ouercharged it loatheth and spueth out euen that which otherwise it most desireth as it doth manifestly appeare in the stomacke of man wherin by ouergorging it self a Nausea doth presently ensue This is yet made more manifest in the art of dying where if in your blewes and greenes you worke with Indico or in Stammels Crimsons Carnations or Scarlets you worke with Greine or Kutcheneele the cloth when it hath receiued his glut of colour though neuer so often dipped after wil nothing at al exalt it selfe in beautie or richnes of colour euen so it fareth with corne after it hath imbibed so much liquor as it can well beare and brooke without breaking of the hull the is it time to dreine away the water and yet wee see that Pease though they bee steeped till they sprowt a little that they will grow notwithstanding I leaue the aduenturing of wheate and barlie so farre vnto them that list by often and manifold triall to search for the period of this practise Lastly for the better finding out of a true proportion betweene the corne and your liquor first put your corne in the vessell and adde so much of your fat liquor vnto it as will couer the same And if the corne drinke it vp then adde more liquor thereunto and the onely feare in this worke is least if you ouercharge your corne with water that the water will rather draw the strength from the corne then the corne draw strength from the water And thus I haue discouered the true vse of all imbibitions which haue hitherto been confirmed by some and condemned by others each seuerall man reporting according to his owne experience But the errours may from henceforth be easily preuented by a carefull obseruation of these few rules alreadie deliuered in as plaine and simple a maner as respecting the generall good which was the primum mobile of this Discourse I could possibly deuise or publish Heere I thinke it not impertinent to our purpose to set downe seuerall means for the enriching of ground the trials whereof by way of imbibition I referre to each mans patticular experience Sea Kilpes and sea Tangle and other sea weeds are found by experience to enrich both arable and pasture grounds exceedingly Shreds of woollen cloth strewed vpon pasture ground will bring forth grasse abundantly The dregs of beere and ale applyed to the rootes of trees and other smaller plants will make them flourish and prosper mightilie Seeds steeped in brine proportioned according to Sea water which consisteth of one part salte and eyghteene or twentie parts water wil in diuers grounds procure a good encrease The Soote of Chimnies both ingendred by Sea-coale as also by wood and charcoale in a very small quantitie worketh great effects this way There is a salte which the Petermen vpon the refining of their Peter doe separate from the Peter this salte if I be not deceiued is the salte purchased from the ashes vpon which the Petermen powre their foggie liquors to cleere them one worke vnles it be a great one doth not yeelde much aboue a bushell thereof weekely this salte I take to be a trew vegetable salte and therefore exceeding profitable either to be strewed vpon grounds to be mixed amongst the seede corne or for imbibition Shauings of horne vpon mine owne experience I must of necessitie commend by the meanes whereof I obtained a most flourishing garden at Bishops hall in a most barren and vnfruitfull plot of ground which none of my Predecessors could euer grace or beautifie either with knots or flowres I haue had the like experience with singular good successe by strewing the waste sope ashes vpon a border of sommer Barlie whereof three eares would haue counterpeized any fiue that euer came to my sight you may see a plentifull discourse of these sope ashes in my booke of husbandrie Some commend greatly the watering of ground presently after it is sowne with an artificial Brine consisting of an eyghteenth or twentith part of salte this is performed by a hogshed or some other such like vessell drawne vpon a sled hauing one of the heads boared full of small hoales like a watring pot The residence or grounds of the Oad fat serue also to enrich ground with Malte dust may heere also challenge his place for foure or fiue quarters thereof are sufficient for an acre of ground The hulles which are diuided from the Oates in the making of Oatmeale either in their owne present nature or being burnt to ashes make an excellent substance for enriching of ground Fearne either rotted to dung by a mixture of earth amongst it or consumed with fire into ashes maketh a singular soile to lay vpon barren and hungrie grounds When the Iron stone or oare is burnt those fine ashes that are sifted from the same doe proue a most excellent substance for the enriching of wet meadowes or Marish groundes especiallie such as are rushie slaggie or sedgie and will bring the same to a fine sweete grasse you shall finde the ground euery yeare better than other with a manifest and apparant difference betweene that parcell of your ground which you haue enriched therewith and all the rest of the same field both by the glorious greene colour which it carrieth and also by the delight of the cattell continuallie feeding thereon and refusing the other till that be spent There is plentie of this matter to be had in Sussex Essex Wales and such other shires wherein there hath been any long continuance of yron workes and those hils which consist of this matter are worth the breaking vp though they be auncient and haue lien long vncouered but the best and hartiest is that which hath been kept alwaies couered and defended from the raine this kinde of soyle is also good for wheate ground and three loades thereof are a sufficient proportion for one acre and if you intend the same for grasse you must spread it vpon the ground about alhallountide The light of this secret I receiued from a Yorkeshire Gentleman a man both of great gifts and great possessions who assured me of three yeares triall made by himselfe with very good successe whose opinion is that three loads thereof will enrich one acre of ground for seuen yeeres at the least Sal Armoniake being a volatile salt first incorporated and rotted in common earth is thought to be a rich molde to plant or set in quaere of steeping graine in water hauing a trew proportion thereof first dissolued in it but he that can proue so fortunate as to finde out the trew Sal Armoniake of mettall shall be able with small quantitie to worke great wonders in this kinde Dogges and Cats and other beastes and generally all carrion buried vnder the rootes of Trees in a due time will make them flourish and bring forth fruite in great abundance Here I cannot omit a strange secret deliuered by a Gentleman of good worth vnto mee euen before this worke was fullie perfected which I
The nevv and admirable Arte of setting of Corne With all the necessarie Tooles and other Circumstances belonging to the same the particular titles whereof are set downe in the Page following ADAMS TOOLE REVIVED Magnus Deus in minimis Imprinted at London by Peter Short dwelling at the signe of the Starre on Bredstreet hill 1600. The Contents of this Booke 1 How this inuention began 2 The reason why Corne doth shoote vp into so many eares rather by setting then sowing 3 The maner of digging and laying of the arable grounds in this new practise 4 The seuerall instruments for making the holes for the graine and couering them 5 At what depth and distance your corne must be set 6 Whether it be good to fill the holes with common earth and to prepare the seed before it be set 7 How to make choice of your seede corne 8 The difference of yeeld betweene the plough and the spade with some new addition to the plough The new found Arte of setting of Corne. CHAP. 1. How this inuention began HEere I maie rather probablie coniecture then certainly determine howe this new conceit in setting of graine began Happily some silly wench hauing a fewe cornes of wheate mixed with some other seed and being carelesse of the vvorke shee had in hand might nowe and then in steed of a Raddish or Carret seede let fall a wheate corne into the ground which after braunching it selfe into many eares and yeelding so great encrease gaue iust occasion of some farther triall Peraduenture the great and rich fertillitie that doth vsually happen in the setting of beanes and pease might stirre vp some practising wit or other to make the like experience in wheate and barley Or who knoweth whether that Enigmatical marriage betweene Bacchus and Ceres so closely couched in such figuratiue termes by Iohan. Baptista Porta in his Magia naturalis in the perclose of his title de nouis plantis producendis might giue some light vnto this new and late inuention of ours And lastly I haue beene credibly enformed that this manner of pricking in of corne hath by the publike impression of an ancient writer whose name I cannot yet obtaine euen in plaine and naked termes beene long since discouered and manifested to the view of each reader But it shall not greatly skill from whence this profitable deuise had his first beginning although for the honour of my countrie I could wish the same were fronted with the name and title of an English Authour and that as it hath pleased the great God of heauen in his vnspeakeable mercie and loue and in these times of dearth and penurie to offer a most plentifull encrease of our best nourishing Manna vnto vs so that wee may in all dutifull manner with one heart and voice together giue all thankes honour and praise vnto so great and bountiful a benefactor whose name is glorious in the heauens and whose mightie power extendeth it selfe ouer the face of the whole earth cui laus in saecula saeculorum Amen CHAP. 2. The reason why Corne doth shoote vp into so many eares rather by setting then sowing THe consideration hereof may well deserue to be handled in the second place in my opinion both quia turpe est Philosopho quidquam sine ratione proferre as Tully holdeth and also for that it is a principall motiue to stirre vp a number of drowsie wittes to the practise hereof who not as yet finding or conceiting any sensible reason for the same are rather content with the fly-bitten and leane iades to liue or starue vpon the bare common then by seeking out of better pasture to gather more flesh vpon their backes and to grow in better liking in the sight of all that shall behold them Such winter Corne then as is vsually sowne before or about Alhallownetide in my poore reason must of necessitie loose a great part of his generatiue vertue and radicall humiditie both by the extreme nipping of the colde Northren and Easterly winds and the bitter frosts and hayle together with the great aboundance of the colde rayny showers which in the VVinter season doe so plentifully attach and fall vppon the Grayne lying then eyther naked and bare to all weather or verie slenderly clothed with a poore and thinne garment not able suffientlie to defende the inwarde and secrete fire of nature from such outward and piercing enemies yea though it haue taken roote and gotten some head before this boysterous weather doe happen yet by reason that the roote is shallowe and hath taken so slender holde in the grounde eyther the inward Balsamum is washed awaie with moysture or nipped with extreme colde that it cannot possiblie send forth so manie spiring stalkes and eares as naturallie it would besides the earth being full of clods and not sufficientlie broken into a fyne moulde with the Plough the Corne cannot so easilie and plentifully by this attractiue nature drawe for his owne nourishment such store of that vegetatiue salt from the earth as it desireth the vertue and strength whereof is more at large handled in my Booke of husbandry printed Anno 1594. and in that learned discourse of M. Bernard Palissie in his Booke intituled Des eaux Fonteines But on the other side when as the cornes of wheate shall ly so deepe within their true and naturall bed euen their owne mothers belly the earth being made so hollow open with the spade whereby they may also draw sufficient nourishment at their pleasure then are all these outwarde and iniurious stormes of haile and raine so sufficiently defended by this armour of proofe as that the corne hauing his true and naturall putrifaction being not performed without the helpe of a kindly heate doth afterwards in his due season bring forth that infinite multiplication whereof we haue had so many and rich experiments of late farre beyond all the hopes and haruests of all our predecessors CHAP. 3. The manner of digging and laying of the arable grounds in this new practise WHen and how to digge weed or trench your grounds with the spade is a matter so triuial and well knowne already to euerie countrie Coridon as that I hold it not a fit subiect for a Scholers penne and therefore here I must referre you to those beaten pathes wherein euerie simple Gardener hath walked a long time onely the depth of digging and true laying of the ground seemes to be materiall in this our new kind of husbandry Some in this late practise by their experience commend the breaking vp of the ground a foote and a halfe deepe and some two foote and some but one foote but in my opinion since that three or foure or fiue inches at the most is a sufficient depth for the corne to lie in I see no reason but that eight or twelue inches more is a depth sufficient for the corne to roote in This being graunted then shall you haue this farther benefite ensuing that at the next breaking vp and
nec debito tempore seruntur destituunturque debito agricolarum opere vnde si his obuiabimus omnia ex voto succedent Semina enim prolixioribus radicibus implexis longè latéque sub tellure serpentibus numerosiores culmos deproment circumundique spicis vallatis Sponsa ergo suo viro ducatur non ex primis vel vltimis natis sed è medijs quia imbecilles sunt ac balneo secreta vnguētis delibuta pingui depasta caprarum veterum Vulcano Baccho associata cubile molle optimè stratum calefiat viuifico enim calore in amicam naturam coeunt dulcioribus amplexibus stringuntur haerent Sic animata viro semina non degenerem sed legitimam prolem donent Suo foecundo lumine Luna praesit nam ferax feracem reddit id restat praemonendum vxorem Baccho ducendam non capillis destitutam nam suo decore capite destituto spernitur à viro sponsa neque haberet quo noxia purgarentur sed solum cincinnis orbetur sic enim minus compta plus suo placebit viro Which for the better vnderstanding of such as are no Latinists I haue thought good to translate into our naturall language as followeth How by setting and planting of Corne or vines a great and plentifull encrease may be had That now at length according to mine own desire I may shut vp this booke of plantes with a most famous and renowmed conclusion I will heere declare how all kinde of corne and pulse together with the vines themselues shall recompence all our labours with great encrease A matter without all question of singular profite to receiue more then an hundred bushels for one But least I bee mistaken in this great proportion I would not haue any man to thinke that I doe heere set downe anie exact number of bushels from which nature can at no time varie for if the yeare the heauens and the ground it selfe together with the fatall influence of the starres doe all conspire together the number of our bushels will fall short but neuer so short but that they will by fiue degrees exceede the accustomed yeeld But if all these concurre and affoord their seuerall fauours then may we wel expect 150. bushels of one But this proud promise of ours may happily seeme a paradox vnto some vnto whom if they were of any sound sharpe iudgement it should rather seeme a greater paradoxe why halfe a bushell should not rather giue 200. hundred bushels againe when as we doe often see that one corne being set and well rooted doth stemme vp into diuers stalkes yea sometimes to the number of fifteene more or lesse each eare also containing threescore cornes within it I doe heere omit to speake of Bizatium that fruitfull ground of Africa whereof Plinie maketh mention where out of one corne foure hundred stalkes did braunch and the Gouernour of that place did also send to Nero 240. stemmes arising from one graine But let vs seeke out and hunt after the true reason hereof Some be of opinion that the cause why the same fertilitie doth not happen in our vsuall and ordinarie manner of sowing is for that a great part of the seede which is sowne is deuoured by the foules of the ayre by Moles wormes and other creeping creatures within the ground But this is manifestlie disproued in the sowing of Lupines whereas seldome we do reape little more or lesse then fifteene bushels for one although the same be so bitter a kinde of pulse that none of all these deuouring creatures will once touch it but lieth safe within his hose each codde containing much about an hundred graines some attribute the same vnto the heauens and the iniuries arising of heate colde and continuall showres of raine that doe often happen so as sometimes the grounds are benummed with frosts and sometimes parched with heat somtime they make a rich fertile shew and sometimes they wither and waxt barren but all this is easilie conuinced For that admitting that the heauens doe afford all their fauourable influences at once yet doe wee scarce obtaine at any time thirtie for one But now to come neerer to our purpose we doe affirme that each corne that is found within the eare is not apt to grow for God hath created some of them for the foode of liuing creatures and some for seede corne There be in euery eare certaine abortiue and bastardlie cornes which will neuer fructifie but become vtterly vnprofitable and in some eares there are cornes which are more beautifull to behold then the rest which nature hath ordained for propagation Besides all this the seed it selfe is not alwayes sowne by the husbandman in his due time neither hath it all his due rites and ceremonies perfourmed So that if we can meete with all these imperfections and errours then will all good successe follow according to our owne hearts desire For the rootes being large in spreading vnder the ground and each imbracing other in their manifold wreathings will thereby send forth a greater number of stemmes beset and garnished with eares on euerie side For the better accomplishment whereof let the bridegrome make choice of such a wife as is of the middle sort and not of the first or last borne because they are of a weaker constitution let them both goe into a warme bath and there annointing themselues with sweete ointment and with the fatte food of old Goates being mixed with Bacchus and Vulcan let their soft and euen layd bed bee gently warmed for by that viuifying heat they will vnite themselues in an amiable maner and bee knit and ioyned together in most sweet and louing imbracements and the seede being thus quickened by the powerfull heate of the man will in the end bring forth a kindly and no bastardly issue Let the Moone be predominant with her prosperous light for shee being fruitfull will also make the same to fructifie the better But yet I must admonish you of one thing more that such a wife as is fitte for God Bacchus must not bee bald and without haire for so wanting the due ornament of her head shee might happily be despised of her husband neither should shee haue whereat to purge her owne excrements onely let all curlings and perriwigs bee laid aside that so being the more retchlesse in her attire shee may seeme more pleasing and acceptable to her husband And what if all this mysticall marriage betweene God Bacchus and the Goddesse Ceres at the solemnization whereof onely Vuloan and Luna were present as though neither Saturne Iupiter Mars Sol Venus nor Mercury nor the rest of that celestiall crewe were neither worthie to dine nor daunce at the Wedding what I say if all this great mysterie or Magisterie of nature as Baptista Porta would haue it to appeare bee nothing els but a soking of corne in wine or in the new must thereof before it bee set Might not this without the prophaning of Nature or her
haue reserued for the conclusion of this title Hee assured mee of a gentleman at this present dwelling in Cornewall who being very industrious and searching into the workes of Nature would needes attempte the sowing of Wheate in his arable groundes being of such kinde nature and qualitie as was meerely repugnant and vnfit for that graine as the experience sell drawne vpon a sled hauing one of the heads boared full of small hoales like a watring pot The residence or grounds of the Oad fat serue also to enrich ground with Malte dust may heere also challenge his place for foure or fiue quarters thereof are sufficient for an acre of ground The hulles which are diuided from the Oates in the making of Oatmeale either in their owne present nature or being burnt to ashes make an excellent substance for enriching of ground Fearne either rotted to dung by a mixture of earth amongst it or consumed with fire into ashes maketh a singular soile to lay vpon barren and hungrie grounds When the Iron stone or oare is burnt those fine ashes that are sifted from the same doe proue a most excellent substance for the enriching of wet meadowes or Marish groundes especiallie such as are rushie slaggie or sedgie and will bring the same to a fine sweete grasse you shall finde the ground euery yeare better than other with a manifest and apparant difference betweene that parcell of your ground which you haue enriched therewith and all the rest of the same field both by the glorious greene colour which it carrieth and also by the delight of the cattell continuallie feeding thereon and refusing the other till that be spent There is plentie of this matter to be had in Sussex Essex Wales and such other shires wherein there hath been any long continuance of yron workes and those hils which consist of this matter are worth the breaking vp though they be auncient and haue lien long vncouered but the best and hartiest is that which hath been kept alwaies couered and defended from the raine this kinde of soyle is also good for wheate ground and three loades thereof are a sufficient proportion for one acre and if you intend the same for grasse you must spread it vpon the ground about alhallountide The light of this secret I receiued from a Yorkeshire Gentleman a man both of great gifts and great possessions who assured me of three yeares triall made by himselfe with very good successe whose opinion is that three loads thereof will enrich one acre of ground for seuen yeeres at the least Sal Armoniake being a volatile salt first incorporated and rotted in common earth is thought to be a rich molde to plant or set in quaere of steeping graine in water hauing a trew proportion thereof first dissolued in it but he that can proue so fortunate as to finde out the trew Sal Armoniake of mettall shall be able with small quantitie to worke great wonders in this kinde Dogges and Cats and other beastes and generally all carrion buried vnder the rootes of Trees in a due time will make them flourish and bring forth fruite in great abundance Here I cannot omit a strange secret deliuered by a Gentleman of good worth vnto mee euen before this worke was fullie perfected which I haue reserued for the conclusion of this title Hee assured mee of a gentleman at this present dwelling in Cornewall who being very industrious and searching into the workes of Nature would needes attempte the sowing of Wheate in his arable groundes being of such kinde nature and qualitie as was meerely repugnant and vnfit for that graine as the experience of the greatest part of the Countrie round about him did manifestly declare And this he performed onely by infusing his seede corne foure and twentie houres in a strong liquor that had descended from his muck-heape into a receptacle of bricke but he neuer infused his corne as I am informed till the liquor had been of two yeares date and he alwaies dried his corne before he sowed it quaere if in lesse time and without drying the same effects will not follow CHAP. 7. How to make choice of your seed corne SVch corne as is rubbed betweene ones hands out of the middle of the eare the vpper and neather part therof being first diuided I hold with Bap. Porta to be the most fruitfull seed of all the rest and that the hand though it bee a more labour-some worke doth performe this better than the flaile which maketh no diuision of the graine and yet bruiseth a great part thereof by the violence of the stroke But if your threshed wheat content you then is it best either to picke each corne by it selfe and so to diuide the good from the bad which is a fit worke for children and may the rather be endured for that so small a proportion of seed will serue to set an acre viz. 12. pintes thereof if each graine be at siue inches distance as some haue obserued or els to powre your corne into a tubbe of water stirring it vp and downe whereby the best and heauiest cornes will sinke to the bottome and the lightest graine will fleete and flote in the toppe which may easily be seuered I know no other meanes seruing for the choice of your seed corne sauing those which are so vsuall and common as that they deserue no place amongst new inuentions and therefore I do here aduisedly omit to touch or name them CHAP. 8. The difference of yeeld betweene the plough and the spade with some new addition to the plough HE that reapeth foure quarters of wheate out of one acre by his plough doth hold himselfe well contented as with a rich croppe which is eight at the least for one I know the greatest number do scarcely attaine seuen for one and many but six for one but if he haue ten or twelue for one then hee acknowledgeth himselfe to haue receiued an extraordinary fauour and blessing from the heauens yet because both happily and by credible report it is come to my hands I will heere set downe one rare experiment perfourmed this last yeare with the plough wherein no doubt the Actor did striue euen in the strength of his wit and spirit to make the best imitation which he could of the spade The ground hauing a naturall declining or descent by his owne scituation was first crosse ploughed with a very deepe cutting plough and then ploughed ouer the third time with a shallow plough that made very close narrow furrowes then was the seede sowne by a skilfull sower and then harrowed ouer and by this newe practise the owner obtained 15. quarters I dare not say 20. vpon each acre which hee sowed I doe not cite this strange admirable experiment either to ouerthrow the whole frame of my former worke by vndermining the foundation thereof or to hinder the labours of so many thousands of poore and distressed people which by digging and setting are like to be