co6 The Kitchen Garden. 



the boyled ftalkes, and a little honey and Almond milke, is very profitable 

 for fhortneffe of breath, and thofe that are entering into a Confumption of 

 the lunges. It hath beene formerly held to be helpefull in all difeafes : for 

 Crifippus, an ancient Phyfitian, wrote a whole Volume of the vertues, ap- 

 plying it to all the parts of the body : which thing neede not feeme won- 

 derfull, in that it is recorded by writers, that the old Romanes hauing ex- 

 pelled Phyfitians out of their Common- wealth, did for many hundred of 

 yeares maintaine their health by the vfe of Cabbages, taking them for eue- 

 ry difeafe. 



CHAP. XXXVIII. 

 Sifarum. Skirrets. 



AFter all the herbes before rehearfed, fit for fallets, or otherwife to bee eaten, 

 there muft follow fuch rootes as are vfed to the fame purpofe : and firft, Skir- 

 rets haue many leaues next the ground, compofed of many fmall fmooth green 

 leaues, fet each againft other vpon a middle ribbe, and euery one fnipt about the edges : 

 the ftalke rifeth vp two or three foote high, fet with the like leaues, hauing at the toppe 

 fpoakie tufts of white flowers, which turne into fmall feede, fomewhat bigger and 

 darker then Parfley feede : the rootes be many growing together at one head, beeing 

 long, (lender, & rugged or vneuen, of a whitifh colour on the outfide, and more white 

 within, hauing in the middle of the roote a long fmall hard pith or firing : thefe heads 

 are vfually taken vp in February and March, or fooner if any fo pleafe, the greater 

 number of them being broken off to bee vfed, the reft are planted againe after the 

 heads are feparated, and hereby they are encreafed euery yeare by many ; but it is now 

 adayes more fowen of the feed, which come forwards well enough if the ground be 

 fat and good. 



The Vfe of Skirrets. 



The rootes being boyled, peeled and pithed, are ftewed with butter, pep- 

 per and fait, and fo eaten ; or as others vfe them, to roule them in flower, 

 and fry them with butter, after they haue beene boyled, peeled and pithed : 

 each way, or any way that men pleafe to vfe them, they may finde their tafte 

 to be very pleafant, far beyond any Parfnep, as all agree that tafte them. 



Some doe vfe alfo to eate them as a fallet, colde with vinegar, oyle, &c. 

 being firft boyled and dreffed as before faid. They doe helpe to prouoke v- 

 rine, and as is thought, to procure bodily luft, in that they are a little windy. 



CHAP. XXXIX. 



Pajlinaca fatiua latifolia. Parfneps. 



THe common garden Parfnep hath diuers large winged leaues lying vpon the 

 ground, that is, many leaues fet one by another on both fides of a middle ftalk, 

 fomewhat like as the Skirret hath, but much larger, and clofer fet : the ftalke ri- 

 feth vp great and tall, flue or fix foot high fometimes, with many fuch leaues thereon at 

 feuerall ioynts ; the top whereof is fpread into diuers branches, whereon ftand fpoa- 

 kie rundles of yellow flowers, which turne into brownifh flat feede : the root is long, 

 great and white, very pleafant to bee eaten, and the more pleafant if it grow in a fat 

 fandy foyle. 



There is another fort of garden Parfnep, called the Pine Parfnep, that is not com- 

 mon in euery Garden, and differeth from the former in three notable parts. The root 

 is not fo long, but thicker at the head and fmaller below ; the ftalke is neither fo bigge, 



nor 





