SAFFRON: ITS HISTORY, CULTIVATION AND USES. 65 



new ground which is a great advantage and it will floure eight or ten daies 

 together, but the best Saffron is gathered at the first at which time four pounds 

 of wet Saffron will go verie neere to make one of drie; but in the middest of five 

 pounds of the one will make but one of the other because the chive waneth smaller, 

 as six at the last will do no more but yeild one of the dried, by reason of the 

 chive which is now verie leane and hungrie, after twentie yeeres also the same 

 ground may be set with Saffron againe, and in lieu of a conclusion take this for 

 a perpetual rule, that heads comming out of a good ground will prosper best in a 

 lighter soile; contrariwise: which is one note that our Crokers do carfulie observe." 



The author goes on to state that the corms are taken up every third yean 

 after midsummer. The first years crop is the smallest though producing the best 

 quality of Saffron. In the third year the corms throw off from three to six other 

 "headlets" or young corms, and from the rapid increase the young corms are worth 

 but from five shillings and two-pence to ten shillings a quarter of eight bushels. 



In Norfolk and Suffolk the corms are taken up but once in seven years though 

 the quality of the Saffron is not so good as that of Essex. "Such also was the 

 plentie of Saffron about twentie yeeres passed that some of the townsmen of Walden 

 gave the one halfe of the floures for picking of the other, whilest the rest not 

 thankful for the abundance of God's blessing bestowed upon them (as wishing more 

 scarsitie thereof because of the keeping up of the price) in most contemptuous 

 manner murmured against him, saieng that he did slite Saffron wherewith to choke 

 the market. But as they showed themselves no lesse than ingrat infidels in this 

 behahlfe, so the Lord considered their unthankfulnesse and gave them ever since 

 scarsitie as the greatest murmurers have now the least store, and most of them 

 are either worne out of occupieng or remain scarce able to mainteine their grounds 

 without the help of other men. But to proceed, when the heads be raised and 

 taken up they will remaine sixteen or twenty days out of the earth and are planted 

 again by St. James-tide or verie shortlie after." 



"The Crokers or Saffron men do use an observation a litle before the coming 

 up of the fleure and sometime in the taking up at Midsummer tide by opening 

 of the heads to judge of plentie or of scarsitie of this commoditie to come, for 

 if as they see as it were manie small harie veines of Saffron to be in the midst 

 of the bulbe they promise a fruitfull yeare." 



The adulteration of Saffron with candle-grease and butter is next referred to, and 

 these details are followed by particulars respecting its multitudinous medicinal uses. 

 "Therefore our Saffron (besides the manifold use that that it hath in the kitchen 

 and pastrie, also in our cakes at bridals and thanksgivings of women) is very 

 profitably mingled with those medicines which we take." 



No definite information exists as to the date of the introduction of the Saffron 



K 



