I860.] BUCK-WHEAT OR BEECH-WHEAT, 309 



about fern-seed^ and several sauntering stories feigned concern- 

 ing its collection on St. John's eve, which are mere trumpery. 

 I believe all herbs have seeds in themselves to produce their 

 kind (Gen. i. 11, 12) ; for both the Desche and Heseb, that is the 

 grass and the herb, have seed. The word Desche is from the 

 root Duscha, which signifies to bud or sprout (Joel ii. 22), which 

 seems to imply in it all kind of herbs ; the provender of the wild 

 ass (vi. 5) and the maintenance of the kind (Jer. xiv, 5) : the 

 heifers at grass grow fat (Jer. 1. 11) ; and as the sacred text is 

 the only divinity, so it is the best philosophy, and does assert 

 seed in plants, to which modern discoveries agree." S. B. 



Buch-ivheat or Beech-wheat. 



" Of the like disposition almost is Buck or Beech Wheat, 

 unknowne to our old fathers. It is called (fia<yo7rvpov, Beech- 

 wheat, or ixekaixirvpov, Black- wheat, though fxekafji^pov signi- 

 fieth another graine. I had rather call it Beech-wheat, because 

 the graiue thereof is three-cornerd, not unlike the beech-mast 

 both in colour and forme, differing only in the smalnesse. The 

 stalke is very great, and straked like to the greater Fearne : it 

 hath many branches, with a bushy top, a great sort of white 

 flowers in a knop, like the flower of Elder : it flowreth long 

 together, and after appeareth the graine, first white and green- 

 ish, in shape three-cornerd. After they be ripe, the colour 

 changeth to blacke or brownish, like a Chesnut. This graine 

 hath not long since bene brought from Russia and the north- 

 ern parts in Germanic : now it is become common, and used 

 for fatting of dogs, and serueth the common people in deare 

 seasons, to make bread and drink withaU. It may be sowede in 

 any grounds, and is so wen in April, May, and in June, after the 

 reaping of rape-seed. You must sowe lesse of it upon an acre 

 by a fourth part then of Wheat or Hie. It is much used to be 

 sowed upon where Rapes grow, whereby the ground doth yeeld 

 a double crop in one year. V/hen it is sowen, it commeth up, 

 if it be moist weather, within foure or five dayes after, having 

 two leaves at the first appearing, not much unlike to Purslaine." 

 — Barnaby Goorge his Husbandrie, p. oO a. 



