VOL. XII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 423 



II. The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier,* Baron of Aubonne, 

 through Turkey, into Persia and the East Indies. London, 1678, in fol. 



Some observations have before been cited out of this book ; and no further 

 account of it is now necessary. 



On ' the Culture or Planting and Ordering of Saffron. By the Hon, Charles 



Howard. N° 138, p. 945. 



Saffron heads planted in a black rich sandy mold, or in a mixed sandy land, 

 between white and red, and only moderately rich, yields the greatest plenty of 

 saffron. — Plough the ground in the beginning of April, and lay it very smooth 

 and level. — About three weeks or a month after, spread upon every acre 20 

 loads of rotten dung, and plough it in. — At Midsummer plough it again, and 

 plant the saffron-heads in rows 3 inches distant from each other every way, and 3 

 inches deep. — Observe this order in planting of whole fields, whereby the heads 

 will lie every way 3 inches square from each other. Only paths or shallow 

 trenches are to be left 2 or 3 yards asunder, which serve every year to lay the 

 weeds to rot that are to be weeded and pared off the ground. 



As soon as the heads begin to shoot or spear within the ground, which is 

 usually a fortnight before Michaelmas, hoe or pare the ground all over very 

 thin : and rake lightly all the weeds and grass very clean, lest it choak the 

 flowers, which will soon after appear ; and are then to be gathered, and the 

 saffron to be picked and dried for use. — In May the saffron-grass will be quite 

 withered away; after which, the weeds and grass produced may be cut or mowed 

 off from time to time to feed cattle till about Michaelmas, at which time the 

 heads will begin to spear within the ground. — Then hoe, pare and rake the 

 ground clean as before, for a second crop. And the like directions are to be 

 observed the next year for a third crop. 



The Midsummer following dig up all the saffron-heads, and plant them again 

 in another new ground, ordered as aforesaid, wherein no saffron has been 

 planted, at least not within seven years. — ^The flowers are to be gathered as 

 soon as they come up, before they are full blown, whether wet or dry. — Pick 

 out the sheaves clean from the shells or flowers, and sprinkle them two or three 

 fingers thick, very equally on a double saffron-paper. Lay this on the hair- 



• John Baptist Tavernier, a noted French traveller, was born at Paris in l605. He visited Turkey, 

 Persia, and the East Indies six times j and on the seventh journey, in l689, died at Moscow, being 

 84 years of age. He had acquired a great fortune by trading in jewels, and was ennobled by Lewis 

 the 14tli. His affairs however, in the latter part of his life, fell into bad condition, by the mis- 

 management of his nephew, to whom they were entrusted. His travels have been published in many 

 forms and languages. They amount to 6 volumes in 12mo« 



