after and therfore such ground is not to be medled withall Also the goodnesse of the ground is easely perceaued by perfect tokens for a clod sprinckled with a litle water if in working with the hand it be clammie and cleauing and sticketh to the fyngers like Pitche when it is handled as the Poete sayth and breaketh not in falling to the grounde this sheweth a naturall fatnesse and richenesse to be in it besides you may knowe the mould that is good for Corne yf it beare Bulrusshes Thistels Threeleaued grasse Danewoort Brambles Blackthorne and such like as neuer growe but in good grounde as on the other syde lothsome and illfauoured weedes declare a leane and a bitter ground Ferne and withered plantes a colde grounde sadde and heauy coloured a moyst and a wette ground a raddell and a stony ground is discerned by the eye a stiffe and tough clay by the labour and toyle of the Oxen A good token is it also of good ground where the Crowes and the Pyes folowe in great number the Plowe scraping in the steppes of the Plowman The goodnesse is likewyse knowen yf at the Sunne setting after a Raynebowe and in a shewre of rayne folowyng a great drouthe it yeeldeth a pleasaunt sauour also in taste it wyl appeare yf tasting a clodde that hath been watred in an earthen vessell you finde it sweete it is a signe of riche grounde yf bitter a great token of barren grounde yf it be saltishe it is to be shunned and not to be vsed vppon the dounghill You must remember also that ground wyll some times change and of fruitefull become barren whiche hath been seene as Plinie reporteth in the olde time in Thessali and in our time in sundry places of our Countrey Beside one kind of ground though it be neuer so fertill wyll not beare all thinges as the Poete wysely noteâ—h Ne serues one ground for euery Croppe Moreouer the disposition of the Heauens is a great matter all Countreys haue not the weather and ayre alike wherfore it is the part of a good husband to knowe the nature and propertie of his ground and to marke the disposition of it for euery part of the yeere he must also consider what Croppe is best for euery layer Some ground serueth for Corne some for Uines some for Oliues some for Meddowe some for Pasture neither may all thinges well be sowen in riche grounde nor nothing in barren ground Suche thinges as neede not muche moysture are best sowed in lyght ground as the great Elauer Sperie Chich and the other pulses that are pulled and not cut Those that require more sustenaunce are sowen in richer ground as Potte hearbes Wheate Rye Barley Linseede Some of them doo good to the grounde the yeere folowyng as Lupines that are vsed to be sowen for the beâ—tering of the grounde There is difference also to be put betwixt fruites for pleasure and such as be for profite as fruite trees and flowres and suche thinges as yeeld both pleasure and sustenancâ— and are also profitable to the grounde You must choose for Wyllowes Osyres and Reedes a wette and a marrish ground and contrary where you wyll haue Come Pulse that delightes in drye ground Sperage such like must be sowen in shaddowy places and other ground for Quicksets Tymber Mast Fewel yea such ground as is very grauely and barren hath his vse where you may plant Birche suche like and waterie groundes where you may set Alders Broome and Bullrusshes RIGO Surely the temperature of the ayre dooth very muche in the fruitefulnesse of the grounde for I haue oftentimes marked that one kinde of ground is more fruiteful in one Countrey then in an other CONO In Venefri the Grauell grounde beares Oliues best where as about Granado they require the richest ground that may be When in other places the Uine dooth not prosper very well in stonie groundes about the Rhine the very ragged rockes doo yeelde as fruitefull Uines as may be seene Plinie dooth witnesse that in some places the Uines do grow euen in the Fennes and Marshes suche a secrete force is there in
before when they be growen to some greatnesse they cut the Thorne neare to the grounde and being halfe cut and broken a sunder they bowe it along the Hedge and plashe it From these cuttes spring vp newe plantes which still as they growe to any highnesse they cut them and plashe them againe so dooing continually tyll the Hedge be come to his full height This way the Hedge is made woonderfull strong that neither Hogge nor other Beast is able to breake through it but the other is a great deale more pleasant to the eye But yf I haue not settes yenowe to serue may I make an Impe Garden of their seede MARIVS Yea very wel Make your Thorne Garden or store plotte in this sort Take your Berries or Stones and mingle them with earth lay them vp for the fyrst yeere in some place meete for them the next yeere sowe them as thicke as you canne and ye shall within a little time haue a whole wood of Thornes THRA You haue nowe spoken of water and enclosure two principall poyntes in a Garden it nowe remayneth for you to speake of the ground meete for a Garden and of the order of dressyng of it MARIVS Of the sundry sortes of ground and of the discerning of them because you in your describing of Corne ground before haue sufficiently spoken I doo not thinke it needefull for me to repeate it Againe it is yenough to me to adde onely this that the ground ought not to be too riche nor too leane but fatte and mellowe which bringeth foorth a small kinde of Grasse lyke heares such ground requires least labour the stiffe and the riche ground asketh greater paines about it but dooth recompence it agayne with his fruitefulnesse The stiffe leane and cold ground is not to be medled with as Columella wryteth in appoynting good ground for Gardens The ground that geues the ripe and mellowed moulde And dooth in woorking croomble like the sandes That of his owne good nature yeeldeth manifolde Where Walwoort with his purple berrie standes For neither dooth the ground that still is drye Content my minde nor yet the watry soyle Whereas the Frogge continually dooth crye Whyle in the stincking Lakes he still dooth moyle I like the land that of it selfe dooth yeelde The mightie Elme that branches broade dooth beare And rounde about with trees bedeckes the feelde With trees that wylde beares Apple Plome and Peare But wyll no Berâ—oote breede nor stincking Gumme Nor Yewe nor Plantes whence deadly poysons come And this much of the Garden ground which as I sayde is watred or may be watred and is enclosed eyther with a Wall a Hedge or some other safe enclosure After this it is needefull it lye well to the Sunne and warme for in grounde that is very colde the warmth of the Sunne wyll not muche auayle it And contrary yf it be a hette burnyng Sand the benefite of the heauens can little helpe it You must yet looke that it lye not subiect to ill windes that are drye and â—â—â—â—ching and bring frostes and mystes But nowe to the ordeâ—ing of your Garden Fyrst you must be sure that the grounde whiche you meane to sowe in the Spring be well digged in the fall of the leafe about the kalendes of October and that whiche you garden in the fall of the leafe must be digged in May that eyther by the colde of Winter or the heate of Sommer both the clodde may be mellowed and the rootes of the weedes destroyed nor muche before this time must you doung it And when the time of sowing is at hand a fiue dayes before the weedes must be got out and the doung layde on and so often and diligently must it be digged as the ground may be throughly medled with the mould Therefore the partes of the Gardens must be so ordered as that which you meane to sowe in the ende of Sommer may be digged in the spring the part that you wyll sowe in the spring must be digged in the end of Sommer so shal both your fâ—llowes be seasoned by the benefite of the colde and the Sunne The beddes are to be made narrowe and long as twelue foote in length and sixe in breadth that they may be the easyer weeded they must lye in wette and watrye ground two foote hie in drye grounde a foote is sufficient If your beddes lye so drye as they wyll suffer no water to tarry vpon them you must make the spaces betwixt hyer that the water may be forced to lye and auoyde when you wil. Of the kindes and sortes of dounging being sufficiently entreated of by you I wyll say nothing onely adding this that the doung of Asses is the best because it breedeth fewest weedes the next is Cattels doung and Sheepes doung yf it haue lyen a yeere The grounde as I sayde whiche we meane to sowe in the Spring we must after the ende of Sommer let lye fallowe to be seasoned with the frost and the colde for as the heate of Sommer so dooth the colde of the Winter bake season the ground When Winter is doone then must we begyn to doung it and about the fourteenth or fifteenth of Ianuarie we must digge it agayne deuiding it into quarters and beddes Fyrst must the weedes be plucked vp and turffes of barrayne grounde must be layde in the Alleyes which being well beaten with Beetles and so trode vpon that the Grasse be worne away so that it scarse appeare it wyll after spring vp as fyne as littleheare and yeelde a pleasaunt sight to the eye which wyll be very beautiful When you haue seuered your flowres by them selues your Phisicke hearbes by them selues and your potte hearbes and sallettes in an other place the beddes and the borders must be so cast as the weeders handes may reache to the middest of them so shall they not neede in their labour to treade vppon the beddes nor to hurt the hearbes And this I thinke sufficient for the preparing of your ground before the sowing Nowe wyl I speake of sowing and what shal be sowed in euery season To speake of all sortes of hearbes and flowres were an endlesse labour onely of those that are most needeful I meane to entreate And first of hearbes some are for the potte some for the sight some for pleasure and sweete sauour and some for phisicke And agayne some are for Winter some for Sommer and some betwixt both The first time of sowing after Winter is the moneth of March April and May wherein we vse to sowe Colwoortes Radishe Rape and after Beetes Lettuse Sorel Mustardseede Corrâ—ander Dyll and Garden Cresses The second season for sowing is in the beginnyng of October wherein they set Beetes and sowe Smallage in Gellaci and Arreche The third season which they call the Sommer season in some places the Gardners begin in Ianuarie wherein they set Cucumbers Gourdes Spinnache Basyl Pursline and Sauery Many thinges may be sowed betwixt these
seasons and yet doo very well All Garden hearbes are commonly sowen before the tenth of Iune suche thinges as you would not haue seede you may sowe after this time Some thinges are sowed onely two times a yeere in the spring and in the ende of Sommer Others agayne at sundry tymes as Lettuse Colwoortes Rocket Radishe Cresses Corriander Cheruil and Dyll These are sowed about March or about September and as Columella sayth doo come eyther of the seede or of the slippe some of the Roote some of the Stalke some of the Leafe some of the Clot some of the Head some of both others of the Barke others of the Pith some both of the seede and the slippe as Rue wylde Marierum and Basyl this they cutte of when it comes to be a handfull hye others growe both of the Seede and the Roote as Onyons Garlyke and suche lyke And although al thing wyll growe of their seedes yet this they say Rue wyll not doo for it very seeldome springes therefore they rather set the slippes These that are set of the Roote doo commonly last longer and branche better putting foorth young slippes from his sides as the Onyon and Gith The stalke being cut they all doo spring agayne for the most part except such as haue speciall stalkes called of Theophrastus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is suche as when the stalke is cutte growe no more Gasa interprets it Secaulia The Rape and the Radysh their leaues being pulled away couered with earth doo growe and continue tyll Sommer The fruites of some is in the earth some without and some both within without some lye grow as the Cucumber and the Gourd sometimes hang though of greater weyght by much then the fruites of Trees some require stayes helpes to clime by as Hoppes Lupines Pease some seede groweth better The newer they be as Leekes Nigella Romana Cucumbers Gourdes therefore some vse to steepe their Cucumber-seede in Mylke or Water to cause them to grow the speedelyer On the other side of olde seede better groweth the Beete Garden Cresses Peniryal great Marierum Corriander In the Beete this is onely obserued that the seede commeth not al vp in one yeere but part the second yeere some the third and therefore of a great deale of seede springeth but a little Touchyng seede this is to be well seene to that they be not to olde and drye that they be not mingled or taken one for an other olde seede in some is of such force as it chaungeth the nature for of olde Colwoort seede springeth the Rape and likewyse of Rape seede Colwoortes Also that ye geather not your seedes to soone nor to late The very time as Theophrastus wryteth is at the spring the fall of the leafe and the rysyng of the Dogge but not in all places and kindes alike Of Seedes the soonest that spring are these Basyl Arach Nauen Rocket that commeth vp the third day after the sowing Lettuse the fourth day the Cucumber and the Gourde the fyfth day Parslin longer eare it come Dyl the fourth day Cresses and Mâ—stardseede the fifth day Beetes in Sommer the â—ixth day in Winter the tenth or the twelfth Leekes the nienetienth day sometime the twentieth Corryander later which if it be new except it be thrust togeather it groweth not at all Peneryall and great Marierom come vp after thyrtie dayes Parsley of all other the longest before it come vp appearing the fourtieth day after or many times the fiftieth You must also consyder that the weather in sowyng is of great force for the season being fayre warme they come vp the sooner Some sortes seede one yeere and neuer after come vp some agayne continue as Persley Smalledge Leekes Nigella that beyng once sowed come vp euery yeere Suche as continue but a yeere presently vpon their seeding dye other spring agayne after the losse of their stalke as Leekes Nigella Onyons and Garlyke and commonly all suche as put out from the side and all these require dounging and watring In sowyng beside some thinke you must haue regard to the Moone and to sowe and set in the encrease and not in the wane Some agayne thinke it best from that she is foure dayes olde tyll she be eyghteene some after the thirde others from the tenth tyl the twentieth and best as they all suppose the Moone being aloft and not sette THRA But nowe I pray you tell vs something of the ordering of the best Garden hearbes you haue MARIVS Some deuide their gardnyng time by the monethes as they doo their other husbandry THRA I care not whether by monethes or other wayes but I would faine knowe the orderyng of your Garden here for I knowe in hotte Countreys they garden all the Winter long but I am altogeather for our Countrey whose order we must here folowe MARIVS In these partes they commonly begyn theyr gardnyng yf the weather be fayre and seasonable in the ende of Februarie At this time therefore the Garden being dounged digged raked and cleansed they vse to plant Sperage and Rue THRA I pray you begin with Asparagus or Sperageâ— and the other potte hearbes euery one in his order and afterward with flowres and Phisicke hearbes MARIVS Asparagus was woont to growe wylde but now is brought into the Garden it is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Spanishe and Frenche it is almost all one the one calling it Asparago the other Asperge the Dutche men call it Sparages and Spiritus because it comes vp of it selfe for the Garden Sperage they were not acquainted with It is planted in two sortes eyther of the Seede or the Roote They take of the Seede as much as you may take vp with three fyngers and bestowing it in little hoâ—ls euery two or three seedes halfe a foote a sunder they set them in ritche ground in Februarie and couer the ground with doung The weedes that growe must be well plucked away after the fourtieth day they come vp as it were to one roote and tangled togeather the rootes haue sundry long threedes which they call the Sponge In ground that is drye the seedes are to be set deepe and well tempered with doung In wette groundes on the other side they are to be set shallowe in toppe of the borders lest the moysture destroy them The fyrst yeere you must breake of the stalkes that growe for yf you plucke them vp by the rootes the whole settes wyll folowe which are to be preserued for two yeere with dounging and weeding All the yeeres after you must not geather them in the stalke but pull them from the roote that the rootes being opened may the better spring which except you doo you hurt the spring Him that you meane to keepe for feede you must in no wyse meddle withall after burne vp the busshes and in Winter doung well the rootes with doung and ashes they are planted also
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
would haue to serue you in Winter in October in warme stonie places for sallets in Winter they vse at this day when his leaues be out to fold them vp together tye them round in the toppe with some small thing couering them with some little earthen vessell the rootes still remayning to nourishe them withall thus dooing they wyll growe to be white and tender and to loose a great part of their bitternesse It is said that they wyll be whyte yf they be sprinckled a fewe dayes abroade and lying vpon sand be wasshed with the rayne and thus is Endiue with his encrease preserued all Winter Some there be that contentyng them selues with lesse charges and labour doo onely couer them with earth others agayne with strawe this order of wintering of it is nowe in euery place growen to be common THRA I see also in this pleasaunt Garden Colwoortes that we Countrey folkes be so well acquainted with MARIVS Is it meete my Garden shoulde want that whiche as you knowe Cato preferreth before all other hearbes in describing the woonderful properties and vses thereof and this place I onely appoynt for suche common potte hearbes as Colwoortes Beeâ—es Endiue Onyans Rapes Nauenes Leekes Carrettes Raddishe Garleeke and Parsneppes the woorthyer sort I place by them selues and as the nature of euery one requireth Colwoortes is commonly called in Latine Brassica or Caulis in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Frenche Choux in Italian Caule in Spanishe l'erza in Dutche Koil The olde wryters made diuers sortes of it as at this day there be One sort with great and broade leaues a bigge stalke and very fruitefull This sort is commonly knowen whiche being the pleasaunter in Winter when it is bitten with the frostes is sodde with Baken and vsed in porredge The tender part of the toppe being a little boyled is serued for sallettes dressed with oyle and salt The second sort with the croombled leafe of that resemblance that it hath to Smallage is called Selinocis or Apiaria of the common people crompled Col or wrinckled Col. The thirde sort whiche is properly called Crambe hath a smaller stalke and leafe smoothe tender and not very ful of iuyce The fourth sort is the great Cabbedge with brode leaues and a great head called in Dutche Kappes in Frenche Cheux Cabuz of the olde wryters Tritiana Brassica and this kind is only most set by In Germanie there is one kind of them that they call Lumbardy Colwoort or Sauoy Colwoort sweeter then the other and not able to endure the Winter and an other with very brode leaues croompled and full of wrinckles but a great deâ—le blacker whiche the Italians call Neâ—â—â—caules and the Latines Nigra Brassica of the number of thâ—se that they call commonly redde Col of the olde wryters Marucina Brassica There are besides other sortes takyng their names of they Countrey where they growe as Aricina and Cumana The best time for setting and sowyng of Colwoortes is after the Ides of April In colde and raynie Countreys the oftner it is dounged and raked the better a great deale wyl the Colwoortes be some vse to sowe them about the Kalends of March but then the cheefest of it goeth out in leafe and when it is once cut maketh no good stalke for the Winter after yet may you twyse remooue your greatest Col and if you so doo you shal haue both more seedeâ— and greater yeelde for it so aboundeth with seede as it is sowed with no lesse aduauntage then Rape seede For the making of oyle Colwoortes may be sowen all the yeere long but chiefly in March after it is sowed it appeareth within ten dayes except your seedes be olde and drye for olde seede wyl growe to Rapes as olde Rape seede wyl to Colwoortes Some say it prospereth best in salt ground therfore they vse to cast vpon the ground Saltpeter or Ashes which also destroyeth the Caterpiller it is remooued in Iune chiefely when it hath put foorth sire leaues and that when the weather is rayny so that you couer the roote before with a little freshe doung and wrappe it in sea-weede and so set it More diligence is to be vsed about the Cabbedge it must be sowen in March in the full of the Moone that it may remayne in the grounde two Moones and in May you must take them vp and set them agayne two foote asunder The ground must be well digged where you set them and as fast as they growe the earth must be raysed about them so that there appeare no more then the very toppes of them for to cause them to growe sayre and great you must as oft as you remooue them banke them vp with earth about them that nothing but the leaues appeare And this you must often doo to all the kindes of them the hoare frostes make them haue the greater sweetenesse The Uineyardes they say where Colwoortes growe doo yeelde the woâ—â—ser Uines and the Col corrupteth the wine THRA I pray you proceede with the rest of these pot hearbes MARIVS You see hereby Spinage so tearmed as you knowe of the prickly seedes called in Latine Spinacia and euen so in Italian Spanishe Frenche and Datche it is sowen as those before in March Apryll and so tyll September yf it may be well watred it commeth vp in seuen dayes after the sowing you shall not neede to remooue it The seede must presently after the sowing be couered and afterward well weeded it refuseth no kinde of grounde but prospereth in euery place you must often cut it for it continually groweth it is to be boyled without any water where in the boyling it doth yeeld great store of iuyce and contenting it selfe with his owne licquour it requireth none other Afterwarde being beaten and stirred with the ladell tyll the clamminesse be gone it is made vp in little balles the iuyce strayned out and boyled vppon a Chafyndishe with Ole or Butter some adde therevnto Uergius or the iuyce of soure Grapes to make the taste more tarte I shewe you in order as you see all my Kitchin hearbes nowe followeth Sorel called in Latine Acetosa in Italian likewyse in Spanishe Romaza in Frenche Oxella in Dutch Surick of the sowrer therof There are sundry sortes of it we haue at this day two kinde the Garden Sorel and the wylde whiche are pleasant both in broth and sallettes and of this hearbe the wyld sortes are both sowrer in taste and smaller in leafe it is sowed as all other potte hearbes are and it groweth of it selfe in Meddowes and Gardens Cummin and Corriander require well ordered ground they are sowed in the Spring and must be wel weeded Cummin is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Cuminum and almost like in all other languages it is sowed best as they thinke with curfyng and execration that it may prosper the better Corriander called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Coriandrum and in almost by the
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
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
with olde doung or with the newest of any other kynde of manuryng the rootes beyng thus digged vp must be layde vp togeather and burned After must the ground be consydered whether it be mellowe and gentle it is thought to be good that is somethyng greety and grauelly and full of smal peebles so that it be mingled with fatte mould withall whiche yf it be not is vtterly disalowed Dame Ceres ioyes in heauy ground and Bacchus in the light You shall perceiue it to be massy and thicke yf beyng digged and cast into the hole agayne it ryseth ouer yf it scarsely fyll the hole it is a signe that it is lyght and thinne The Flynt by the generall consent of husbandmen is counted a freend to the Uine specially where it is well couered with good mould for beyng cold and a keeper of moysture it suffereth not the rootes to be skalded with the heate of Sommer so muche that Columella dooth wyll men to lay certayne stones about the sides of the Uinetrees so that they exceede not the weyght of fiue pound a peece which as Virgil hath noted keepes away the water in Winter and the heate in Sommer Hurle in the thyrstie stone or therein throwe the nasty shelles So doo wee see the bankes of the Rhine being full of these stones to yeelde an excellent good wine but the stones that lye aboue ground are to be cast away for in the Sommer beyng heated with the sunne they burne the Uine and in the Winter they hurt them with their coldnesse contrary to those that lye in the bottome But the best of all is the foote of an hill which receiueth the fallyng moulde from the toppe or the valley that with ouerflowyng of Ryuers hath been made riche Neyther is chalkie ground to be reâ—used though the chalke of it selfe that Potters vse is hurtfull to the Uine The hungry sandy ground the salt bitter and thyrstie grounde is not meete for the Uine yet the blacke and the reddishe sande medled with some moyst earth is of some alowed well yenough Moreouer neyther grounde too hotte or too colde too drye nor too moyst too sclender nor too stiffe that wyll not suffer the rayne to sincke is meete to be vsed for Uines for it wyll easily gape and open whereby the sunne comming in at the crayuesses dooth burne the rootes that agayne whiche is ouer thinne lettyng in as it were by ventes the rayne the sunne and the winde dooth drye vp the moysture of the rootes the thicke and stiffe grounde is hardly to be laboured the fatte grounde subiect to too muche rancknesse the leane grounde to barrennesse wherefore there must be an euen temperature amongst these extreamities as is required in our bodyes whose health is preserued by the equall medley of heate and colde dryth and moysture fulnesse and emptinesse or thicknesse and thinnesse neyther yet is this temperature in ground for Uines so iustly to be euened but that there is required a more enclining to the one part as that the earth be more hotte then colde more drye then moyst more sâ—â—htyll then grosse specially yf the state of the heauens agreeâ— agayne what quarter whereof the Uineyard ought to lye it is an olde controuersie some like best the rysing of the sunne some the West some the North Virgil misliketh the West others agayne thinke the best lying to be vpon the South But in generall it is thought best in colde countreys to haue it lye toward the South in warme countreys vpon the East in hotte burnyng Countreys as Egypt and Barbary vpon the North. Plinie would haue the Uine him selfe stand towards the North and his spring or shoutes towards the South A fytte grounde and wâ—ll lying being found out must be diligently digged dounged weeded all vnprofitable weedes must be pulled vp and throwen away lest they shoulde spring agayne and eyther corrupt the young plantes or hinder the labourer THRA Before you come to trenchyng I woulde gladly heare in what sort you plant your Uine and what season is fittest for it MARIVS I wyll fyrst speake of the season and afterwardes of the plantyng The Uine is planted accordyng to Virgils rule in the fall of the leafe but better in the spring yf the weather be rayny or colde or the ground be fatte champion or a watrishe valley and best in the fall of the leafe yf the weather be drye and warme the ground dry and lyght a barrayne or a rugged hill The time of plantyng in the spring as Columella sayth endureth fourtie dayes from the Ides of Februarie vntyll the Aequinoclial and in the fall of the leafe from the Ides of October to the Kalendes of December Cassian in Constantine being taught by experience wyls in watrye groundes you should rather plant in Autumne when the leaues are fallen and the plantes after the vintage deliuered of the burden of theyr clusters sound strong before they be nipped with the frostes for then they best agree with the ground nature applying her selfe wholly to the nourishing of the roote The time of graffing Columella sayth is of some extended from the fyrst of Nouember to the fyrst of Iune tyl which time the shoote or graffe may be preserued but it is not well liked of him who rather woulde haue it to be done in warmer weather when Winter is past when both budde and rynde is naturally mooued and safe from colde that myght annoy eyther the graffe or the stocke yet he graunteth when hast requireth it may be done in the fall of the leafe when as the temperature of the ayre is not much vnlyke to the spring for which purpose you must choose a warme day and no wind stirryng The graffe must be round and sound not full of pith but full of buddes and thicke of ioyntes the tenant whereof must not exceede three inches and smoothe and euen cut the stocke and the cleft must be well closed with clay and mosse Those that growe toward the South must be marked whiche Virgil obseruyng sayth But on the barke they also note the quarter of the skieâ— The order how it stoode and grew and where the South dyd lye The lyke is to be done with all other trees Of plantyng of Uines there is two wayes the one of the roote the other of the branche or spray the roote is counted a great deale better then the branche or set by reason of the forwardnesse and vauntage that it hath in that it hath alredy taken roote The roote is set in stiffe ground well digged and laboured in a trenche of three foote the set or spray in a gentle and mellowe ground in drye ground it is neyther good to set the roote nor the branche in a drye season it is best to plant in the fall of the leafe in a hotte season and in a colde and moyst in the spring in much wet you must set them thinner in great dryeth thicker in what sort you shall make a
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
doung and the drye ground the lesse RIGO I remember I haue yer this seene Earth taken out of the Feeldes neere adioyning and layde vppon the lande I therefore gesse the earth may be mended with earth CONO The Germanes besydes sundry other sortes of enriching of their groundes doo in steade of doung cast vppon it a kinde of pith and fatnesse of the earth Plinie countes it to be fyrst deuised in Englande and Fraunce called Marga as it were the fatte of the Earth but I rather thinke it to be the inuention of the Germanes with whom yet both the name and the vse is retayned it is gotten in deepe pittes but not alike in all soyles That part of Fraunce that lyes vpon the Maase dooth shewe a sandy kinde of Marle differing from the fatte Marle of Germanie but of the same qualitie whiche caried vppon the Sea in vessels is sold as a great marchandize In some places the skowring of Pondes and Ditches is vsed to the great enriching of the grounde in the mountaynie and barren groundes In some Countreys they make their land very fruitefull with laying on of Chalke as Plinie testifyeth of the Burgundians and the Gaskoynes And in Germanie in our dayes this maner of mendyng of ground is common But long vse of it in the ende bringes the grounde to be starke nought whereby the common people haue a speache that ground enriched with Chalke makes a riche father and a beggerly sonne A litle lower not farre from the Maase in the Countrey of Lyege they mende their lande with a kinde of sâ—ate stone which cast vpon the ground dooth moulder away and makes the grounde fatter In Lombardie they lyke so well the vse of asshes as they esteeme it farre aboue any doung thinking doung not meete to be vsed for the vnholsomenesse therof Columella wryteth that his Uncle was woont to mende sandy and grauely groundes with Chalke and chalkie hard grounds with grauell and sande whereby he had alwayes goodly Corne. So doo I thinke that Riuer lande by ouerflowynges and fast ground with mudde mingled with sande and grauell wyll be made muche better RIGO You haue tâ—ught me sundry wayes of mendyng of ground I would gladly nowe learne the ryght way of plowyng and sowyng CONO In plowyng and orderly preparing grounde for seede consistes the cheefest poynt of husbandry Cato affyrmeth the fyrst point of husbandry to be to prepare the grounde well the seconde to plowe it well and the thirde to doung it well Of plowing and turnyng vp the grounde the fashion is diuers accordyng to the nature of euery soyle countrey All great feeldes are tylled with the Plowe and the Share the lesser with the Spade The Plowes are of sundry fashions accordyng to the diuersitie of Countreys some single some double some with wheeles some without The partes of the Plowe are the Tayle the Shelfe the Beame the Foote the Coulter the Share the Wheeles and the Staffe The Share is that which fyrst cuttes the way for the Coulter that afterwards turnes vp the Forowe Where the ground is light they vse only a small Share In Lifflande they haue for their Plowe nothing but a Forke In Syria where they can not goe very deepe they vse as Theophrastus writes very little Plowes Plinie wryteth that wheeles for Plowes were deuised by the Frenchemen and called Plugrat a Germaine name which corruptly is printed Planarati In diuers places where the grounde is stiffe they haue a litle wyng on the ryght syde of the Coulter whiche wyng is to be remooued to whiche syde you list with the Rodde or Staffe well poynted the plowman maketh cleane his Coulter When you woorke your Oxen must be yoked euen togeather that they may drawe more handsomely with heads at libertie and lesse hurt to their neckes This kinde of yoking is better liked of many then to be yoked by the hornes for the Cattell shal be able to drawe better with the necke and the brest then they shall with their heades and this way they put to the force of their whole bodyes whereas the other way being restrayned by the yoke on their heads they are so greeued as they scarsely race the vpper part of the earth Where Horses may be vsed their vse is more commodious for the Plowe and the fewer of them the better for many Horses drawe too hastyly and make too large Furrowes which is not good whereby we see the grounde to be excellently well plowed in Gelderland and about Coleyne where they plowe alwayes with two Horses going very softly In Fraunce and other places where they plowe with Oxen they make theyr Furrowes rather deepe then brode Where the ground is stiffe the Coulter must be the greater and the stronger that it may goe the deeper for yf the crust of the earth be turned vp very brode it remayneth still hole whereby neither the weedes are killed nor the ground can be well harrowed The Furrowe ought not to exceede one hundred and twentie foote in length for yf it doo as Columella sayth it is hurtfull to the beastes because they are to muche weeried withall but this rule where the feeldes are large is not in many places regarded as in the Countrey of Gulicke where the feeldes are great their Furrowes are drawen very long You must not plowe in wette weather nor wette ground nor when after a long drouthe a little rayne falling hath but wette the vtter part and not gone deepe If it be too wette when it is plowed it dooth no good that yeere You must therefore haue a regard to the temperature of your season that it be neither to drye nor to wette for too muche moysture maketh it to durtie and too great drynesse maketh that it wyll neuer woorke well for eyther the hardnesse of the Earth resisteth the Plowe or yf it doo enter it breakes it not small yenough but turneth vp great flakes hurtful to the next plowing For though the land be as riche as may be yet yf you goe any deapth you shall haue it barren which is turned vp in these great cloddes whereby it happeneth that the bad moulde mixed with the good yeeldeth the woorser Croppe Where you haue plowed in a drye season it is good to haue some moysture in your second stirring whiche moistning the grounde shall make your labour the lighter Where the grounde is riche and hath long borne water it is to be stirred againe when the weather waxeth warme and when the weedes are full growen and haue their seedes in their toppe whiche being plowed so thicke as you can scarse see where the Coulter hath gone vtterly killeth and destroyeth the weedes besides through many stirringes your Fallowe is brought to so fine a moulde as it shall neede very little or no harrowing at all when you sowe it for the old Romanâ—s as Columella wytnesseth would â—ay that the ground was yll husbanded that after sowing had neede of the
Harrowe Moreouer the good husband must trie whether it be wel plowed or no and not onely trust your eyes which the Balkes being couered with mould may easely be deceyued but trie it with your hand which is a certainer proofe by thrusting downe a rodde into the Furrowe which yf it pearce a like in euery place it sheweth that the ground is wel plowed If it be shallowe in one place and deepe in an other it declares the grounde to be euill handled in the plowing If you are to plowe vpon a Hill you must plowe ouerthwart and not vp and downe for therby the inconuenience of the steepenesse is met with and the labour of both Man and Cattell is lightened but herein you must beware that you plow not alwayes one way but sometime higher sometime lower woorking a slope as you shall see cause Touching the season of your plowing it must be cheefely in the spring as the Poete well teacheth VVhen as the pleasaunt spryng c. For in Sommer the ground is to hard and churlishe and in Winter to fowle and durtie but in the Spring the ground being mellowe is easely to be wrought and the weedes are then best turned in whiche both doo good for the enriching of the grounde plucked vp by the rootes before they haue seeded wyll neuer spring agayne And therefore with vs we vse to begin to plowe about the middest of Marche but in sandy and light grounde they vse to plowe in the middest of Winter yf the season wyll suffer Plinie is of opinion that stiffe ground also should then be stirred A slendar and leuell ground subiect to the water would be fyrst plowed in the ende of August and stirred againe in September and prepared for sowyng about the twelfth of Marche The light hilly ground is not to be broken vp in Sommer but about the Ralendes of September for yf it be broken vp afore being barren and without iuyce it is burnt vp with the Sunne and hath no goodnesse remayning in it Wette ground some would haue broken vp after the Ides of April whiche being plowed at that time shoulde be stirred agayne about the tenth of Iune and after againe about the Ralendes of September according to Columellaes minde But those that are skilfull in husbandry agree that after the tenth of Iune without great store of rayne you shall not plowe for yf the yeere be wette there is nothing to the contrary but you may plowe in Iuly In the meane time beware that you deale not with ground ouerwette as I gaue you warnyng before RIGO May I plowe in the night yf I lyst CONO Yea very well in Sommer time and in hotte Countreys you may begin in the Euening and continue til the Sunne ryse that the moisture and fatnesse of the grounde may remayne shadowed vnder the Clodde and that the Cattell through ouermuch heate of the Sunne be not diseased nor hurt Howe oft you shall plowe the ground that you meane to sowe partly the nature of the soyle and partly the condition of the seede wyl teache you as when we come to it I wyl tel you for it is not needeful to stirre a grauelly and a light ground so often as the stiffe ground yet we finde that land the oftner it is stirred the better it beares So that for some seede you must not only twyfallowe threefallowe your ground but also fourefallow it as they vse in the fruitefullest places of Italy and Germanie In Misnia and Austria they plowe but twyse Stiffe ground as they commonly doo in Italy is best to be sowed vpon the fifth stirring in Tuscan vpon the nienth Thus hath euery Countrey both in this and other matters his fashion according to the nature of the grounde RIGO But may I not sowe one peece of grounde euery yeere without resting CONO There are some groundes you may sowe yeerely as in Italy and Austria and likewyse in some partes here about the Riuer that are fruiteful eyther by nature or by ouerflowyng In other places you must obserue the olde saying of the husbande Take not too muche of your grounde Virgil would haue grounde rest euery other yeere which if you haue store of ground out of al doubt is best Hereof had the ground that is sowed euery yeere his name in the olde tyme but commonly euen the best grounde requireth rest the third the fourth or at the farthest the fifth yeere Varro wryteth that in Olynthia the lande beareth euery yeere and euery thirde yeere most plentifully But yf you wyll doo well you must let it lye euery other yeere according to the nature of the soyle or els sowe it with lighter seede that soketh out lesse the substance of the ground as Lupines and others that we wyl shortly entreate of It is also muche to be considered whether the ground that you plowe be laye ground yeerely sowen or fallowe If you breake vp newe ground yf it be riche heauie and prepared for seede it suffiseth to plowe it once and to sowe it immediatly and harrowe it If it be lighâ— and grauelly ground you muâ—â— thryfallowe it specially at the first breaking vp RIGO Here you speake of diuers tearmes belonging to this trade I pray you make me to vnderstand them before you proceede any farther CONO This arte as likewyse al other hath certaine woordes peculiar and belonging to it selfe and because sundry men of good learning haue herein been deceiued least my matter shoulde be marred with darke and strange tearmes I wyl declare the woordes as plaine as I can digressing a whyle from my farther â—peache RIGO I beseeche you hartely CONO We take Agrum a Feelde in out speache not for a iurisdiction a Diocesse or a Shire as the olde Lawiers take it but with Iabolenus and Florentinus we count it a parcell of grounde eyther earable or pasture Ager Aruus or Aruum we call earable grounde that is to be plowed and sowen Varro would rather haue it called Aratum and not Satum The Feelde that is called Restibilis is that which is renewed euery yeere sowen called of the Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because his fruietfulnesse continueth to the next yeereâ— yeeldeth his Crop euery yeere Ager Noualis is called of Varro the grounde that hath been sowed fallowed of Plinie counted to be sowen euery other yeere with the Lawiers it is counted ground newe plowed that hath lyen a yeere we according to the vulgar speache for we must speake with the most iudge with the fewest doo call Nouale Agrum that which is new broken vp and hath not before been plowed whereof commeth Noualium Decimae the cythes of new broken vp land yet I know there are some learned that count it that which after his Crop lyes lay Veruactum is of Varro taken for the grounde that in the Spring time is turned vp and hath been for a whyle spared Oftentimes is this also called Nouale both the
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
seuerally shewe you of euery seede by him selfe and so declare vnto you the order of their sowyng And fyrst amongest all the fruites and grayne that the Earth dooth yeeld for our sustenance the cheefest place is rightly geuen vnto Wheate called in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Grano in Spanishe Trigo in Dutch VVeyss in Frenche Fourment as a grayne most needefull for man and therefore most fruitefull because God hath ordayned it to nourishe man withall It is woonderfull what yeeld it hath been of in some Countreys Augustus his deputie sent hym from Bisaice in Africa of one grayne of Wheate foure hundred branches And Plinie witnesseth that in the same place one bushel hath yeelded a hundred and fyftie bushels RIGO There are that holde opinion that this which the common people call Wheate the Germanes VVeyss and the Hollanders Terue is not the true Wheate but a kinde of Rye and that the true Wheate whiche the Italians call Grano groweth onely in Italy and in Spayne CONO That whiche growes in Italy and Cicil at this day differeth not from ours in fashion colour nor flowre though the grayne there be somewhat great and the flowre more clammey whiche maketh it that it can not be long kept specially about Rome And whereas our Wheate is eyther bearded or pollarde theirs is altogeather pold we call it pold or pollard that hath no Aanes vpon the eares And that we call the Aane which groweth out of the eare like a long pricke or a darte whereby the eare is defended from the daunger of Birdes With Virgil the Aane is vsed for the Corne as the parke for the Wheate Gluma is the husks of the Corne whose top is the Aane Fâ—it is the small grayne lesser then the corne that growes in the top of the ripe eare To returne to the Wheate I graunt there are some that doubt of this Wheate of ours suche hath been the iniurie of the tyme as all thinges almost forgotten we scarsely knowe howe to name the foode that we daylâ— feede of For my part I wyl followe common vse as a maistresse in speache The olde writers haue written of sundry sortes of Wheate whereof they haue thought that most needefull to be sowen whiche they called Robus as the fayrest and wayghtiest The second called Siligo they vsed in their fynest Cheate The thirde they called Trimestre because it woulde be ripe in three monethes after the sowing Though Columella alowe no suche kinde yet was it most auncient with the Grekes and called Trimâ—non growyng onely in the colde countreys In Thâ—â—cia they haue a kinde that is ripe in two monethes and is couered with a number of huskes against the extreme colde of the Countrey In our Countreys also we haue Wheate and Rye that we sowe with our Sommer grayne as we likewyse doo Rape seede but to no great commodititie for the Winter seedes too farre exceede them and being nourished in the earth al Winter they prooue as Theophrastus sayth of more substance and profyte Amongest all these sortes Plinie recounteth the Wheate of Italy to be the best both for beautie and weyght We vse with vs only two sortes differing in this that the one hath smoothe eares without any beardes the other with long beardes or Aanes very ruffe and sharpe not much vnlike to Winter Bailey in al other properties they are both alike It is sowen in September the season being fayre the grounde thryse plowed and well raked or harrowed although you may sowe it very well after once plowing vpon grounde where Pease Tares or Buck hath been newly had of in a good soyle Plinie and Columella woulde haue you sowe of Wheate and Rye fyue busshels vpon an acre but as I haue saide before this meaâ—ure is to be measured by reason We at this day sowe not so much Wheate vpon an acre as Rye nor so much Rye as Barley It is best yf the Winter be like to be colde to sowe the sooner yf warme the later Wheate delighteth in a leuell riche warme and a drye ground a shaddowy weedy and a hilly ground it loueth not though Plinie say the hil yeeldeth harder Wheate but no great store After it is sowen it putteth out a great company of small rootes and appeareth at the fyrst wy or blade it hath sundry stalkes but suche as can not branche all the Winter as other Winter Corne is it is nourished in blade when the Spring draweth on it beginneth to spindle vppon the thirde or fourth ioynt thereof commeth out the eare which fyrst appeareth enclosed in the blade it flowreth the fourth or fyfth day after yf it growe to rancke at the fyrst it is eaten downe with cattel or in some place mowed it is after weeded it flowres about the tenth of Iune sooner or later as the yeere falles out euen at one time almost with the Uine two noble floures with comfortable sauour flourishing at once Varro affyrmeth that the Whâ—ate lyeth fyfteene dayes in the blade flourisheth fyfteene and ripeth fyfteene after it hath flowred it waxeth greater and as Theophrastus sayth is within fourtie dayes after ful ripe where with the latest they reape in the eyght moneth Other say in sixe and thirtie dayes reaped in the nienth moneth It neuer eares tyll al his ioyntes or knottes he growen There are foure iointes in Wheate as Plinie sayth and eyght in Barley but in our countrey and our dayes both Wheate Rye Barley and Oates haue but foure and that not alwayes Before the full number of the ioyntes there is no appearing of the eare whiche when it commeth beginneth to flowre within foure or fyue dayes and so many or little more it fadeth When the flowre is gone the grayne begins to swel and in foure or fyue dayes after to ripe The blade of the Wheate is something like a Sedge but narrower then the Barley the Spindel Stalke or Strawe thereof is smoother and gentler and not so brittle as of Barley It is closed in many coates The stalke that beareth the eare is higher then that of Barley the eare groweth more vpryghe and farther from the blade the chaffe is softer sweeter and more full of iuyce the eare of Wheate is out of order and vneuen as well of the Pollard as of the hearded where as Barley hath his eare of iust number and in perfect order In Bactâ—iâ— it is sayde a grayne of Wheate is equall in quantitie to an eare of our Wheate In Babylon the blades both of Wheate and Barley as Herodotus reporteth are foure inches brode Wheate as Columella wryteth after the third sowing chaungeth to Rye which hath been knowen in Germanie as I sayde before in many places Of Wheate is made Amyl the making whereof Cato and Dioscorides teacheth After Wheate we sowe with vs Rye There are that thinke it to be that whiche the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though Homer take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a kinde of foode for Horses some others
take it for a kinde of Wheate Herodotus sayth Bread was made of it Of Laurentius it is called Far of Gasa Siligo Diuers learned men call it Secale and take it for Plinies farragoâ— the Frenchemen cal it Segle the Dutchemen Rock the Italians almost as the Latines Saegala the grayne is something blacke and maketh blackishe bread But to passe ouer all controuersies I folowe the Countrey speache and take Siligo for our common Rye whiche is sowed immediatly after Wheate about the ende of September or in the beginning of October in good ground in sandy and grauelly ground it is sowed in Februarie and called Sommer Wheate it requireth the best grounde warme and fast and refuseth not light grounde and grauelly so it be helped with doung it loueth wette grounde as ill as Wheate they both require to be sowen in a deepe moulde and a plaine soyle but Rye is sowed a litle after Wheate in the sowyng whereof you must occupie a thirde part more then of Wheate it prospereth lightly in any grounde and many times with the yeeld of a hundred for one It must be sowed after the third plowing as Wheate harrowed much after the same sort the stalke or steale thereof is smaller then the Wheate stalke taller and stronger his care hanging downewardes and therefore more subiect to blasting because it receiueth and keepeth the water that falles whyle it flowreth and suffereth the violence of mystes and frostes the strawe thereof is gentle and flaxible seruing for Uines and coueringes of houses Nowe foloweth Barâ—ley accounted in the olde generations among the woorthyest sort of grayne and not of small estimation at this day The Italians call it Beade or Beaue or Orze the Spaniards Ceuada the Dutch men Gerst the Frenchemen Orge the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and though it be vsed in Greece and Italie and suche warme and fruitefull Countreys for cattelles foode as Homer also witnesseth yet in the Northerne Countreyes it supplies the place both of Bread and Wine There are of it two sortes Hexâ—stichon and Polystichum whose eares are three foure sometimes sixe square and diuers eares springing from one grayne euery eare conteynyng aboue fourescore graynes so woonderfull are the gyftes and blessinges of god The other sort is called Distichon hauing in the eare but two rankes or orders only Agayne there is one kinde of it to be sowed in Winter an other for Sommer The Winter Barley is of better yeeld but it is soone hurt specially with much wette and frostes folowyng There is nothyng more hurtfull to Winter Corne specially Barley Rape seede and Rye then the wette of Winter nipped with often frostes and after a warme thawe to be presently frozen agayne both the sortes of Barley require grounde that is very riche Winter Barley after two or three plowinges is to be sowed in September Sommer Barley in March or April after twyse plowing and many times necessitie forcing after once plowing in the sowing you must occupie more seede by halfe then in sowyng of Wheate it requires a mellowe and a fatte ground and therfore is best sowed where the grounde is most manured The Winter seede flowreth in May and is ripe in Iune at the furthest This kinde was not woont to be sowed in these partes but great numbers nowe mooued by my example doo vse and receiue great gaynes by it The Sommer Barley in many Countreys is ripe and redy in three monethes afâ—er the sowyng In Aragon as Plinie wryteth it maketh double haruestes euery yeere The seuenth day after it is sowen it commeth vp and one end of the seede runneth downe in roote the other that â—ooner springeth commeth vp in blade the greater ende of the grayne maketh the roote and the slenderer the flowre In other grayne the roote and the blade spring both from one part the blades of both kindes are ruffe It must be geathered with more speede then other graynes for the strawe of it is very brittell Of Barley is made as Dioscorides wryteth both Beere and Ale. RIGO I lyke your Beere you haue excellently wel I pray you tell me in what sorâ— you make it CONO I wyll not hyde my cunnyng in this matter My Barley is fyrst steeped in a Sestorne of water a day or two yf it be Winter seede it is harder hulled and requireth the longer watering The Sommer grayne is thinner and requireth a lesser tyme When it is watred I drye it vpon a floore or a keel tyll it swel and breake putting out as it were litle beardes or threds yf it be layde thinne it wyll in Sommer specially in March drye and breake of it selfe without any fyre You must take good heede that in sprowting it open not to much and loose his flowre This being doone I grinde it and put the meale into a Mash Fatte wherevnto I put my licour sodden and after let it seethe three or foure times adding vnto it both for holsomenesse and taste the flowre of the Hoppe after this I put on Yeest and set it a woorkyng and then cleanse it The more it is cleansed the holsomer and cleerer it is that whiche commeth of the spurging is kept both for brewing and baking the drinke wyll be the better yf you put to it a fourth part or sixth part of Wheate the more Corne you laâ— on the pleasaunter and better coloured wyll your Beere be Your greatest care must be to see it well sodden well cleanseâ— and well hopped otherwyse Malt of it selfe wyll soone corrupt Obseruing this order your drinke shal be both holsome and pleasant that endureth best and longest that is brewed in march There is made of Barley Alica a reasonable good meate and Ptisan How they must be made you may reade in Plinie Next to Wheate and Barley foloweth Zea which the common people both in Italy Spaine and Flaunders call Spelta the Frenche call it Espeltra with Homer is greatly commended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the feel des that beareth the Zeam being as Galen sayth the meane betwixt Wheate and Barley for he hath the qualities of eache of them is of two sortes the one in stalke ioynt and care like to Wheate and carieth in euery huske two seedes and therefore is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other hauing both stalke and eare shorter and but one grayne in euery huske growing in two rankes and in the toppe resembling Barley with his sharpe Aaâ—es In Italy specially about Mirandula and Concordia it is vsed in prouender for Horses it is not in these Countreys in vse I woulde sowe it here syth the ground wyll well serue for it and that both bread and drinke might be made of it very well but that it is something troublesome to grinde because of the double huskes It desyreth a moyst ground riche and good it is sowed after the same maner that Wheate is sowed in September or October it flowreth in Iune and is ripe in Iuly very meete for
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
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
the mileder and the sweeter is the roote colde as some say dooth further the goodnesse of them They say they wyll be very pleasant yf the seede be steeped in meedth or in the iuyce of reyzyus they waxe sweete with colde as the Rape dooth and their bitternesse is taken away with brine and therefore some woulde haue Radishes watred and nourished with salt waters being sodden they come to be very sweete and serue the turne of Rapes geâ—ing fasting they prouoke vomite they are hurtfull to the Uines and to the Teethe Radishe eaten at first is a good preseruatiue agaynst poyson eaten before meate it breaketh winde and prouoketh vryne and after meate it looseth the belly it is called in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Raphanus in Italian Raphaâ— in Spanishe Rauano in French Raue in Dutch Retich THRA There is an other kinde of them that the Dutch men call Merrettich I take it to be that whiche the Romanes called Armaracia called commonly in Italie Ramaracta the first letter misplaced MARIVS You say well but this is more full of branches greater in leaues thinne in body the leaues are not vnlike to the former Radishe but that they are a little sharper and longer and the roote sâ—lenderer and therefore there are some that deny it to be Armaracia but here let the Phisitions contend Theophrastus maketh mention of sundry sortes of Radish This kinde of Radishe hath a woonderfull bityng taste a great deale more then Mustard seede and fetcheth teares from the eyes of them that eate it it is set and planted in this sort The roote is cutte in a great number of peeces whereof euery peece prospereth for yf you plucke vp this kinde of Radishe by the rootes you may cut of a good quantitie of the roote and diuiding them into small peeces set them setting the olde roote agayne by him selfe and they wyl all growe prosper very wel THRA Yea haue you gotten the Rape hytherto I thought he hadde onely belonged vnto vs for we vse to sowe them after the Sunne hath been at the highest and immediatlye after ouer other Corne for the sustenaunce both of man and beast MARIVS You doo well and we sowe it nowe in May and in watry ground sooner and in some places in Iuly There are diuers sortes of them some of them rounde some growe all in length and are most pleasant in tast as at Binge and in the Countrey of Bauar Some agayne of the quantitie of a mans head and of a hundred pounde weyght but the smallest sort is the sweetest There is an other kinde of Rape that they vse to sowe whiche carryeth his seede in little coddes and is cheefely planted in Germanie for to make Oyle of the whiche you the other day spake of it is called in Greeke Goloules in French Raue in Italian Rapo in Spanishe Nabo in Dutche Ruben There is also an other wyld kind called Rapunculus that groweth halfe a yarde hie ful of seede and tender topped This they geather in the spring time before the stalke be sprong vp and pulling it vp by the rootes doo vse it in sallettes supposyng it to be a wylde kynde of Rape The Nauens also called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Napus in Frenche Nauet in Italian Napo in Spanishe Nabicas in Dutch Stockruben may be counted in the number of Rapes for Rapes in some grounde change into Nauens and in some grounde Nauens into Rapes These also loue to growe in a well watred mellowe and a ritche ground though such as growe in sandy and barraine ground prooue often the sweetest in eating They vse to sowe them in March and in some places before as also in August Parsneppe in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Pastinaca in other tongues almost as in Latine is very pleasant to be eatenâ— and requireth a fatte and a ritche grounde and deepe dygged whereby the roote may haue roome yenough to growe in it is sowed and set in the spring and in the end of sommer THRA You haue here also in this Garden red Carrets MARIVS I haue so Yellowe Carrettes is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Siser in Frenche Cheruille in Italian Sisero in Spanishe Chiriuias in Dutche Querlin I thinke you knowe it Plinie wryteth that Tiberius was so in loue with this roote that he caused Carrettes to be yeerely brought hym out of Germanie from the Castle of Gelâ—uba standyng vpon the Rhine It delighteth in colde places and is sowed before the kalendes of Marche and of some in September but the third and the best kind of sowing as some thinke is in August There is also wylde Carret a kinde of Parsnep in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— in Latine Daueus in Italian Dauco in Frenche Carote sauage in Dutche Woortzel there are that suppose it to be the yellowe roâ—te that is so common in Germanie they are to be sowed in march It is general to Rapes Radisheâ— Parsneps Carrets Onyons and Leekes that they be well troden vppon or kept cutte to the end the rootes may growe the greater Of Leekes there are two sortes the one called Capiâ—atum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the other Sectiuum whiche they vse alwayes to cutte close by the ground The headded or set Leeke in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Capitatum in Italian Porro capitato in Spanâ—she Puerro con Cabeza in Dutch Lauch in French Porreau the other Leeke in Latine Sectile in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Dutche Schnitlauch beside the often raking and dounging must be watred as oft as you cut it downe The seedes in colde hotte Countreys is sowed in Ianuarie or Februarie and in colder places in March to cause it to growe the fayrer and the better They vse to knitte vp a good deale of seede togeather in thinne lynnen clothes and so to lay them in the grounde but to make them greater headed when it hath wel taken roote they vse to plucke it vp by the blades and rayse it so that as it were hangyng and borne vp by the earth it is forced to fyll the emptie place that lyes vnder it the blades and the rootes cut of they vse to set the heades vnderlaying them with a Tyleshard that when as they are not able to runne downe in length they should be driuen to growe in bignesse and breadth The Leeke delyghteth in good ground and hateth watry ground sowed in the spryng it must be remooued or set agayne after haruest that they may be the greater the earth must be continually loosed about it and they must be pulted and rayled vp as I sayde before yf when you remooue them you make in the heades of euery one a little hole with a peece of a Reede or any thyng except Iron and thruste therein a Cucumber seede they wyll growe to a woonderfull greatnesse some vse in steade of Cucumber seede to put in Rape
of The rootes or the heads doo so encrease vnder the ground that of one of them some yeere springeth eyght or niene others In many places they are remooued euery seuenth or eyght yeere into better ground wherby they come againe to be as good as at the first In the Countreys lying vpon the Rhine they plucke them vp euery third yeere and lay them a drying in the sunne till August and then pulling of the outer skinne they set them agayne halfe a foote one from the other the best heades are those that are fattest and haue little heares the woorst looke rottenly and â—â—fauouredly and haue an ill sauour It delighteth to growe by hie wayes and neare springes and to be trodde and trampled on prospering as it were by oppression it groweth greene all the Winter it is geathered in Autumne when it is come to his colour by plucking out the little yellowe tongues from the bel whiche are afterwardes dryed three or foure dayes togeather and well picked and purged and so made vp in boxes some thinke it best to drye it in the shadowe It is craftely counterfeited by the Apothecaries braying it in sodde wine whiche they besmeare adding therto the skumme of siluer or lead to encrease the weyght the craft is perceiued by the dustinesse therof and by the sauour of the sodde wine The proofe of the good is yf it crackle betweene the handes as a brittle thing which the counterfeite dooth not or yf in putting it to your mouth it cause your eyes to water Wherefore the best is that which is newe and hath a pleasant smell in colour like to golde and dyeth the fyngers in touching it In Marche you must purge the grounde where it groweth and whether ye plucke it vp or not notwithstanding other hearbes may very well growe there vntill August Pursleyne Parsley or suche like hearbes doo best growe there And when the Saffron beginneth to flowre you must ridde away the other hearbes for in haruest time about September or October it flowreth THRA Here is great store of Rosemarie the cheefest beautie of Gardens and not to be wanted in the Kitchin. MARIVS Of the orderyng of Rosemarie sith you wyl haue me I wyll speake a little There are whiche suppose it to be the same whiche the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it sauoureth like Frankencense in Latine it is called Rosmarinus and in al other tongues it keepeth the name it serueth both for pleasure and profite Theophrastus maketh two kindes of it a barrayne and a fruitefull and is set of small slippes in April it is sette by women for their pleasure to growe in sundry proportions as in the fashion of a Cart a Pecock or such like thing as they fancie It delighteth in stonie or rough ground and in the toppes is the seede inclosed in little huskes white and round It flowreth twyse a yeere in the spring and in the end of sommer it is geathered from May tyll September and it is good to plucke of the flowâ—e often that it may not flowre too muche In the higher partes of Fraunce it groweth wilde in such plentie that they vse almost no other fewell it is in colde Countreys in Winter set in Sellars and hotte houses is brought agayne in the spring into the Garden But here you must beware that when you fyrst bring it out you keepe it from the March sunne setting it in the shadowe acquaintyng it by little and little with the ayre some vse to house it with strawe and horse doung and so leaue it in the Garden Sauge in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Saluia and like in other languages is an hearbe common in euery Garden it is planted both of the seede and the slippe in March in any kind of ground it maketh no matter where the Gardners vse to lay bucking asshes about it whereby it prospereth the better Next to Sauge is Mynt in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Menta in Dutch Myntz in Italian and French after the Latine in Spanishe Yerua buena it is planted and ordered in all thing as Sauge is it prospereth both in drye and wette groundes and groweth well by waters If you lacke seedes you may take the seede of the wylde Mint and set them with the toppes downeward whereby they shall leaue their ranknesse and being once sowen or sette groweth euery yeere Pimpernell in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Pimpinella is vsed both in the Kitchin and in Phisicke and being once sowen groweth euery yeere both in sonny places and in shaddowy it groweth in most plaâ—es wylde Hysope in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Hyssopus and so called in moâ—â— tongues in Europe a common hearbe knowen to euery Gardner it desireth though no sonny ground yet good and ritche grounde it is planted both of the seede and the slippe when it hath once taken roote it careth not for the sharpnesse of Winter Sauery in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Satureia or as Columella sayth Cunila in Italian Coniella Sauoreggia Thymbre in Frenche Sauoreje in Dutche Kuuel Zwibel hisop groweth in barrayne places and is sette and sowed as the plantes before The next is that whiche commonly is called Basyl in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Ocymum in Frenche Italian and Dutche Basilica an hearbe that is vsed to be set in the middest of knottes and in windowes for the excellent sauoure that it hath it is also good for the potte it is sowed in March and April and delighteth in sonny ground you must put two seedes still togeather Basyl is best watred at noone whereas all other hearbes are to be watred in the mornyng and in the euenyng it may be remooued in May. Theophrastus sayth that it prospereth best when it is sowed with curses Marierum in Latine Amaracus and Maiorana is also in like sort vsed the Dutche and the Italians call it after the Latine the Spaniardes Amoredeux the Frenche Mariolaine and Thyn in Greeke of Dioscorides and Paulus Aegineta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this also for the pleasant sauour it hath is set in pottes and in Gardens it is sowed in Marche three or foure seedes togeather halfe a foote a sunder in May when it groweth to some heyght as Basyl it is remoued Time neare of kinrede to these in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Frenche Italian and Dutche like the Latine in Spanishe Tomillo delighteth in stony light and sonny ground it springeth both of the seede and of the slippe and also of the flowre as Theophrastus sayth These three tender and delicate hearbes are to be sowed with great heede eyther in earthen pottes or in garden beddes Hytherto haue I described vnto you suche hearbes as serue for the Kitchin and because the latter sortes are also esteemed for the sauours I wyll goe forward with the description of the rest that
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
all kinde of pleasant trees bearing fruite to spring out of the earth that they myght serue for the sustenaunce of man and in the middest lye planted the Tree of lyfe and there bye the Tree of knowledge of good and euil to the ende that Adam might haue an assured signe of his duetie and reuerence towardes GOD out of which the Lord as in a Temple dyd speake vnto Adam and Adam him selfe yf the continued in his innocencie after his refection of the Tree of lyfe had with his posteritie preached God and alwayes been thankful vnto him for his aucthoritie geuen vnto him ouer all other Creatures as the Propheticall Pslamist singeth This that thorowe the bountifull liberalitie of GOD was geuen vs to so good an ende the vngodly and wicked posteritie turned to idolatrie consecratyng both Trees and Groues to the idols of the Heathen THRA What mee thinkes you begin to play the Preacher with me MARIVS Surely there is no better a place to preache in then here to acknowledge the Creator in his Creatures and by these visible woorkes to beholde the Almighty and euerlastyng power blessednesse bountifulnesse and Godhead of the incomprehensible woorkeman and alwayes to speake preache of them but I wyll say more hereafter The plantyng of trees dooth out of all doubt as I sayde bring vnto vs both profyte and pleasure and therefore this part of husbandry must not be neglected for Columella accountes it one of the cheefest pointes of husbandry whiche the Poete seemes to agree vnto Of tyllage all this whyle and of the starres We here haue talked And Bacchus now of thee I meane to syng c. THRA I pray you then declare vnto me the order of plantyng and preseruyng of Trees MARIVS Let vs fyrst sitte downe vnder the shadowe of this fayre Uine that yeeldeth both pleasant wine and comfortable shadowe THRA Agreed MARIVS The sortes of trees are diuers and manifold some growe wylde some come of the seede some of the roote as the selfe same Poet sayth Some sortes there are that of the seede are sowne And some that sette of rootes to seedes are growne Some doo growe spring of them selues a number of others agayne are to be sowne Those that growe wylde without the labour of man doo beare theyr seedes eache one accordyng to his kinde but those that are sette and drest doo yeelde greater encrease There are diuers agayne that are alwayes greene and doo neuer loose their leafe which are as Constantine rpeorteth these the Date the Orenge the Lemon the Cytron the Bay the Olyue the Cypresse the Pine the Hollie the Box Myrtel Cedar and Iuniper As for strange trees and those that wyll growe no where but at home we wyll not meddel withal we wyll therefore begin fyrst with those that yeelde vs sustenance and beare fruite and those are diuided into three sortes for eyther of the settes they come to be trees as the Olyue is or els shrubbes as the wylde Date or neyther tree nor shrubbe as the Uine THRA I desyre to here your opinion of euery sort for I thinke it no small skill to plant such fayre Gardens Orchards and Uineyards Mee thinkes you haue vsed a woonderfull good order that amongst your Uines you haue entermedled Olyue trees Figge trees Almondes Abrecocts and that you haue seuered your Orchard from your Garden and your Uineyard from them both with fayre hedges and dytches MARIVS It was needefull so to doo least my folkes labouryng in some of them shoulde come into the rest contrary to my pleasure Fyrst yf you wyll I wyll speake of those that bryng vs fruite and then of the â—â—lâ—e and the order of settyng and planting of Wooddes Fyrst as your Columella sayth that ground that serueth for an Orchard wyll serue for a Uineyard as you see it dooth here and yf the ground be hâ—â—ly rugged and vneuen it is more meete for a Uineyard then for an Orchard If therefore you wyll make an Orchard you must choose suche a ground as is meete for it a riche grounde leuell and lying vpon the Sunne which when you haue found you must wel enclose it as I taught you before in the enclosure of Gardens that it may lye out of daunger of cattell and knaues for although that y trampling and dounging of cattel is not vnprofitable to the trees yet yf they be eyther brused or broken whiles they be young they wyll soone come to nought When you meane to dresse your Orchard place thus fenced you shal make your furrowes a yeere before you plant them so shall they be well seasoned with the sunne and the rayne and what so euer you plant shall the sooner take But yf you wyll needes plant the same yeere that you make your furrowes let y furrowes be made at least two monethes before after fyl them ful of straw and set it on fyre The broader and the wyder that you make your furrowes the fayrer and more fruitfull wyl your trees be and the fruite the better Your furrowe must be made like an Ouen or Furnace wyder at the bottome then aboue that the roote may spreade the better and the colde in Winter and the heate in Sommer may the better be kept from it and also in steepe groundes the earth shall not so easily be washed away In settyng of your fruite trees and Uines you must place them in order eyther Checkerwyse or Netwyse which needefull order of setting is not onely profitable by receiuing the ayre but also very beautifull to the eye when as which way so euer you looke you shall see them stand in ranke and whiche also is to good purpose the trees shal equally receiue their moysture from the ground THRA I see the Gardners in euery place obserue this order settyng theyr trees in such proportion as whiche way so euer you looke your eye shall not be let but shall see the trees stand streyght in order MARIVS I haue vsed two sortes of this catred order one wherein my trees stande foure square like the Chequer or Chesseboorde the other not in square as the fyrst but losing-wyse or Diamond wyse like the Glasse windowes or Nettes You must frame it according to the nature of the trees lest the lower sort be drowned of the higher You must also set theÌ„ a good distance a sunder that their branches may spreade at pleasure for yf you set them to thicke you shall be able to sowe nothing betwixt them and they wyl be the lesse fruitefull Therefore Paladius woulde haue the space betwixt them thirtie foote at the least there is more proâ—yte in the generall disposyng of them entermedlyng the greater with the lesser so as the great ones doo not annoy their vnderlynges eyther with theyr shaddowe or dropping for that they grow not equal to them in strength or bignesse Pomegranates and Myrtels must be sowed nearer togeather as mene foote a sunder Apples nearer then they and Peares nearer then them both but
of them there are sundry sortes Almonds and Figge trees must also be set nearer And because there is a naturall freendshippe and ioue betwixt certayne trees you must set them the nearer togeather as the Uine and the Olyue the Pomegranate and the Myrtel On the other side you must set farre a sunder such as haue mutual hatred among them as the Uine with the Filberde the Bay. There are some of them that desyre to stand two and two togeather as the Chestnut the droppinges also doo great hurt of all sortes but specially the droppinges of Okes Pinetrees and Mastholmes Moreouer the shaddowes of diuers of them are hurtfull as of the Walnut tree whose shaddowe is vnholsome for men and Pine tree that kylleth young springes yet they both resist the winde and thereâ—ore are best to be set in the outer sides of the Orchardes as hereafter shal be sayde Of the place and the order perhaps you thinke I haue sayde yenough and looke that I shoulde proceede to the order of plantyng and settyng THRA What tâ—mâ— is the best for plantyng and settyng of trees MARIVS The â—heefest time of plantyng as Florentine sayth is the ende of Sommer for theâ— is nature most occupied about the roote is in the spring about the vpper partes and therefore grafâ—yng is meeresâ— in the Spring and settyng in the ende of Sommer for the plantes are watred all the Winter and therefore it is beâ—t sortyng or plantyng from the settyng of the seuen starres 〈◊〉 the twelft of December In the spring tyme you may sette those thynges that you forgatte before at what season so euer it bâ— looke that you sette them in the afternoone in a fayre westerly winde westerly winde in the wane of the Moone Plinie sayth that this note is of great importance for the encrease of the tree goodnessee of the fruite if the tree be planted in the encrease of the Moone it groweth to be very great but yf it be in the wane it wil be smaler yet a great deale more lastyng THRA But are there more wayes then one of plantyng and setting MARIVS A great sort we plant eyther by graffing setting of the kernell or the stone setting the rootes stockes or slippes grafting betwixt the barke and the tree some are planted in some of these sortes others in all In Babylon as they say onely the leafe sette comes to be a tree fyrst I wyll speake of graffing and then of the rest There are that appoynt but three kindes of graffing betwixt the barke and the wood in the stocke and emplastring or inoculation The fyrst for they call grafting the seconde imbranching the thirde inoculation or imbudding Suche trees as haue thickest barkes and drawe most sappe from the grounde are best graffed betwixt the barke and the wood as the Figge the Chery and the Olyue those that haue thinne ryndes content them selues with lesse moysture as yf the sappe leauing the barke shoulde geather it selfe to the hart as the Orenge tree the Apple tree the Uine diuers others in these it is best to open the stocke and graffe in the wood Some trees are also best graffed vpon other some the Figge that prospereth best vpon the Mulbery stocke and the Plane tree the Mulbery vpon the Chestnut and the Beech the Apple the Peare the Eline and the white Poplar wherin yf you graffe you shal haue your Mulberies white vpon the same stocke are graffed the Peare the Quince the Medlar and the Seruisse the Peare vpon the Pomegranate the Apple the Quince the Mulberie and the Almon. If you graâ—â—e your Peare vpon a Mulbery you shall haue redde Peares the Apple is graffed vppon all Peare stockes and Crabbe settes Wyllowe and Poplar beyng graffed vppon the Qâ—ince it bringeth foorth the fruite whiche the Greekes call Melimela it is also graffed vppon the Plomtree but being graffed vppon the Plane tree it bringeth foorth redde Apples The Medlar being graffed vpon the Thorne the graft groweth to great bignesse but the stocke continues small vppon the Pine tree it bringeth a sweete fruite but not lastyng The Peache graffed in the Thorne or the Beeche groweth to be very fayre and great the Almond and the Peache being ioyned togeather and graffed in the Plumtree wyll beare a Peache with an Almond in the stone The Fylbert wyll onely be graffed in the Wylding not agreeing with any other The Pomegranate delighteth in diuers stockes as in the Wyllowe the Bay the Ashe the Damson the Plome and the Almond vpon all which he prospereth well The Damson groweth very well vpon any kinde of wylde Peare Quince and Apple The Chestnut lyketh wel the Wallnut and the Beeche The Chery refuseth not the company of the Peache nor the Turpentine nor they his the Quince wyll wel be graffed vpon the Barbery the Myrtel vpon the Sallow the Plome vpon the Damson the Almond vpon the Fylbert the Cytron because of his tender tree and thinne rynde wyll scarsely beare any other graffe and therefore contentes him selfe with his owne branche The Uine that is graffed vppon the Chery tree as Florentinus promiseth wyll beare Grapes and graffed vpon the Olyue wyll bring foorth a fruite that bearyng the name of both his parentes is called Elâ—oâ—laphylos In fine all young trees that haue sappe in the barke may be graffed yf it be greater it is best graffing neare the roote where both the barke and the wood by the reason of the nearenesse of the ground are ful of sappe He then that wyll graft eyther in the stocke or betwixt the stocke and the rynde let him geather his graffes from a fruiteful tender tree and full of ioyntes and out of the new spring except he meane to graffe an olde tree when as the sturoyer the graffes be the better they are otherwyse the last shootes of such trees as haue lately borne wyll be the best You must geather them on that side the tree that lyeth vpon the North others lyke better the East side then the shaddowy Virgil forbâ—ddeth those that growe vpon the toppe thinking them better that growes out of the side To be short your graffes must be full of buddes lately growne out smoothe the rynde smoothe good and redy to growe they must be of the last yeeres growth whiche is knowen by the knottes or ioyntes that declare euery yeeres growth beside graffes of all trees are not to be geathered alike for Uines and Figge trees are dryest in the middle partes and take best of the toppe and therefore from thence you must geather your graffes Olyues are fullest of sappe iâ— the middest and the outer partes dryest Those best agree togeather whose ryndes are neerest of nature and doo blossome and beare both about a tyme You must geather your graffes in the wane of the Moone tenne dayes before you graffe them Constantine addeth this reason that it is neede the graffe doo a
because the Nurse sometimes ought to be kineder and tenderer then the Mother a meete ground must be chosen for the purpose that is a ground drye fatte and well laboured with the Mattocke wherein the stranger may be well cherished and very lyke vnto the soyle into whiche you meane to remoue them The kernels or stones must not be altogether naked but a little couered with some part of the fruite so shall they afterwarde endure the longer They must be sette a foote or there aboutes a sunder after two yeeres they must be remoued And because theyr rootes doo runne very deepe into the ground they must be somewhat bent or turned in to the end they may spreade abroade and not runne downeward Aboue all thynges you must see it be free from stones and rubbishe well fenced against Poultry and not full of chinckes or cleftes that the sunne burne not the tender rootes they must be sette a foote a halfe a sunder that they hurt not one y other with their neare growing Among other euils they wyl be ful of wormes and therefore must be well raked and weeded beside growyng ranke they must be trymmed and proyned Cato woulde haue them couered ouer with Lattuses vppon forkes to let in the sunne and to keepe out the colde Thus are the kernelles of Peares Pineapples Nuttes Cypresse and such others cherished They must be gently watred for the fyrst three dayes at the going downe of the sunne that they equally receyuyng the water may open the sooner Zizipha or Turky Plomes Nuts Wallnuttes and Chestnuttes Bayes Cheryes Pistaces Apples Dates Peares Maples Fyrres Plomes and diuers others are sette of the stone or kernels In remouyng of them haue speciall regarde that they be sette in the lyke soyle or in better not from hotte and forwarde groundes into colde and backward nor contrary from these to the other You must make your furrowes so long before yf you can that they be ouergrowen with good mould Mago would haue them made a yere before that they may be well seasoned with the Sunne and the weather or yf you can not so you must kindle fyres in the middest of them two monethes afore and not to set them but after a shewre The deapth of their setting must be in stiffe claye or hard ground three cubites and for Plome trees a handfull more The furrowe must be made Furnase like strayght aboue and broade in the bottome and in blacke moulde two cubites and a hand broade being square cornered neuer deeper then two foote and a halfe nor broader then two foote broade and neuer of lesse deapth then a foote and a halfe whiche in a wette ground wyl drawe neare the water Suche as delight in the deapth of the ground are to be set the deeper as the Ashe and the Olyue these such like must be set foure foote deepe the others it suffiseth yf they stand three foote deepe Some vse to set vnder their rootes rounde little stones both to conteyne and conuey away the water others lay grauell vnderneath them The greater trees are to be set towarde the North and the West the smaller toward the South and the East Some wyl haue no tree remoued vnder two yeere olde or aboue three and others when they be of a yeeres growth Cato resisteth Virgils aucthoritie that it is to great purpose to marke the standing of the tree as it grew at the fyrst and to place it towardes the lame quarters of the heauen agayne Others obserue the contrary in the Uine and the Figge tree being of opinion that the leaues shall thereby be the thicker and better defend the fruite and not so soone fall beside the Figge tree wyll be the better to be climbed vpon Moreouer you must beware that by long tarying the rootes be not wythered nor the winde in the North when ye remoue them whereby many times they dye the husband not knowyng the cause Cato condemneth vtterly all maner of windes and stormes in the remouing of trees and therefore it is to great good purpose to take them vp with the earth about them and to couer the rootes with a 〈◊〉 and for this cause Cato woulde haue them to be carryed in basaet◠fylled with earth vp to the toppe the tree must so be sette as it may stande in the middest of the trenche and so great heede must be taken of the rootes that they may not be broken nor mangled THRA Let vs nowe goe forward with euery tree in his order MARIVS Among all trees and plantes the Uine by good ryght chalengeth the soueraignetie seeing there is no plant vsed in husbandry more fruitefull and more commodious then it not alonely for the beautifulnesse and goodlynesse of the fruite but also for the easinesse he hath in growyng whereby he refuseth not almost any kinde of Countrey in the whole worlde except suche as are too extremely skorched with the burnyng heate of the Sunne or els to extremely frozen with the vehement colde prosperyng also aswell in the playne and champion countrey as it dooth vppon the hilly and mountayne Countrey lykewyse as well in the stiffe and fast grounde as in the soft and meilowe ground and oftentymes in the loamie and leane grounde as in the fatte and foggie and in the drye as in the moyst and myrie yea and in many places in the very rockes it groweth most aboundantly and most fruitefully as is to be seene and prooued at this day about the ryuer of Rhyne in Germany and the ryuer of Mosel in Fraunce and aboue all this it best abideth and beareth the contrary disposition of the heauens THRA No doubt it is the most excellent plant but whom doo you suppose to be the fyrst aucthour of the plantyng of it the common sort doo attribute the fyrst inuention of it to Bachus MARIVS We that are taught by Gods holy woord doo knowe that it was fyrst founde out by the Patryarke Noe immediatly after the drownyng of the worlde it may be the Uine was before that tyme though the plantyng and the vse thereof was not then knowen The Heathen both most falsely and very fondly as in many other thinges doo geue the inuention of the same vnto the god Bachus But Noah liued many yeeres before either Bacchus Saturnus or Vranius were borne THRA It is most likely so but I woulde faine knowe whether the planting of Uines doth more enriche the husband then other husbandries doo MARIVS About this question there is no little adoo among the wryters of olde where there are some that preferre grasing tyllyng and woodsales farre aboue the Uines and yet agayne there wantes not great and learned men that affyrme the Uine to be most gainefull as declareth that olde fruitefulnesse of the Uines mentioned by Cato Varro and Columella which vpon euery acre yeelded .700 gallondes of Wine and the Uineyardes of Seneca wherein he had yeerely vppon one acre .1000 gallondes when as in Corne ground Pasture or Woodland
yf a man doo geat vpon one acre .xx. s. a yeere it is thought a great matter THRA But the Uine asketh great charges and great trauayle about it and it is subiect to many mishaps as the cold frostes of Winter the blastes burning of Sommer and from the fyrst appearing til the third of May which is the last decretorie day of the Uine the hurt of the colde and frost is feared When it hath scaped this daunger then commeth a greater mischiefe which lightly euery yeere dooth great harme for eyther with blastes in the Dogge dayes or for lacke of rayne the Grapes are wythered and spoyled or els with ouermuch rayne they waxe sowre and not ripe Sundry other mishappes there happen that the Uine is subiect to MARIVS I graunt so is your Corne likewyse for both it asketh great charges and such casualties oft times vndooeth the poore husband For in all kinde of husbandry yf there be not great diligence and good skill imployed there wyl be but small commoditie reaped And especially the Uine requireth great husbandry about it for it is tender and soone harmed and therfore in choyse of the Uineyard there must be good heede and both the nature of the countrey and the disposition of the Heauens to be well consydered Most men plant theyr Uines without any great care or heede of them and when they growe vp vse little diligence in the trimming of them by whiche negligence many times they wyther before they be ripe Others agayne thinke it makes no great matter what grounde they bestowe about it most times lay out for this purpose the worst ground they haue as though it would serue for this plant that wyll serue for no other thyng Some agayne reape all the commoditie they can the fyrst yeeres not prouidyng for farther time and so complaine that their gaynes dooth neyther answeare their trauayle nor their charges whereas in deede their owne folly and negligence is the cause for yf there be diligence and paynes bestowed vpon it as Columella prooueth by many reasons there is no husbandry so profytable as the plantyng of Uines THRA I doo not deny but that there is great profyte in it where the grounde is meete for Uines and not so fitte for Corne otherwyse I thinke the sowing of Corne to be an easier matter and speedyer way to enriche the husband MARIVS Surely as touchyng the easinesse of the husbandry and the greatnesse of the gayne the olde wryters haue euer preferred the Uineyard afore the Corne feelde for as Columella reporteth Siserna wryteth that the labour of one man is sufficient for eyght acres of Uines or at the least for seuen of the encrease I haue spoken before THRA Mary syr at this day one man thinkes three acres too much for him but not to trouble your talke I pray you goe forward with the husbandry of your Uines MARIVS The ordering of the wine bearyng Uines as the sortes of Uines are sundry neyther can they be conteyned in certayne numbers for there is as many sortes as there is of ground Homer geueth the cheefest prayse to the wine of Maronia and Pramnium Virgil most commendeth Rhenishe wine others the wine of Aminea Lamentana Candy and Corsega but I meane to speake of those that are common in our dayes In Italy at this day they make most account of wine of Corsega Romani and Mesina In Spayne they cheefest esteeme wine of S. Martin of Ribodaui and Giberaltar In Fraunce the greatest prayse is geuen to the wine of Orleans Anjou and Greues Germany began but of late to meddle with planting of Uines for Varro wryteth that the Frenchemen and the Germanes had in his tyme both Uines and Olyues but at this day the Rhine the Necker the Mene Mosel and Danow may compare with any Countreys for goodnesse of theyr Uines THRA I see that the Uines are diuersly dressed otherwyse in Italy then in Fraunce and otherwyse in Fraunce then in Germany euery Countrey vsyng his seuerall fasshion MARIVS True for as Plinie after Columella teacheth the Uine may be planted fiue sundry wayes for eyther his branches are suffered to runne in safetie vpon the ground or els without any stay growe vpryght or hauyng a stay or a proppe set for them they climbe vp by it or els runne vp by a couple of suche proppes called of Liuy a yoke or els susteyned with foure of those yokes whiche of the resemblance that they haue with the hollowe gutters of a house are sayde to be guttered others agayne suffered to runne vpon frames lyke Arbers seruyng to sitte vnder and are called Arber vines others runne vp by the walles of houses Moreouer the yoked Uines called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are tyed togeather and ioyned with three or foure proppes as yf they were yoked some doo let them runne vpon trees as commonly in Lumbardy they are suffered to climbe vppon Elmes Wyllowes and Ashes where they greatly prosper neyther doo they like all maner of trees for they hate the Nuttree the Bay the Radishe and the Coll as agayne they loue the Poplar the Elme the Wyllowe the Figge and the Olyue tree The Uines that are yoked or stayed vp with proppes receiue more ayre and beare their fruite the hygher and ryp◠the better but aske more trouble in the lookyng to and these are so ordered that they may be plowed wherby they are the more fruitefull because they may the oftner and with the lesse charge be tylled The Uines that creepe vppon the ground make much wine but not as Columella sayth so good THRA Nowe to your orderyng of them MARIVS Fyrst I wyll speake of the ground and of the diggyng of it and after of the plantyng and cuttyng of them And fyrst you must take for a speciall note that euery Uine wyl not agree with euery place nor yeelde his wine in like goodnesse of suche force is the qualitie of the ayre neyther wyll all kynde of ground serue for Columella dooth counsell to sette the Uine in a wylde ground rather then where Corne or Busshes haue growen for as for olde Uineyardes it is most certayne they are the woorst places of all other to sette newe in because the ground is matted and as it were netted with the remaynes of the olde rootes neyther hath it lost the poyson of the rotten and olde stinkyng rootes wherewith the soyle glutted as it were with venime is benommed And therefore the wylde and vntyld ground is cheefely to be chosen which though it be ouer growen with shrubbes and trees may yet easily be ridde If such wylde ground be not to be had the best is the plaine champion lande without trees yf neyther suche a grounde then the lyght and thinne busshie grounde or Olyue grounde The last and woorst as I sayde is the olde rotten Uineyard which yf necessitie compell you to take you must fyrst ridde the grounde of all the olde rotten rootes and then couer it eyther
store Garden for Uines Pallaâ—tius teacheth you The set requireth a time to roote and being remoued wil beare the better fruite The rootes doo beare fruite the second yeere or sooner the settes or branches skarse in the thirde or fourth yeere though in some places sooner Didymus in Constantine teacheth an easie and a redy way of plantyng the quicksette whiche is to take of a strong and ten yeere Uine the longest and fayrest branch that groweth lowest a foote from the ground and laying it along in a trenche of a foote deapth to couer it with earth the space of foure ioyntes so that the remayne in the toppe exceedâ— not two or three ioyntes and yf the branche be so long as it wyll serue for two buryinges you may make therof two rootes You must not suffer two rootes to runne vp vppon one stay but allowe euery roote his supporter The branches or settes that you meane to plant you must cut from a â—â—ry fruiteful and florishing Uine that hath borne ripe and perâ—â—â—â— good fruite full of ioyntes and not any wayes taynted but whole and sounde Of suche you must choose your settes and not of young Uines that are weake and feeble but suche as are in there chefe state Moreouer you must geather your sette not of the highest nor the lowest but from the middest of the Uine the sette must be round smooth full of knottes and ioyntes and many littel burgeons As soone as you haue cut it of looke that you sette it for better dooth it agree with the ground and sooner growe If you are dryuen to keepe them burie them in the ground eyther loose or loosely bounde and yf the tyme be long that you meane to keepe them you must laye them in empty barelles strawing earth vnder them and vpon them that the earth may lye round about them and the barrel you must stop closely with clay that there enter neyther wynde nor ayre so shall you preserue them two monethes in their goodnesse Such as are ouer drye you must lay them in water .xxiiii. houres afore you sette them and you must set two settes togeather that though the one fayle the other may take and yf they both grow you may take vp the lesser of them you must not make a medley of sundry sortes specially white and blacke togeather but as Columella sayth must sort them seuerally You must beware that the settes haue not put out their springes and that you sette not a wythered sette Constantine would haue the sette something crooked affirming that it wyll the sooner take roote You must lay about them three or foure stones and then rayse the earth that it may equally with the doung be troden downe for the stones keepeth the earth fyrme and as I sayde before cooleth the roote Both the endes of the sette you must annoynt with Oxe doung for the killyng of the woormes as for the length yf it be full of ioyntes it may be the shorter yf it haue fewe ioyntes you must make it the longer and yet not exceedyng a foote in length nor a shaftman in shortnesse the one for being burnt with ouer drynesse in Sommer the other least being sette to deepe it be with great hardnesse taken vp but this is for the leuell ground for vppon hilles where the earth styll falleth you may haue them a foote and a hand breadth in length Florentine woulde not haue the trenche lesse then foure foote in deapth for being sette shallowe they sooner decay both for the want of sustenance and great heate of the Sunne which is thought to pearse foure foote into the grounde though some there be that thinke three foote sufficient for the plant The trenches for Uines Virgil woulde not haue very deepe but deeper a great deale for trees Such Uines as you meane shall runne vpon trees you must plant three cubites distant from the tree afterwardes when they be well growen and neede to be ioyned with the tree whiche you shall perceyue by his thicknesse you shall lay it downe in length and bury it till it come within a foote of the tree suffering the remaine to goe at liberty nipping of all the buddes with your nayle except one or two that it may the better prosper whiche when it is growen vp you must ioyne by little and little to the tree that it may rest vpon it which part of the tree must be diligently proyned and the springes and scyenses that growe out of the roote must according to Florentinus be cut cleane away The trees as much as may be must be forced to the East and the West and both the Tree and the Uine must haue the earth well digged and dounged about them In riche ground you may suffer the trees to growe in heygth but in barrayne ground they must be polled at seuen or eyght foote least all the substance of the earth be soked vp of the tree After your planting you must digge the ground euery moneth and weede it specially from the first of March till the first of October euery thyrtie day you must digge about the young plantes and plucke vp the weedes specially the grasse which except it be cleane plucked vp and cast away though it be neuer so well couered wyll spring agayne and so burne the plantes as they wyl make them both foule and wythered the oftner you digge them the more good you doo them When the Grape beginnes to alter you must in hande with your third digging and when it is ripe before noone wheÌ„ it waxeth hotte and after noone when the heate decreaseth you must digge it and rayse the dust whiche dooing defendeth the Grape both from the sunne and the myst Accordyng to Virgils mind the Uine must be digged and weeded euery moneth some would haue them digged all the Sommer long after euery deawe others agayne wyll not haue them digged as long as they â—udde or burgen for hurtyng the springes saying that it is yenough to digge them thryse in the yeere from the entring of the sunne into Aries tyll the rysing of the seuen starres and the Dogge Some agayne woulde haue it done from the vintage before Winter and from the Ides of April before it take and then agayne before it flowre and likewyse before the burning houres of the day in some places when they haue digged them they doo not straightwayes couer them but suffer the trenches to lye open all the Winter in wette and rayny places they couer them sooner closyng vp the rootes with earth and stopping al the passages of the water Some make the trenches very deepe and some not passing a foote deepe and when they haue done they couer them aloft with Oxe doung Sheepes doung or Hogges doung or of other cattell Pigeons doung is the hottest and suche as causeth the Uine fastest to growe but maketh the woorser wine The doung must not be laid close to the Uine but a little distant from it whereby the rootes that spreade
abroade may haue some helpe of it and the doung must not touche the rootes for breaking of them yf there be no doung at hand the stalkes of Beanes and other Pulse wyll well serue the turne whiche both defendeth the Uine from frost and cold and keepes them likewyse from noysome wormes the kernelles and the stalkes of the Grapes doo likewyse supply the want of doung but the best of all is olde stale vrine The plantes of a yeere or two yeere old and so foorth til fiue yeeres must be discreetely digged and dounged accordyng to theyr state in sandy grounde the best doung is of Sheepe and Goates and in such sort you must digge the grounde that the earth that lyeth hyghest be cast to the bottome and that whiche was at the bottome be layde aloft so shall that that was drye by the moysture within be helped and that whiche was moyst and stiffe by the heate aboue be loosened You must also see that there be no holes nor pittes in the Uineyard but that it lye euen When you haue thus digged it and that the Uines haue taken roote the fyrst yeere the rootes that growe aboue must be cut away with a sharpe knife for the Uine yf it be suffered to roote euery way it hindereth the deepe downe growing of the roote The Uines that are now of two yeeres growth we must digge and trenche about two foote deepe and three foote broade according to the rule of Socion Of those Uines that climbe vppon trees you must likewise cutte of the sprigs that runne among the rootes of the tree least the small roote tangled with the greater be strangled and therefore you must leaue some little space betwixt the Uine the Tree OfteÌ„ digging causeth great fruitfulnesse good heede must be taken that the plantes be not hurt in the digging also it must be digged before his florishing or shooting out of his leaues for as immediatly therewithal he beginneth to thrust out his fruite So he that diggeth after the romming foorth thereof looseth muche fruite with the violenâ— shaking and therefore must digge the timelyer Cutting and dressing of the rootes you must begin in hand with at y Ides of October so that they may be trimmed and dispatched afore Winter After Winter digge about the rootes that you haue dressed and before the sonne enter the Aequinoctium leuell the roots that you haue trimmed After the Ides of April rayse vp the earth about your Uine in Sommer let the grounde be oftentymes harrowed After the Ides of October as I haue sayde before the colde come in you must dresse the rootes of your Uines which labour layeth open the Sommer springes which the good husband cutteth away with his knifeâ— for yf you suffer them to growe the rootes that growe downe wil perishe and it happeneth that the rootes spreade all aboue whiche wyll be subiect both to colde and heate and therefore what so euer is wâ—thin a foote and a halfe is to be cutte of but so as you hurt not the principall You must make this ryddance of the rootes at euery fall of the leafe for the fyrst fiue yeeres tyll the Uine be full growen after you must dresse them euery fourth yeere suche Uines as are ioyned with trees for the vnhandsomenesse can not be thus handled Uines and Trees the sooner theyr rootes be thus dressed the stronger and weyghtier they wyl be bâ—t such as growe vppon the sides of hilles must so be dressed as the vpper rootes neare to the stocke may spreade largely and vnderneath towardes the foote of the hill the earth must be bancked to keepe the water and the mould the better The olde Uâ—ne must not haue his roote medled withall for wytheryng nor be plowed for breaking of them but the earth a little loosed with a Mattocke and when you haue thus drest the roote lay doung about it After this ridding of the rootes then foloweth proyning or cuttyng whereby the whole Uine is brought to one twigge and that also cutte within two ioyntes of the earâ—th which cuttyng must not be in the ioynt but betwixt the ioyntes with a slope cutte for auoyding the water neyther must the cut be on that side that the budde comes out of but on the contrary least with his bleeding he kill the budde Columella appoynteth two seasons for the cuttyng of Uines the spring and the fall of the leafe iudging in colde countreys the cutting in the spring to be the best and in hotte countreys where the Winters be milde the fall of the leafe at which tyme both trees plantes by the deuine and euerlastyng appoyntment of GOD yeelâ— vp their fruite and theyr leafe Yet must not your settes be too nearely cut except they be very feeble but the fyrst yeere they be set they must be holpen with often digging and pullyng of the leaues moonthly whyle they beare that they may grow the better Pamphilus in Constantine declareth the time of cuttyng or proynyng to begin in Februarie or March from the fiftienth of Februarie tyll the twentieth of Marche some he sayth thought good to cut them immediatly after the geathering of the Grapes least by bleedyng in the spring they loose theyr sustenance though being cut in the fall of the leafe it springeth the sooner in the spring and yf the cold of frost happen to come it is spoyled Therefore in colde countreys it were better to proyne it a little then to cut it throughly that is to suffer the principall springes and branches to growe Agayne it is very necessary to cut them in the spring the cuttes must be made with a very sharpe knife that they may be smoothe and that the water may not stand in them to the engendring of wormes and corruptyng of the Uine you must cut them rounde so wyl the cut be sooner growen out agayne but Plinie woulde haue them slope wyse for the better auoydyng of the water The branches that be broade olde crooked or wrythen cutte away and set young and better in their place You must make an ende of your cutting with as much speede as you may from the Ides of December tyll the Ides of Ianuarie you must not touche your Uines with a knife for Columella witnesseth that Uines in Winter may not be cut In cuttyng remember well to cut it betwixt two ioynes for yf you cut it in the ioynt you spill it let the cut be alwayes downeward so shall it be safe both from sunne and weather You must not cutte them very early but when the sunne hath drunke vp the frost or the deawe and warmed the branche the springes of the settes the fyrst yeere must be cut with good discretion nor suffered to growe to ranke nor cut too neare but making the olde set to suffer a spring or two to growe out Next vnto cuttyng foloweth the proppyng or supportyng of the Uine and it is best for the young and tender Uine not to be stayed vp with any
riche and liuely dooth very well agree with this tree Chalkie ground is vtterly to be refused and watry and maryshe ground woorst of all The â—yke is a barrayne sand and a hungry sand but you may see it well in corne ground where eyther the Wylding or the â—asthelme hath growen but betwixt the Oke and it there â—â— great hatred for yf the Oke groweth neare it flyeth away and â—â—â—inâ—eth towardes the earth and though you cut downe the Oke yet the very rootes poysoneth and kylleth the poore Olyue The lyke some affyrme of the trees called Cerrus and Esculus for where they be pulled vp yf you set the Olyue he dyeth so dooth it as Plinie sayth yf it chaunce to be brused of the Goate On the other side betwixt the Olyue and the Uine there is great freendship and loue and it is sayde that yf you graffe the Olyue vpon the Uine it wyll beare a fruite that shal be halfe Grape and halfe Olyue called Vuolea in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Olyue grape There are sundry wayes of plantyng of Olyues some take the biggest branches from the trees and saweing of the youngest plantes of two â—ubites in length they set them orderly in the ground some set the whole tree togeather Some agayne cuttyng of the toppes and all the branches set the stocke about the rysing of the starre Arcturus Many make them Impe Gardens in good grounde and mellowe suche as is commonly the blacke mould herein they set the young branches the lowest and the fayrest two or three inches in thicknesse and very fertill whiche they geather noâ— from the body of the tree but from the newest and latest bowes These they cut into prety settes of a foote and a halfe in length takyng good heede that they hurt not the rynde and paring the endes very smoothe with a sharpe knife and markyng them with redde Oâ—re that they may knowe whiche way they stoode afore and so settyng the lowest part into the grounde and the hyghest towardes the Heauen they put them in the grounde and so they growe the faster and beare the better for yf you should set them with the lower end vpward they would eyther hardly growe and prooue vnfruitefull and therefore they haue a regard of the setting of them You must beside before you set them rubbe ouer both the toppe the foote with doung mingled with ashes and so set them deepe in the ground coueryng them foure fyngers thicke with rotten mould You may choose whether you wyll set them all vnder the grounde or sette some part within the grounde and suffer the rest to appeare aboue the grounde those that be set all within the ground neede not to be marked but suche as shall stand with one part aboue the ground Didymus would haue them so set as they may appeare foure fingers aboue the ground and then to make a little trench for the receauing of the water and this maner of planting with the bowes is of Didymus best liked Where you meane to plant you must purge the ground of all other plantes busshes and weedes and the trenches must so be made as with the winde the sunne and rayne it may be mellowed made crombling that the plantes may the sooner take roote If your businesse require haste you must a moneth or two before burne in the trenches eyther stickes or reede or suche thinges as wyll easily take fyre and this you must doo diuers dayes togeather Your trenches must be three cubites or there about in deapth fourtie cubites a sunder wherby the trees may haue ayre yenough the first yeere second the third the earth must be trimmed with ofteÌ„â—aking the first two yeres you must not meddle with proppingâ— the third yeere you must leaue vpon euery one a couple of branches and often rake your Impe Garden the fourth yeere you shall of the two branches cut away the weaker being thus ordered in the fyfth yeere they wyll be meete to be remooued the stocke that is as bigge as a mans arme is best to be remooued let it stand but a little aboue the grounde so shall it prosper the better Before you remoue it marke the part that stood South with a peece of Oker that you may set it in like maner againe You must fyrst digge the trenched grounde with Mattockes and after turne in stone plowed earth and sowe it with Barley yf there be any water standyng in them you must let it out and cast in a fewe small stones and so settyng your settes cast in a little doung After the tenth of Iune when the ground gapes with the heate of the Sunne you must take heede that the sunne pearce not through the cleftes to the roote From the entryng of the Sunne into Libra you must ridde the rootes of all superfluous springes and yf the tree growe vpon the edge of a hill you must with little gutters drawe away the muddy water The doung must be cast on at the fall of the leafe that being mingled in Winter with the mould it may keepe the rootes of the trees warme The mother of oyle must be powred vpon the great ones the mosse must be cut of with an iron instrument or els it wyll yeeld you no fruite Also after certayne yeeres you must cut and loppe your Olyue trees for it is an old prouerbe that who so ploweth his Olyue Garden craueth fruite who doungeth it moweth fruite who cutteth the trees forceth fruite In the Olyue tree you shall sometime haue one branche more gallant then his fellowes whiche yf you cut not away you discourage all the rest The Olyue is also graffed in the wyld Olyue specially betwixt the rynde and the wood and by emplastring others graffe it in the roote and when it hath taken they pull vp a parcell of the roote withall and remooue it as they doo other plantes Those Olyues that haue the thickest barkes are graffed in the barke The time of graffing them is from the entryng of the Sunne into Aries and with some from the .xxii. of May tyll the fyrst of Iune The tyme of geathering of Olyues is when the greater part of half the fruite waxeth blacke and in fayre weather the riper the Olyue is the fatter wyll be the oyle In geathering of Olyues there is more cunnyng in making oyle then in making wine the lesser Olyues serue for oyle the greater for meate There is sundry sortes of oyle made of an Olyue the fyrst of all is rawe and pleasantest in taste the fyrst streame that comes from the presse is best and so in order The best oyle is about Venafri in Italy and Licinia in Spaine The next in goodnesse is in Prouence except in the fruitfull partes of 〈◊〉 The Olyues that you may come by with your handes you must eyther vpon the ground or with ladders geather and not beate them downe for those that are beaten downe doo wyther and yeelâ—e not so much oyle as the other
Moone be seuenteene dayes olde in fayre weather and in the after noone those that fall from the tree must be laide by them selues it is better to pull them then to shake them lest they be brused in their falling They are kept in fayre loftes vaultes or cold places with windowes openyng toward the North which in fayre weather must be set wyde open and therefore Varro woulde haue all Apple loftes haue theyr windowes North that they may receiue the North ayre the South windes must be shut out the blastes of the North winde dooth make them wrinckled and rugled they must be layde thinne vpon strawe chaffe or mattes I had an Apple brought me on t of Hâ—lland that endured three yeeres I haue a tree of them here in this Orchard of his colour called a Greening You must lay euery sort by them selues lest sundry sortes lying togeather they sooner rotte Some vse to lay them in Nut leaues whicâ—e both geueth them good colour and good smell They are also kept from rotting yf they be layde in Barly or Wheate Palladius would haue them kept in earthen vessels close stopped in Sesternes or in Caues Apuleus in Conctantine woulde haue euery Apple wrapped in Nut leaues and so layde vp a great sort of wayes beside of keeping them you shall reade in diuers aucthours Some to auoyde the hurt of the frost vse to couer them with wette linnen cloth which being frozen the fruite that lyeth vnder it is preserued Your Apples must be so layde vp as the stalkes stand downeward neyther must you touche any but suche as you neede Apples are hurtfull to bearing cattel so as the sauour causeth them to tyre as Lucian in his asse witnesseth the like is written of Peares the remedy they say is to let them eate some of the fruite afore Of Apples with certayne mylles for the purpose they make a drinke called Cyder and a smaly drinke beside with water and the refuse of the Apples strayned a good drinke to coole the thyrst of the poore labourer A kynde of vinegre also they make of Crabbes and sowre Apples which lying in heape togeathe three or foure dayes they afterwardes put into a Pipe or Tunne wherewith they mingle spring water or rayne water and so is it suffered to stand close couered thyrtie dayes and after taking out what vineger they neede they put in agayne as much water The Peare in Latine Pi 〈◊〉 in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chalengeth the next place and is one of the cheefest beauties of the Orcharde The Apple tree spreadeth in broade branches the Peare tree ryseth in heygth and delighteth in a riche and a moyst ground it dooth growe of the kernell and of the Pippin but is a great whyle before it come to good and when it is growen it degenerateth from them his olde good nature and therefore it is bettâ—r to take the wylde plantes and to set them in their grounde in Nouember and when they be well rooted you may graâ—â—e vpon them It is saâ—de that iâ— so sprâ—spâ—reth with oâ—ten digging and much moysture as it neuer looseth his flowâ—e You shall doo great good vnto it yf euery other yeere you bestowe some doung vppon it Ore doâ—ng is thought to make great and massy Peares some put to aâ— the asshes to make their taste the pleasanter They 〈◊〉 not â—lonely planted of the rootes but also the very little twigges beâ—ng plucked from tâ—e roote wyâ—l grew If you wyl 〈…〉 let them be three yeere old or at the least two 〈…〉 Seme agâ—yne take the fayrest 〈…〉 and set them as they doo the 〈…〉 is Marche and April 〈…〉 when the blossome is on it 〈…〉 It iâ— graffâ—d vpon the 〈…〉 the Apple and 〈…〉 vpon the Mulbery your Peare shal be redde Virgil teacheth to graffe it vpon an Ashe whereas in deede it wyll agree with any stocke the grasse must be the growth of a yeere afore it be graffed cleared of all the leaues and tender partes And yf you woulde haue the fruite pleasant and the tree fruitefull you shall bore a hole through the stocke close by the ground and driuing in an Oken or a Beechen pin couer it vp with earth yf the tree prosper not washe the rootes and water them with â—ees of olde wine fifteene dayes so shall it beare the better and pleasanter fruite It shall neuer be hurt with woormes yf when you ylant it you doo annoynt it with the gall of an Oxe yf the tree whose rootes haue been cutte seeme not to prosper Palladius his remedy is to pearce the roote through and to driue in a pinne made eyther of Oke or Plome tree If your Peares be stony and choke Peares digge vp the earth from the rootes clense them of stones and sift in good newe mould agayne in the place let your Peare trees stand thyrtie foote a sunder or little lesse your Apple tree farther as I haue sayd They are kept preserued sundry wayes some dipping the stalkes in boyling Pitch doo afterwardes hang them vp and so keepe them others keepe them in newe boyled wine or in a close vessell others in sand some in slockes and some agayne couered with Wheate or Chaffe some are of opinion there is no kinde of fruite but may be preserued in hony Of Peares Palladius teacheth as of Apples to make both drinke and sause the iuyce being prest out with the presse women haue a prety dyshe made of Peares for theyr religious fastes called Castimoniale Next in order after Apples and Peares commeth the Quince whiche was fyrst by Cato called Coâ—oncum the Greekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the citie â—ydon from whence it was fyrst brought the Italians Meie cotogne the Spaniardes Membâ—â—â—llo the Frenchemen Vn coignier both the Greekes and Virgil call them of the colour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 golden Apples and Struthia which kind though they differ a little are of this sort for Columeâ—a speaketh of three sortes of Quinces Sâ—â—uthia Chrysomela and Mustea whiche all serue both for health and pleasure They are planted after the same maner that Peares and Cherys are some affyrme that the sette that haue been set in March or in Februarie haue taken suche roote as they haue borne fruite the yeere after They grow well in colde and moyst countreys in playne and hilly groundes in hotte dry countreys you must set them in October Many sette them wâ—th the toppes and the sette but neyther of them both is very good and being set of scyens they soone degenerate They are better graffed in the stocke then in the barke and that in Februarie or March they receiue into their stockes the graffes in a maner of all maner of trees the Pomegranate the Seruisse all the sortes of Apples and make the fruite the better The Quince tree must be set in that order that in the shaking of the winde they droppe not one vpon the other When it is
in October or Nouember that the fyrst Ianuarie or Februarie when it hath taken roote it may be graffed vpon Martial would haue you graffe it in the stocke but in deede it prospereth better being graffed betwixt the barke and the wood It delighteth to be set in deepe trenches to haue roome yenough and to be often digged about It loueth to haue the wythered bowe continually cut away it groweth best in cold places and so hateth doung as yf it be layd about them they growe to be wyld it is also planted of the slippes and wyll beare his fruite without stone yf in the setting of the set you turne the vpper end downeward Others wyll that the tree being young and two foote hye be slitte downe to the roote and the pith taken out of both sides and ioyned togeather the seames close bound about couered with doung which within a yeere after when it is wel growen the young graffes which hitherto haue borne no fruite yf you graffe them wil beare Cherys without stones as Martial sayth There are sundry kinds of Cherys as Plinie reporteth or Apronianus that are redder then the rest Actianus as blacke as a cole whiche kinde in Germany yet at this day they call Acklische kirsen Celicians that are rounde Plinie in speaking of the sundry sortes preferreth the Duracins which in Campania they were woonted to call Plinians and a little after he sayth vpon the bankes of the Rhine there grow alsâ— Kersis of colour betwixt blacke redde and greene like the Iumper beries when they be almost ripe in whiche the common sort of bookes haue Tertius for Kirsis amongst the Germanes for Plinie whereas in many places he vsurpeth the Dutch woordes as in the .9.10.17 and .18 booke and in diuers other places which being not vnderstanded of the Latine came altogeather corrupted to the posteritie There are also Bay Cherys graffed at the fyrst in the Bay that haue a pretie pleasant bitternesse at this day the small Cherys are best esteemed growing vpon a lowe bushe with short stalkes round fruite and very red much meate soft and full of licour It is sayd they wyll beare very timely yf you lay Lime about them it is good to geather them often that theâ— which you leaue may waxe the greater for setting and plantyng of Cherys you may reade a great sort of rules in the geatheringes of Constantine There are also found a kinde of Cherys growyng wylde in the Woods and Heâ—gerowes with little beries some redde some altogeather blacke whiche the Farmers in the Countrey doo vse for to fatte theyr Hogges withall The Plome tree in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fruite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Prunus and Pruna in Italian Prune and Succiue in Spanish Ciruelâ— and Ciruela in French Prune in Dutch Proumen it is planted from the middle of Winter till the Ides of Februarie but yf you set the stones at the fall of the leafe let it be done in Nouember in a good and mellowe ground two handfuls deepe they may be likewyse set in Februarie but then they must be steeped in lye three dayes that they may sooner spring they are also planted of the young sets that growe from the body of the tree eyther in Ianuarie or in the beginnyng of Februarie the rootes being wel couered with doung they prosper best in a riche and a moyst ground and in a colde countrey they are graffed towarde the ende of March and better in the clouen stocke then in the barke or els in Ianuarie before the Gumme begin to droppe out it is graffed vpon his owne stocke the Peache and the Almond There are sundry sortes of Plomes wherof the Damson is the principal ioying in a dry grounde and in a hotte countrey and is graffed as the other Plomes are There are diuers coloured Plomes white blacke purple and redde wheate Plomes and horse Plomes wherewith they vse to fatte Hogges The fynger Plomes are most commended being of the length of a mans fynger which are brought vnto vs from Bohemia and Hungary and Iulians and Noberdians being blewe in colour but later The Damsons are dryed in the sunne vpon Lattyses Leades or in an Ouen some doo dippe them before eyther in sea water or in brine and after dry them The Peache tree called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Persica in Italian Perseo in Spanish Durasuo they are also called Rhodocina and Dorocina or Duracina whereof there are foure kindes but the cheefest are the Duracins and the Abrecocts in Nouember in hotte countreys and in others in Ianuarie the stones are to be set two foote a sunder in wel dressed ground that when the young trees are sprong vp they may be remoued but in the setting you must set the sharpe ende downeward and let them stand two or three fyngers in the ground wheresoeuer they grow they reioyce most in watry groundes which ground yf you want looke that you water them abundantly so shall you haue great store of fruite Some woulde haue them set in hotte countreys and sandy ground wherby they say their fruite wyl longer endure the better wyl also the fruite br yf as soone as you haue eaten them you set the stone with some part of the fruite cleauing to it it is graffed eyther on him selfe the Almond or the Plome tree The Apples of Armenia or Abricoct dooth farre excell the Peache vsed as a great dayntie among noble men and much desyred of the sicke they are best graffed in the Plome as the Peache in the Almond tree the fayrest graffes that grow next the body of the tree are to be chosen and graffed in Ianuarie or Februarie in colde countreys in Nouember in hotte for yf you take those that growe in the toppe they wyll eyther not growe or yf they growe not long endure You shall inoculate or imbudde them in May or April the stocke being cut aloft and many young buddes set in neither must you suffer them to stand very far one from the other that they may the better defend them selues from the heate of the sunne The Frenchmen and our Gardners also after the Italians order doo graffe the Abricoct taking a graft not full a fynger long or the budde that is well showte out with a little of the rynde cut of and slitting the rynde of a young Plome tree crosse wyse they set them in binding them well about with Hempe or Towe and that in the end of Iune or in Iuly and August Some thinke they wyl be redde yf they be eyther graffed in the Plane tree or haue Roses set vnderneath them they wyll also be figured or written in yf seuen dayes after that you haue set the stoâ—e when it beginneth to open you take out the kernell and with Uermillion or any other colour you may counterfaite what you wyll after the stone closed vp about it and couered with clay or
Hogges doung you set it in the ground Agayne you shall haue them wâ—thout stones yf you pearce the tree thorowe and fill it vp with a pinne of Wyllowe or Cornell tree the pith being had out the rootes of the tree must be cut and dressed in the fall of the leafe dounged with his owne leaues you shall also at this time proyne them ridde them of all rotten dead bowes If the tree prosper not powre vpon the rootes the lees of olde wine mingled with water Against the heate of the sunne heape vp the earth about them water it in the euenyng and shadowe them as wel as you may Agaynst the frostes lay on doung yenough or the lees of wine medled with water or water wherein Beanes haue been sodden yf it be hurt with woormes or such baggage powre on it the vrine of Oxen medled with a third part of Uinegar The Date tree in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian in Latine and in Spanish Palma in French Arbor de Dattes in Dutch Dactelenbaum the fruite in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Palmulae in Italian Dattoli in Spanish Dattiles in French Dattes in Dutch Dactelem it groweth in a milde grauelly ground delighteth in a watry soyle though it desyre to haue water all the yeere long yet in a dry yeere it beares the better and therfore some thinke that doung is hurtful vnto it About the riuer Nilus in the East partes it groweth plenteously where as they vse to make both wine and bread of it this tree in Europe for the most part is barrayne though it be planted of many for noueltie sake The stones of Dates are planted in trenches of a cubite in deapth and breadth the trenche filled vp agayne with any maner of doung except Goates doung then in the middest of the heape set your stones so as the sharper part stand vpward other would haue it stand towarde the East and after when first they haue sprinckled thereon a little salt they couer them with earth well medled with doung and euery day whyle it springeth they water it some remoue it after a yeeres growth other let it growe till it be great Moreouer because it delighteth in salt grounde the rootes must be dressed euery yeere salt throwen vpon them and so wyll it quickly growe to be a great tree The settes are not presently to be put in the ground but fyrst to be set in earthen pottes and when they haue taken roote to be remoued Date trees haue such a delight one in the other that they bend them selues to touche togeather and yf they growe alone they waxe barrayne They are planted as Plinie sayth of the branches two cubites long growing from the toppe of the tree also of the slippes and slyuers The same Plinie affyrmeth that about Babylon the very leafe yf it be set dooth growe THRA I remember you tolde me once the spring and scyens that groweth out of the rootes of some trees wyll very well be planted MARIVS I tolde you before that diuers of the trees whereof I spake might be planted of the branches and of the scyences hauing some part of the roote plucked vp with them and so I sayde the Chery might be planted as also the Hasel the Laurel the Myrtel and the Medlar likewyse the fayrest branches slipped of and the endes a little brused and thrust into the ground commonly doo growe to be trees as I mee selfe haue tryed both in the Mulbery the Peare tree and the Apple tree One thing I wyll adde beside that the trees that beare fruite ouer hastely doo eyther neuer come to their iust bignesse or the fruite that they beare dooth neuer long endure wherefore I thinke sprang fyrst that lawe of Moses that fruite trees should for three yeeres be counted vncircumcised and theyr foreskinnes with theyr fruite should be circumcised that is the burgens and blossomes should be plucked of lest he should beare before his time or when he hath borne lose his fruite but I keepe you too long in the describing of my Orchard THRA O no I rather whilest I heare you imagine mee selfe to be amongst them planting and viewing of theyr fruites but now remaineth that in steede of a conclusion to your talke you declare the order of preseruing them to that end specially that those thinges that are appoynâ—ed for remedie being not duely or in time administred be not rather a hurt then a helpe MARIVS Your motion is good fyrst therefore and generally dounging and watring is needefull for fruite trees a very fewe excepted and herein heede must be taken that you doo it not in the heate of the Sunne and that it be neyther too newe nor too olde neither must it be laide close to the foote of the tree but a little distance of that the fatnesse of the doung may be druncke in of the roote Pigeons doung and Hoggerdoung doo also heale the hurtes or woundes of trees The water wherewith we water them must not be Fountayne water or Wel water yf other may be had but drawen from some muddy Lake or standyng Poole Moreoner you must take heede as I also tolde you before when we began to talke of planting of an Orchard that your trees stand a good distance a sunder that when they are growen vp they may haue roome yenough to spreade and that the small and tender be not hurt of the greater neyther by shadowe nor dropping Some woulde haue Pomegranate trees and Myrtels and Bays set as thick togeather as may be not passing mene foote a sunder and likewyse Chery trees Plome trees Quinces Apple trees and Peare trees thyrtie foote and moe a sunder euery sort must stande by themselues that as I saide the weaker be not hurt of the greater The nature of the soyle is herein most to be regarded for the Hill requireth to haue them stand nearer togeather in windy places you must set them the thicker The Olyue as Cato sayth wyl haue fiue and twentie foote distance at the least You must set your plantes in suche sort as the tops be not hurt or brused nor the barke or rynde flawed of for the barke being taken away round about killeth any kind of tree You must also haue a regard of the shadowe what trees it helpeth and what trees it hurteth The Wallnut tree the Pine tree the Pitch tree and the Fyrre tree what so euer they shadowe they poyson The shadowe of the Wallnut tree and the Oke is hurtfull to Corne the Wallnut tree with his shadowe also is hurtful to mens heads and to all thinges that is planted neare it The Pine tree with his shadowe likewise destroyeth young plants but they both resist the winde and therefore good to enclose Uineyardes The Cypresse his shadowe is very smal and spreadeth not farre The shadow of the Figge tree is gentle though it spreade farre and therfore it may safely yenough growe amongst Uines The Elme
tree his shadowe is also mild norishing whatsoeuer it couereth The Plane tree though it be thicke and grose is pleasant The Poplar hath none by the reason of y wauering of his leafes The Alder tree hath a thicke shadowe but nourishing to his neyghbours The Uines is sufficient for him selfe and the mouing of his leafe and often shaking tempereth y heate of the sunne and in great rayne wel couereth it â—elfe The shadowe of all those is commonly milde and gentle that haue long stalkes the dropping of al trees is naught but worst of al those whose branches growe so as the water can not redyly passe through for the droppes of the Pine the Oke and the Mastholme are most hurtfull in whole company you may also take the Walnutte the Cypresse as 〈◊〉 saith hurteth not Moreouer proyning and cutting is very good and necessary for trees whereby the dead and whytered â—owes are cut away and the vnprofitable branches taken of but to proyne them euery yeere is nought though y Uâ—ne reqâ—yreth cutting euery yeere and euery other yeere the 〈…〉 the Pâ—â—egranate and the Olyue whereby they wyll the sooner beare fruite the others must be the seldomeâ— proyned Olyue trees must be proyned in the fall of the leafe after the setting of the seuen starres and first they must be well dounged is a helpe against their hurtes You must cut away all the olde rotten branches that growe in the middest and such as growe thicke and are tangled together and all the waterbawes and vnprofitable branches about them the olde ones are to be cut close to the stocke from whence the newe sâ—ringes wyll aryse Sâ—arifiyng also or 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 hossesome for the trees when they are screyned with their leaues and drynesse of theyr barkes at whiche time we vse to â—aunce the barke with a sharpe knife cutting it strayght downe in many places which what good it dooth appeareth by the opening and gaping of the rynde which is stayghtwayes filled vp with the body vnderneath You must also trimme and dresse the rootes of your trees after this sort You must open the ground round about them that they may be comforted with the warmth of the Sunne and the Rayne cutting away all the rootes that runne vpward The trees that you remooue must be marked which way they stoode at the fyrst for so teacheth Virgil. And in the barke they set a signe To knowe which way the tree did growe Which part did to the South enclyne And where the Northerne blactes did blowe Also you must consider well the nature of the soyle that you remooue out of a dry ground into a moyst and from a barraine hill to a moyst playne and rather fatte then otherwyse The young plantes being thus remoued must in the second or third yeere be proyned leauing still about three or foure branches vntouched so shal they the better growe this must you vsually doo euery other yeere The old tree we remoue with the toppes cut of and the rootes vnperished whiche must be helped with often dounging and watering Apple trees that blossome and beare no fruite or yf it beare they sodenly fall away you shall remedy by slitting of the roote and thrusting in of a stone or a woodden wedge Also yf you water your trees with vrine that is old it greatly auayleth as they say both to the fruitfulnesse and pleasantnesse of the fruite Yf the tree decaye by reason of the great heate of the sunne you must rayse the earth about it and water the rootes euery night setting vp some defence agaynst the sunne To cause theyr fruite to be quickly ripe you must wette the little rootes with vineger and vrine that is old couering them againe with earth and oft digging about them The vrine of men yf it be kept three or foure monethes dooth wonderful much good to plantes which yf you vse about Uines or Apple trees it dooth not onely bring you great encrease but also geueth an excelent taste sauour both to the fruite and the wine you may also vse the mother of oyle such as is without salt to the same purpose which both must spedely be vsed in winter THRA We see that frostes and mystes doo often times great harme to trees haue you any remedy agaynst it MARIVS Agaynst frostes and mystes you must lay vp round about your Orchard little Fagottes made of stalkes rotten bowes or strawe whiche when the frostes or mystes aryse may be kindled the smoke whereof auoydeth the danger You must haue also dry doung amongst your Uines whiche when the frost is great you may set a fyre the smoke whereof dispearseth the frost THRA What yf the trees be sicke and prosper not MARIVS When they haue any such sicknesse they vse to powre vppon the rootes the lees of wine mingled with water and to sowe Lupines round about them The water also wherein Lupines haue been sodde powred rounde about is very good as Plinie saith for Apple trees THRA Trees are often times also hurt with woormes MARIVS Yf your trees be troubled with woormes there are diuers remedies for the iuyce of Woorme wood destroyeth the Caterpillers The seedes or grayne that are steeped in the iuyce of Sengreene or Houseleeke are also safe from any woormes also asthes mingled with the mother of oyle or the state of an Oxe medled with a third part of vineger Moreouer they say that the trees that are smoked with Brimstone or Lyme are safe from hurtful vâ—rmine Galbanum likewyse burnt vpon the coles driues them away The blades also of Garlicke the heades being of so burnt as the smoke may passe through the Orchard dooth destroy the Caterpillers some mingle Soote with the seedes and sprinckle them with water Democritus wryteth that a woman in her vncleannesse vngyrt and her heare hanging about her shoulders yf she goe bare foote round about the place the Caterpillers wyll presently fall but perhappes I trouble you with this tedious or long discourse of hearbâ—s plantes and trees and therefore though there be much more to be spoken of lest I should seeme to ouer weery you I wyll make an end THRA A trouble no you haue done me a singuler great pleasure in declaring vnto me the right ordring of a Garden and an Orchard which not throughly entreated of by others you haue breefely and perfectly to our great commoditie described And whereas you haue largely spoken of our trees at home it remaineth for you to say something of the disposing of Wooddes It was my chaunce to passe yesterday by a great Wood of Okes and Coppisse planted in very good order and hard by a Wyllowe grewe vpon the side of a Riuer excellently wel ordred where the Feeldes were enclosed round about with great Elmes whiche greatly beautifyeth your dwellyng and yeelde I warrant no small profyte I therefore greatly desyre to heare some thing of this part of husbandry MARIVS Though it be without my couenant and
that you demaunde more then I promised yet since you force me I wyll not refuse it least you shoulde thincke I would fayle you in any thing As touching Woods Ancus Martius as Petrus Crinitus wryteth was the fyrst in Rome that euer dealt in them the olde Fathers had alwayes a speiall regarde of Wooddes wherefore Virgil sayth Yf that of Woods I frame my song Woods vnto Princes doo belong Yf that of Woods I lyst to singâ— Woods may full well beseeme a King. It was ordayned by the Romanes that the Consuls shoulde haue the charge of the Woods that there shoulde no Tymber be wanting for bulding of Houses and Shyppes and other Tymber woorkes both publique and priuate The state of Venis at this day obserueth the same order poynting a priuate officer for their Wooddes who hath in charge as well to see to the yeerly planting of theÌ„ as to let that there be wanting no Tymber for their necessary vses The Wood that you tolde me you passed by is of Okes Beeches and other Mast trees some part seruing for Tymber and other for Fewell Of these therefore wyll I fyrst beginne to speake and then of Olyue Groues and Wyllowes some of them be wylde and grow of them selues not needing any looking to but suche as dayly experience shewes are nothing so good as those that are planted Wooddes and Forestes doo cheefely consist of Oke Beeche Fyrre tree Byrche Pine Pitch tree Mastholme Corke wylde Olyue Medlar Crabbe tree Iuniper Cornel and Pyrry other Wooddes haue other trees according to the nature of the ground The great Wood of Harteswald in Germany as it runneth through diuers Countreys beareeth in some place onely Oke in others Beeche in others Fyrres The Forest of Arderne for the most part beareth Oke Montisicello Larshe Fyrre Cornel and Tamarice Monte. D S. Cothardo great abundance of Chestnut trees These wylder sort though they growe of them selues may yet well be planted yf you haue meete grounde of the Acorne and the berry eache of them liketh some one kinde of ground better then an other as fyrst Theophrastus and after Plinie hath declared In the mountaines delighteth the Fyrre tree the Cedar the Larsh the Pitche tree and such as beare Rosyne as also the Holme the Terebinth the Chestnutte the Mastholme the Oke the Beeche the Iuniper the Cornel and the Dogge tree though some of these also prosper well yenough in the playne The Fyrre the Oke the Chestnutte the Fyrrebeech the Mastholme and the Cornel growe aswell in the Ualley as on the Mountayne vpon the playnes you shal haue the Tamarix the Elme the Poplar the Wyllowe the Hasel the Wallnutte the Hornebeame the Maple the Ashe and the Beeche You shall not lightly see the Plome tree the Apple the wylde Olyue nor the Wallnutte vppon the Mountayne all suche as growe as well in the playne as vppon the Mountayne are larger and fayrer to the eye growing in the playne but are bâ—tter for Tymber and fruite vppon the Mountayne except the Peare and the Apple as Theophrastus sayth In marrishe ground delighteth the Wyllowe the Alder the Poplar and the Priuey And although the most Wooddes doo spring of their owne nature and accord yet are they by planting labour and diligence brought to be a great deale more fayre and fruitefull for as afore I told you howe fruite trees were nourished and brought vp in Impe Gardens so are these wilde and fruitelesse trees set and planted for Tymber and Fewell He that is disposed to plant a Woodde must fyrst according to his soyle choose his sets and yf he haue them not springing of his owne let him make an Impe Garden of the seedes enclosing well the grounde with Hedge Rampyre or Dytch lest Shepe Goates or any other cattell come in to byte and brouse it for what so euer they haue once bitten as yf it were infectted with a deadly poyson perisheth and therefore those that meane to plant Woods eyther for Tymber Fewell or Mast must carefully prouide agaynst these hurtfull enimies The country lawes haue therein well prouided that where suche springes are they shall feede no Goates nor such cattell Amongest the Mast trees and suche as serue for Tymber the fyrst place of right belongeth to the Oke called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Quercus â— in Italian â—uercia in Spanish Roble â— in French Chesne in Dutch Eichenbaum he that wyll then plant an Oke Grone must prouide him of ripe Acornes not ouer dryed nor feutâ—e or any way corrupted these must he sow in good ground well tylled with as great carefulnesse as he plantes his Orchard and well enclose it that there come no cattell in it which when they be something growen you must about February remooue to the place where you entende to plant your Wood yf you cutte proyne them it is thought they wyl prosper the better for Mast but yf you reserue them for Tymber you must not touche the tops that it may runne vp the straighter and higher In remoouing them you must make your trenches a foote and a half deepe couering the rootes well with earth taking good heede you neyther bruse them nor breake them for better you were to cutte them The Oke agreeth wel yenough with all maner of grounde but prospereth the better in Mâ—rshes warry places it groweth almost in al groundes yea euen in grauell and sande except it be ouer dry it liketh worst a fatte ground neyther refuseth it the Mountayne We haue at this day and Oke in Westphalia not farre from the Castell of Altenam whiche is from the foote to the neerest bowe one hundred and thyrty foote and three elles in thicknesse and an other in an other place that being cutte out made a hundred Wayne lode not farre from this place there grewâ— an other Oke of tenne yardes in thicknesse but not very hie the Rouers in Garmany were woont to vse for theyr Shyps hollowed trees whereof some one as Plinie sayth would carry thyrtie men The next amongst the Mast trees is the Beech in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Fagus in Italian Faggio in Spanishe Haya in Frenche Faus in Dutch Buchen planted almost after the same maner that the Okes be The Mastholme in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Hex in Italian where it is better knowen â—liâ—e in Spanishe Enzina in Frenche Haussen it groweth hye yf it haue a ground meete for it it prospereth vppon hilles and likes not the playne it beareth Acornes lesser then the Acornes of the Oke a leafe like a Bay and is continually greene The like hath the Corke tree in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— in Latine Suber in Spanishe Alcornoque in Frenche Liege whiche is counted amongst those that beare Mast the barke whereof we occupie for the flotes of our fisshing nettes and in Pantofels for Winter all other trees sauing only the Corke yf you spoyle them of their barke doo dye An other
Mast bearing Oke there is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— in Latine Quercus siluestrum in Frenche Chesne a kinde whereof some thinke the Cerre tree to be called in Latine Cerrus growing in wilde and barrayne places Tâ—ere are some that doo number the Chestnutte tree amongst the Mast bearers but of this I haue spoken before The best Mast is the Oke Mast the next the Beech and the Chestnutte then the wylde Oke c. all very good and meete for the fatting of cattell specially Hogges The Oke Mast or Acorne maketh thicke Bacon sounde fleshe and long lasting yf it be well salted and dried on the other side Chestnuttes and Beeche Mast make sweete and delicate fleshe light of digestion but not so long lasting The next is the Cerre tree that maketh very sounde and good flesh the Mastholme maketh pleasant Bacon fayre and weyghty Plinie saith that it was ordayned by the lawe of the twelue tables that it should be lawfull for any man to geather his owne Mast falling vpon the ground of his neighbour which the Edict of the cheefe Iustice dooeth thus interprete that it shall be lawfull for him to doo three dayes togeather with this prouiso that he shall only geather the Acornes and doo no harme to his neighbour as Vlpianus witnesseth Glans Mast as Caius saith is taken for the fruite of all trees as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth with the Greekes though properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be those fruites that are shelde as Nuttes and suche other Upon these Mast bearers there groweth also the Gall in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in French Noixâ— de Galle in Italian and Dutch as in Latine in Spanish Agalla a little ball rugged and vneuen without whereof some be massie some hollow some blacke some white some bigge some lesser It groweth as Plinie saith the sunne rising in Gemini comming all out suddenly in one night in one day it waxeth white and yf the heate of the Sunne then take it it wythereth the blacke continueth the longer and groweth sometime to the bignesse of an Apple these serueth best to curry withall and the other to finishe the leather the woorst is of the Oke and thus of such trees as beare Mast. Nowe wyll I ioyne with all the principalest of the other trees to make vp your Wooddes amongst whiche are the Elme and the Wyllowe the Elme in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Vlmus in Italian Spanish Olmo in French Orme in Dutch Vlmbaum and Yffenholiz the planting whereof because it is to great vse and easily growes we may not let passe fyrst because it groweth well with the Uine and ministreth good foode to cattell secondly as it is al hart it maketh good tymber Theophrastus and Plinie doo both affyrme the Elme to be barrayne peraduenture because the seede at the fyrst comming of the leafe seemeth to lye hyd among the leaues and therefore it is thought to be some of the leafe as Columella affyrmeth He that wyll plant a Groue of Elmes must geather the seede called Samara about the beginnyng of March when it beginneth to waxe yellowe and after that it hath dryed in the shadowe two dayes sowe it very thicke and cast fine sifted mould vpon it and yf there come not good store of rayne water it well after a yeere you may remoue it to your Elme Groue setting them certayne foote a sunder And to the end that they roote not too deepe but may be taken vp agayne there must be betwixt them certaine little trenches a foote and a halfe distance and on the roote you must knit a knotte or yf they be very long twyst them like a garland and being well noynted with Bollockes doung set them and treade in the earth rounde about them The female Elmes are better to be planted in Autum because they haue no seede at this day in many places cutting of settes from the fayrest Elmes they set them in trenches from whence when they are a little growen they geather like settes and by this dealing make a great gaine of them in the like sort are planted Groues of Ashes The Ashe in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italian Fraxino in Spanish Fresno in French Fraisne in Dutch Eschen the Ashe delighteth in riche and moyst grounde and in playne countryes though it growe well yenough also in dry groundes he spreadeth out his rootes very farre and therefore is not to be set about corne ground it may be felled euery third or fourth yeere for to make stayes for Uines The Ashe groweth very fast and such as are forwardes are set in February with such young plantes as come of them in good handsome order standing a rowe others set such Ashes as they meane shall make supporters for garden Uines in trenches of a yeere olde about the Calendes of March and before the thirty sixth moneth they touch them not with any knife for the preseruing of the branches after euery other yeere it is proyned and in the sixth yeere ioyned with the Uine if you vse to cutte away the branches they will growe to a very goodly heygth with a rounde body smothe playne and strong Plinie writeth of experience that the Serpent doth so abhorre the Ashe that if you enclose fyre him with the branches he wil rather run into the fire then goe through the bowes Byrch called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Betula as Theoprastus writeth in his fourth booke is a tree very meete for Woods it prospereth in colde countryes frosty snowie and grauely and in any barraine ground wherfore they vse in barraine grouÌ„des that serue for no other purpose to plant Byrches it is called in Italian Bedolla in Dutche Byrken in Frenche Beula Pine Woods Fyr Woods Pytch tree and Larsh are common in Italy about Trent The Pine tree in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Pinus in Italian Spanish Pino in Dutch Hartzbaum is planted of his kernells from October to Ianuary in hotte and dry countryes and in colde and wette places in February or March the kernelles must be geathered in Iune before the clogges doo open and where you lyst to sowe them eyther vpon hilles or else where you must first plowe the grounde and cast in your seede as ye doo in sowyng of corne and couer them gently with a light Harrow or a Rake not couering them aboue a hand broade you shall doo well if you lay the kernells in water three dayes before The kernells of the Pine are called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Spanish Pinones The Fyrre tree in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Abies in Italian Abete in Spanish Abeto in Dutch Deamen loueth not to haue any great adoo made about it if you be too curious in planting of it it wyl growe as they say the worse it growes of his owne kernel in wilde mountaines playnes or any
and the wylde Oke but the Fyners rather desyre the coles that are made of the Pine tree because they better abide the blowing and dye not so fast as the other The Cerre tree though the tymber be of no great vse yet serueth it wel to make cole of for the Brasse Forges because as soone as the bellowes leaue the fyre ceasseth and there is little waste in it but for building the tymber thereof is altogeather vnprofitable because it dooth easely breake and moulder away but being in â—ostes vnhewed it serueth well yenough within doore The aptest to take fyre is the figge tree and the Olyue tree the Figge tree because it is soft and open the Olyue tree for the fastnesse and the satnesse The Earth tree as Vitruuius sayth resisteth the fyre though Mathiolus as I sayde before goeth about to disprooue it In all the bodyes of trees as of liuely creatures there is skinne senowes blood fleshe vaynes bones and marowe theyr skinne is their barke of great vse among countrey people the vesselles that they geather their Uines and other fruites in they make of the barke of Lynd tree Fyrre Wyllowe Beech and Alder. The Corke hath the thickest barke which though he loose he dyeth not for so be benefâ—ciall hath nature been to him â— that becâ—use he is commonly spoyled of his barke she hath geuen him two barkes Of his barke are made Pantoffels and â—â—yppers and Floates for fyshing nettes and Angles yf the barke be pulled of the wood sinkes but the barke alwayes swimmeth The next to the rynde in most trees is the fatte the softest and the woorst part of the tree and most subiect to woormes therefore it is commonly â—ut away The sappe of the tree is his blood which is not alike in all trees for in the Figge tree it is milkie whiche serueth as a rennet for Cheese In Chery trees it is gummy in Elmes saltishe in Apple trees clommy and fatte in Uines and Peare trees watrishe they commonly spring the best whose sappe is clammiest The iuyce of the Mulbery is sought for as Plinie sayth of the Phisitions Next to the fatte is the fleshe and next to that the bone the best part of the tymber all trees haue not any great quantitie of this fatte and fleshe for the Box the Cornel and the Olyue haue neyther fatte nor fleshe nor marowe and very little blood as neyther the Seruisse nor Alder haue anâ— bone but both of them full of marow Reedes for the most part haue no fleshe at al in fleshe of trees there are both vaines and arteryes the vaines are broader and fayrer the arteryes are onely in such trees as wyl cleaue by meanes of which arteryes it commeth to passe that the one end of a long beame laide to your eare yf you doo but fillippe with your finger vppon the other end the sound is brought foorthwith to your eare whereby it is knowen whether the peece be straight and euen or not In some trees there are knoties on the outside as the wenne or the kernell in the fleshe of man in the whiche there is neyther veyne nor artery a hard knoppe of fleshe being clong and rolled vp in it selfe these are most of price in the Cedar and the Maple In some the fleshe is quite without veynes hauing only certayne small stringes and such are thought to cleaue best others that haue not their stringes or arteryes wyll rather breake then cleaue as the Uine and the Olyue wyll rather breake then cleaue The whole body of the Figge is fleshy as the body of the Mastholme the Cornel the wylde Oke the Mulbery and suche others as haue no pith is all bony The grayne that runneth ouerthwart in the Beech was taken as Plinie sayth in the olde time for his arteryes THRA There are other commodities beside the tymber to be geathered of these trees MARIVS Uery true for as I sayde before of the Medlar the Oke the Chestnut the Pine and the Beech these trees that growe in the Wooddes beside their tymber beare fruite also good and meete to be eaten So of the Fyrres the Pitch trees and the Pines we geather Rozen and Pitch to our greate commoditie and gayne as of the Oke the Beech the Chestnut the Medlar and the Pine we haue fruite both meete for man and also good for feeding of Hogges and other cattell In time of dearth both our forefathers and we haue tryed the good seruice that Akornes in bread hath doone yea as Plinie and others haue written they were woont to be serued in amongst fruite at mens tables Neyther is it vnknowen what great gaynes some countreys geat by Akornes Rozen and Pitch the Gaile also groweth vpon these Akorne bearing trees whereof I haue spoken before Amongest all the trees out of which runneth Rozen the Tarre tree a kinde of Pine is fullest of sappe softer then the Pitch both meete for fyre and light whose boordes we vse to burne in steede of candelles The Cedar sweateth out Rozen Pitch caled Cedria Moreouer of trees is Brydlime made the best of the Cerre tree the Mastholme and the Chestnut specially in the Wooddes about Sene and neare the sea side where they are carefully planted in great plentie by the Byrdlyme makers for they geather the berryes from the trees and boyle them tyl they breake and after they haue stamped them they washe them in water tyl al the flesh fall away Plinie affirmeth that it groweth only vpon Okes Mastholmes Skaddes Pine trees and Fyrre Byrdelyme is also made of the rootes of certaine trees specially of the Holly whose rootes and barkes withall they geather and lay them vp in trenches couered with leaues in a very moyst grounde some doo it in doung and there they let them lye tyll they rot then take they them out and heate them tyl they waxe clammy and after washe them in warme water and make them vp in balles with their handes it is vsed beside other purposes for the taking of byrdes Besides all this there sweateth out of trees a certayne Gumme knowen to all men as of the Chery tree the Plome tree the Iuniper the Olyue the Blackthorne the Iuie and Almond Out of the Iuniper commeth Uernish out of the Myrrhe Scorax out of the white Poplar Amber Plinie wryteth that Amber commeth out of certayne Pine trees in the fatte as Gumme dooth from the Chery tree And thus these thinges that I haue here at your request declared touching the order of plantyng and sowing I beseeche you take in good woorth you heare my wyfe calleth vs to supper and you see the shaddowe is tenne foote long therefore it is hye tyme we goe THRA I geue you most harry thankes that you haue thus freendly enterteyned me in this your fayre Orchard with the sweete desâ—ription of these pleasant hearbes and trees IVLIA Syr your supper is redy I pray you make an ende of your talke and let the Gentleman
come in here into this Arber MARIVS Come let vs goe Soli Deo laus gloria per Christum Iesum The ende of the second Booke ¶ The third Booke of feeding breeding and curing of Cattell Hippoconus Euphorbus Hedio Eumaeus THAT the breeding and feeding of Cattell is a part of husbandry and neare ioyned in kinrede to the tylture of the ground not onely appeareth by Virgil the prince of Poets who hath in his Georgicks throughly set foorth the order thereof but also by the witnesse of the more auncient Philosophers Xenophon Aristotle The like dooth our common experience at home dayly teache vs for albeit that trade of tyllage keeping of cattel is diuers and the maner of occupying many times contrary the one to the other as where the grasyer and breeder requireth a ground full of grasse and pasture the husbandman on the other side a ground without grasse and well tytled yet in these theyr diuers desyres there appeareth a certayne felowship and mutuall commoditie redounding in their occupying of one the other which Fundanius in Varro dooth seeme by an apt comparison to prooue as in a couple of Shalmes or Recorders sayth he the one differeth in sound from the other though the musicke and song be al one the one sounding the Treble the other the Base in like maner may we terme the grasyers trade the Treble and the tylâ—ers occupation the Base folowing Dicaearchus who reporteth that at the beginning men liued onely by breeding and feeding of cattell not hauing as yet the skil of plowing and tylling y ground nor planting of trees Afterwardes in a lower degree was found out the maner of tylling of the ground and therefore beareth the Base to the feeder in that it is lower as in a couple of Recorders the Base to the Treble So this vsing to keepe cattell for plowing caryage dounging of our ground and other commodities and on the oâ—her side to tyll the ground for feeding and mayntenance of our cattell it comes to passe that though the maner of occupying in tyllage and keeping of cattell be diuers yet one of them so serueth the turne of the other that as it seemeth they can not well be a sunder for without the seruice of Horse and Oxen we can neyther plow nor doung our ground and Chaffe Straw and other offal of Corne is meete to be spent vpon the ground then to be solde both for the Farmers behoofe and the lordes and better bestowed vpon the houshold cattell then vpon the forreyners Besides the doung of the cattel enricheth the ground and bringeth great encrease and whereas there is no place as Columella sayth but in the tyllage of their ground they haue as muche neede of cattell as men the cattell serue not onely for the tylling of the grounde but also to bring in Corne to beare burdens carry doung for the grounde and also for breede and encrease of the stocke whereby they haue their name iumenta of helping because they helpe and further vs eyther in our labours by plowing or bearing Neyther is it onely sufficient to nourishe and bring vp this kinde of great cattell called iumenta but also the other lesser sort of beastes as Sheepe Swyne Goates and of foules Geese Peacocks Duckes Pigeons Hennes Chickinnes and other poultry and thinges belonging to husbandry wherewith the good husband beside his owne sustenance maketh great gayne and yf the ground be for it and Pales fauourable there aryseth oftentimes as great profyte as in sowing of Corne and that with smaller charges For a proofe that feeding is gainefull the woordes pecunia money and peculium substance or richesse being both deriued from the Latine name of cattels may very well serue for in the olde time they vsed their cattell in steade of money and theyr common penalties fines taken in cattell the greatest was thyrtie Oxen two Sheepe euery Oxe valued at .v. s. vi d. and euery Sheepe at .vi. d. the smalest was a Sheepe the very like is yet obserued with the noblest and warlikest people whose substance lyeth altogeather in cattell Cato being once asked by what part of husbandry a man might soonest be made riche made aunswere by great grasing and being asked agayne whiche way he might geat sufficient liuelihood he aunswered by meane grasyng Moreouer that the woorthynesse and first originall of keeping of cattell is of greatest antiquitie and that the trade thereof hath alwayes from the time of the Patriarkes hitherto been counted most honest as well the scriptures as prophane histories doe witnes which kinde of life how acceptable it hath alwayes beene to God by those that liued in the first worlde doth plainly appere The scripture sheweth how graciously the Lorde accepted the sacrifice of Abel a keeper feeder of sheepe besides Seth Noe Abraham Loth Iacob Iob Amos. Holly and blessed men are commended for keeping and feeding of Cattell whereby atteyning to greate wealth they sustayned them selues their wiues their Children and their huge families The Sonnes of Iacob when as they were demaunded by the kynge of Egipt what maner of life they ledde made aunswere that they were feeders and keepers of Cattell from which trade Lot Morses Saule and Dauid were by the will of God aduaunced to the Crowne As amonge the Gentiles the most auncient and famous Princes were some of them brought vp by Sheaperds som sheaperds them selues Romulus Cyrus being mighty Emperours were brought vp amonge sheaperdes Besides Galerius Maximinus Constantine Probus Aurelianus came all from the Oxstall to the Imperiall Seate Homer commendeth â—lâ—sses his swinherd for his greate valiance and noblenes That the valyant and noblest people haue professed this trade the Italians Germanes and Swytzers can testifie whose Countryes being now growne to more delicaâ—ye then they were wont to be were wonted alwayes when their doinges were most famous to glory and vaunt them selues of this life as at this day the Goodlyest and wysest dooe And therefore the auncient writers as wel Greekes as Latyns doo count the chefest wealth to bee in the numbers of sheepe Cattell and Fruite for which estimacion the Cattell were supposed to bee cladde in Golden Coates whence sprange first the fable of the Golden fleese of Colchos which Iason and his companions attempted to fetch of the Golden apples kept by the daughters of Atlas Besides the signes of Heauen the seas Mountaines Countreyes doo beare their names of Beastes among the 〈…〉 the Bull the mountayne Taurus and the 〈…〉 tooke his name of Calues Moreouer the 〈…〉 the worthier in that it hath some resemblance of the 〈…〉 gouernour and therefore the Prophets in their Oracles and Poetes in their verses doo often times call kinges and princes by the names of shepheardes and feeders of the people Yea the LORD of the whole world dooth call him selfe a shephearde Since it appeareth by these examples of what worthynesse keeping of cattell is and how neare it is linked
with Oyle Uineger and water and after whilst it is warme a little Alom made in powder and cast into it doth cure the skabbe being annoynted in the sunshine Other vse to annoynt them with Butter and Bullockes pisse and some againe take Rozen Tarre Wine and vse it as a Pultesse Hydebound is when the skin so stickes to his backe that you can not take it vp from the ribbes which happeneth by suffering him to take cold after his swette or yf after his labour he be wette with rayne or brought lowe with sicknesse which because it is very dangerous you must looke that when they come from their labour and are hot you sprinkle them with Wine and geue them some peeces of fatte or suet But yf they be alredy Hydebound it is good you seeth some Bay leaues and with the warme decoction thereof to bath his backe and to rubbe him all ouer with Wine and Oyle mingled togeather and to lyft and plucke vp the skinne round about and that abroade while the sunne shineth If his bleeding stench not after the cutting of the vaine the remedy is to lay his owne doung to the place A common medecine for all diseases as Vegetius reporteth is this the roote of a sea Onion the roote of the Popler and the common Salte of eache a sufficient quantitie lay them in water and geue it your cattell to drinke tyl they be whole which also being geuen in the beginning of the spring for the space of fourteene dayes preserueth them from all sicknesse Nowe that you haue heard in what sort the old husbands did remedy the diseases in their cattell I shall breefely declare vnto you the remedies that are obserued in sundry diseases at this day wherof I haue chopt in some amongst the medecines before First for the Murraine it beginneth at the first in the throte and swelleth in the head and rotleth with much noyse in the throte whereby it is perceaued take a quart of newe Milke half a peniworth of Butter a peniworth of Garlicke two peniworth of English Saffron two peniworth of Cinamon two peniworth of Turmericke a quantitie of Hearbegrace a quantitie of Bittony mingle them altogether geue it him warme then take an Alle and thrust the top of his nose vpwarde take but the very top to thrust through and not to the headwarde then let him blood in the necke almost a pottell yf he be able saue the blood and let it stand yf it change he may liue yf not he dieth An other for the same Where he swelleth about the iawes and vp to the eares open him vnder the iawes to the roote of the tongue get in your finger and open it a good wydenesse then take a good peece of ruâ—tie Bacon a handfull of Raggewort stampe them well togeather and fyll the hole full with it then let him blood at the nose and the tongue A drinke for the same Take Tansie Hearbegrace Longwort Hisope Time of eache a like quantitie halfe a handfull stampe them and take a quarte of good Alegroundes and seethe them a wallope or two take and straine it and put the licour into a vessell put therunto a peniworth of Graines a peniworth of long Pepper a peniworth of Ortment a peniworth of Fenegreke geue it the beast luke warme The sicknesse of the Loonges is perceiued yf the Dewlappe be hard closed togeather very farre vp also in hard feeling the Hyde vpon the backe it cracketh or snappeth much also a short husking and thrusting out the tongue withall yf it be much perished on the left side he is vncurable whiche you shall perceiue by the Hyde which wyll sticke fast on that side and likewyse the Dewlappe yf he be farre gone he wyll grone much The remedie for this disease is to take long Pepper a peniworth round Pepper asmuch of Graines two peniworth of Turmericke two peniworth of Fenegreke two peniworth of Mace asmuch Cloues a peniworth of Anisseedes a peniworth of Madder two peniworth of Tryacle of Geane the vtter rine of Wallnuts dryed and made in pouder Iuniper berries poudred Oxe Loongworth Fetherfewe Hearbgrace Tansie Horse Mintes Bay berries poudred a peniworth of Garlicke a quarte of Chamberly a pinte of Salte a quantitie of Butter Setter him before or immediatly after this medcine geuen The order of Settring a Bullocke is this take Setterwort otherwyse called Bearfoote and Garlicke like quantitie peele and stampe the Garlicke pare the Setterwort cleane and wrappe them wll in Butter then cut the Dewlappe two inches behinde the sticking place to the brestwarde and cut it alongstwyse about two or three inches and pull the Dewlappe with thy finger or with a sticke rounde about one side from the other as much as you can possible Then put the Setterwort Garlike and Butter as much as thou canst well put in and thus doo on both sides the Dewlappe then rowle him so that the string may goe through both holes on both sides the Dewlappe alwayes remembring to cut the Dewlappe a handbroade or aboue the bottome and in any wyse to rent him to the bottome before you put in the medecine The third day after the Settring looke to them open the wounde and let out the corrupcion yf it be come downe if not put in more of the medicine and turne the rowle and yf it be much swolen and hard and wyll not rotte take a hotte iron and take vp parte of the soare the skimâ—â— and the fleshe in such place as thou seest most conuenient so as it come not to the bone and thrust the iron through on the one side and on the other or once right vnder yf the swelling be right beneath and tarre him well yf the flyes be busie Which flyes yf they chaunce to get into the soare take a cloth or towell and lappe it about a sticke and put it into skalding hotte Tarre and so among the Maggottes searching euery corner wel After you haue pearsed him with the hot iron remember to take a little sticke and Towe and dipping it in Sallet Oyle or Wooll Oyle to rubbe the hole where the iron passed The sicknesse of the Gall is knowen by the running eyes yf he haue much yellowe earewaxe it is also discerned by the browne yellowes vnder the vpper lippe the cure is this Take Chamberly good Ale groundes or Beere groundes hard Soote in pouder Gallwort beastes Loongwort Planten leaues Hearbgrace Hempleede or Hemp toppes Garlicke stamped a peniworth of Aqua vite for a great Bullocke take almost a quarte of this medecine for a small Bullocke lesse when he hath drunke take Salt Lome of the wall and leauened bread and rubbe well his tongue and all the roofe of his mouth then washe his backe and chafe it wel with Chamber-lye lukewarme geather all these hearbes in Sommer and keepe them and make them in pouder This medecine serueth likewyse for the Loonges If a Bullocke be diseased in
that about Rome and other places are greatly esteemed Columella countes them to be strong meate and heauie of digestion Loe here is all that for my share I haue to say touching my cattell nowe HEDIO holde you the candell an other whyle HEDIO Next vnto the greater sort of cattell the cheefest place is to be assigned to Sheepe yea yf you consider the great commoditie and profite they are to be prefered before them for as Oxen serue for the tylling of ground necessary vse of men so is to this poore beast ascribed the safegard of the body for the Sheepe dooth both with his fleese apparayle vs with his milke holesome fleshe nourish vs as the Poet witnesseth Poore beast that for defence of man at fyrst created wast And in thy swelling vdder bearst the iuyce of deynty tast That with thy fleese kepst of the cold that should our limbs assaile And rather with thy life then with thy death dost vs auaile Of Sheepe there are sundry breedes The ritch the champion countrey breedeth a large and a great Sheepe the barraine and the clyffy a resonable stature the wylde and the mountaine grounde a small and a weerysh Sheepe The olde husbandes did greatly commend the breede of Milet Appulia and Calabria and most of all the breede of â—aranto next of Parma and Modena At this day for the finenesse of their fleese are most in price the Sheepe of England of Germanie about the Rhine and of France Varro councelleth all such as would bye Ewes to haue their cheefe consideration of their age that they be neyther to old nor to young the one of them not yet come to it the other already past proffite but better is that age wherof there is some hope then where there followeth nothing but a dead carcasse Your best is therfore to bye them at two yeeres olde and not to meddle with such as are past three their age is to be knowen by their teeth for the teeth of the olde ones are worne away next must you looke that your Ewe haue a large body deepe woolled and thicke ouer all the body specially about the necke and the head and good store vppon the belly for such as were bare necked and bellied the olde husbandes alwayes refused The necke must be long the belly large the legges short though the Sheepe of England be long legged the tayle in some countrey short in others very long for in Arabia some haue tayles a cubite long but woonderfull broade others as both Herodotus Aelianus affirme three cubites long so that the shepheardes are forced to tye them vp for being hurt with trayling vpon the ground In Egypt a Rammes tayle hath ben found to waye twentie pound more The Ramme must haue his hornes great wyneding inward and bending to the face though in some place they haue no hornes at all yet not better Rammes the hornes must rather crookle inward then growe straight vp In some countrys that are wet stormie Goates and Rammes are to be chosen that haue the greatest largest hornes whereby they may defend their heads from storme and tempest and therfore in colde stormie countreys the horned Rammes are best in milde gentle climets the pold Beside there is this inconuenience when he knowes him selfe to be armed he wil alwayes be fighting and vnruly among his Ewes and though he be not able to serue the turne him self yet wyll he suffer no other Ramme in the flocke tyll he be euen cloyed lamed with lechery The Pollarde on the otherside finding him selfe vnarmed is milder and quieter by much wherefore the Shepheards to restraine the rage of the vnruely do vse to hang before his hornes a little boorde with sharpe prickes inwarde which keepes him from his madnesse whyle he perceiueth him selfe to be hurt with his owne blood others say that yf you pearce his hornes with a Wymble next to the eares where they winde inwarde he wyll leaue his brauling In some places also the Ewes are horned but to the Ramme his eyes must be browne his eares great his brest shoulder buttockes broade his stones great his tayle broade and long you must looke beside that his tongue be not blacke nor pecled for comonly such wyll geat blacke pied Lambes as Virgil noteth And though the Ramme in sight be white as snowe If black within his lawes his tongue be wrought Refuse him quite least yf he leape thy Yowâ— He doo infect thy folde with colour nought Bye not your Sheepe but washed vnshorne that the colour may plainlier appeare the white colour as it is the beautifullest so is it the profitablest In March is your best bying of Sheepe for shepheardes lyke suche as haue well worne out the winter Whosoeuer wyl be a sheepemaister must regarde the abilitie of his ground for it is not yenough to haue pasture in sommer But they must be well prouided for in winter in any wyse you must haue store of pasture and better it is and more proffitable to the Master to keepe a fewe Sheepe well then a great number with scarsitie of pasture Florentinus is of that fancie that he woulde your number should rather be odde then euen thinking that number more fortunate for the healthynesse and long continuance of the cattell but these are superstitious toyes as are a great number of others imagined by the faithlesse Be sure euery yeere once to make your muster and supply the places of such as are dead or sicke with a newe and a sounde number so that the Master be not deceiued with an olde vnproffitable flocke The hardnesse and crueltie of the colde Winter dooth oftentimes beguile the shepheard and destroyeth many of his flocke whereof presuming of their strengh in the ende of the Sommer he had made no supply and therfore Columella is of oppinion that the age for breede ought not to be lesse then three yeere nor aboue eyght both because that neyther of the ages is meete to be kept and also that whatsoeuer commeth of an olde stocke hath lightly a smack of his olde parentes imperfection and proueth eyther to be barraine or weake The selfe same Columella woulde haue the Ewes to be put to the Ramme after they had passed two yeere olde the Ramme to be of fiue yeere olde and after seuen to decay In many places at this day they suffer both the kindes to breede from two yeere olde tyll niene but before two yeeres it is not good to put eyther the Ramme or the Ewe to breede although in most places they suffer the Ewes at a yeere old The Ramme is put by his purpose by the Wyckers or Bulryshes tyed to the Ewes tayle but more commodiously by going in seuerall pastures howbeit they are not commonly seuered but sufferd to goe togeather The Rammes that you would haue to serue your Ewes must afore the blossoming be kept in good pasture for two monethes whereby they
it vp with the rinde of Wyllowe or Elme after this keepe them vp in the house a day or two and geue them warme water with a good quantitie of Barly flowre If the Quynsey or Vnula to which desease this beast is wonderous subiect chaunce to take them Dydimus woulde haue you let them blood behinde aboue the shoulders others vnder the tougâ—e some agayne cure them with settering If the kernells swell in the throate you must let them blood vnder the tongue and when they haue bledde rubbe their mouthes within with salte finely beaten Wheate floure Democritus woulde haue you geue to euery Sowe three pound weyght of the beaten roote of Daffadyll If they vomite and lothe their meate it is good to geue them before they goe abroade the shauinges of Iuory with fryed salte and ground Beanes Swyne whyle they feede abroade by reason of their great deuouring for it is an vnsatiable beast do wounderously labour with the abundance of the Splen for remedy wherof you shall geue them water as oft as they thyrst in Troughes made of â—amaryce the iuyce of whiche wood is very holsome for them Democritus teacheth to geue vnto Hogges that haue the Splen the water wherein the Coles of Heath haue been quenched This beast hath somtime a sicknesse wherin he pines away and forsaketh his mâ—ate and yf you bring him to the feelde he suddenly fallâ—th downe and lyeth as it were in a bead sleepâ— which as 〈◊〉 as you pâ—rcâ—iue you shall shuâ—â—e vp the hâ—ly heard in soâ—e house and make them to fast one day both from water and meate the nâ—xt day the roote of the wyld Coucumber 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 with water is geuen them to drinke wâ—â—ch aâ— soone as they haue taken they fall a vomitting and so purge themselues When they haue thus expelled theyâ— câ—â—ller you shall geue them hard Beanes strained with brine An exâ—elleâ—t 〈…〉 against all pestilence of Swyne doth Hieroâ—â—mus â—raâ—us teach which is when you see them infectâ—d â—o geue them the rootes of Polipodi or Oke Ferne boyled in wine whereby they shall purge what so euer is euyll from them and most of all choller wherewith Swyne are most troubled tâ—â— same Hieâ—â—n as I remember teacheth for a Horseâ— though it be without my commission to meddle with them â— If he be sicke and suddenly fall downe of a disease that you know not to put vnder his tongue a peece of a Ferne roote wherevpon you shall see him immediatly voyde vpward and downeward what so euer is in his body and presently amende this he sayth and truely I dare beleeue him that he prooued with a Horse of his owne But to my Swyne whereas thyrst in sommer is hurtfull and daungerous to all kind of cattell to this beast it is most hurtfull and therefore you must not water them as you doo Sheepe Goates but twyse or thryse a day but yf you can you must keepe them by the water side that they may go thereto at pleasure for the Swyne is not content with drinking but he must often coole and plong his filthy panch in the water neither delighteth he in any thing so muche as to wallowe in the durt And yf you haue no suche places neare you must draw some water from the Well and geue it them in Troughes abundantly for except they drinke their fyll they wyll fall sicke of the Loonges which disease is cured as Columella wryteth by thrusting the roote of Setterwort through their eares Plinie affirmeth the Tode to be a present remedie for the sicknesse of Swyne Some say that yf a Sowe lose one of her eyes she dyeth soone after otherwyse she liueth fyfteene yeeres There is a kinde of disease amongst Swyne though otherwyse they be healthy and fatte wherin their fleshe is all infected with little graines as bigge as Peason the Greekes call them Chalazos and we at this day measled Swyne which you shal soone perceiue by the sight of the tongue and the horsenesse of their voyce this disease they say is naturall vnto them from which you shal preserue them yf you nayle certaine places of lead in the bottome of their Trough You shall also keepe them from this disease yf you geue them to drinke the roote of Briony the general and common remedy is Allome Brimstone and Bay berries of eache alike adde therevnto a handful of Soote beate them all togeather and put them in a bagge which bagge you shall cast into their water when they drinke and renue it twyse in the yeere EVPH. I pray you EVMEVS doo not dissemble but tell vs truely how you doo to haue your Hogges so fatte I beleeue you are in the Barne sometime when you should not be EVMEVS What meanes soeuer I vse in ordring my flocke is not to my mauters losse no more then is your diligence wherby you bring your cattell to be so fayre I told you before that he was an vnthrifty husband that had his Bacon from the shambles and not of his owne prouision and besides my maisters the Phisitions geue great commendations to Hogs flesh in that it hath such a nearenesse agreement with our bodyes neither is there as I sayde before a beast that makes more dishes And therfore it is greatly for profite to haue the husbandmans kytchen well stored with Bacon wherwith he may sustaine his houshold al the whole yeere You shal easely though woods be wanâ—ing â—ind Barnes Marshes Corne feeldes to feede them with They wyll be fatte as Plinie supposeth in threescore dayes specially yf they be kept from meate three dayes before you feede them they are fatted with Barley Otes or other Corne or Pulse eyther geuen whole or ground but of all others best wâ—th Mast and that flesh is better and of more substance that is fed with Acorns then that which is fatted with eyther Bâ—â—â—â— mast or Chestnutte This beast wyll in time be so fatte as he wyl be able neyther to goe nor stanâ— Yea Varro telles that there was seene in Arcadia a Sowe so fatte that she was not only vnable to ryse but suffered a Mouse to make her nest in her body and to lay her young there The same Varro reporteth that there was sent to Volumius a Senatour of Rome a peece of Porke of two ribs that wayed three twentie pound the thicknesse of which Sowe from the skinne to the ribbe was one foote and three ynches Your best is to put to fatting your Swyne of two or three yeeres olde for yf they be younger their growing wyll hynder their seedyng To keepe your Bacon any long time you must vse great diligence in the saltyng and drying of it whereby you shall haue it both holsomer and sweeter and besides to continue diuers yeeres to serue the turne yf scarsitte happen Your Hogge being in this sort fatted you must shut vp and not suffer him to drinke the day before you kyll him whereby the fleshe wyl be the dryer
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