The eigiiteenth Booke of 



As for Tragum, it is akind of Ptifane, made of 'VVheatj after the fani^! order that the for- Q 

 mer of Barley. HowbeiCjthereisnoneof ittobcefoiindbuc in^gyptand Campaine. Tou- 

 ching Starch- flower called Amykim, it may be made of all kinds ofvyheatjand of the fine corne 

 Siligo,/. Winter wheaf.biit the ptincipall isthac which they make of tlie ihrce-mbnth or Sum- 

 mer wheat. Wee are beholden to the Ifland Chios for the invention of Starch :and even at this 

 day, the very bcft is that which commeihfrom thence : called it is in Grcckc Amylum, becaiife 

 it never came into the mill, nor was ground upon ftones. 'The next to it in goodncfie, iimade 

 oi a cettaine Summer wheat that is nothing ponderous and wcightie . The way to make it, is 

 to ftcepe the wheat within certaine cooperie veflcls made of woodj in frefh water fo much as will 

 cover it well* Butitwouldnotbec forgotten^ that the water muft bee chaunged five times in a 

 day : and if it were fb ferved alfo in the nighty it would bee thebctterj to the end, that beeing j| 

 thusfoaked andfoftened, it might bee well mixed and incorporated, yea^ and rcfolved (asic 

 were) into a kind ofpaft, before thatitbecomefoure and bitter. Thisbeingdone^itmuft bee 

 laid to drie either upon linnen cloths^or elfe in twiggen paniers, that the liquor which is there- 

 in may draine away : afterwards upon tilesj befoeared over with fome leaven, it is poured forth 

 to take the Sunne, to drie and harden againftit. After the Ghian Starch, that of Candie is 

 moft efteemed and liked of: and kftly, that which commeth out of Mgypu The good Starch 

 ought to bee hghtjfmoothj and evenj and withallj ft efn made: for thole properties haihC///^ 

 fct downe alreadie. 



To returne againc unto our Barley : the meale thereof is of great ufc here with us in Phy- 

 ficks ..And that which moreis^ a fhaungeeffeaitworkediin Horfcs, Alfcs^ and fuchiike la- 

 bouring beaib : for take Barley when it is dried and hardened at the fire, grind it to meale, I 

 reduce itimoa pafte, and make thereof gobbets : let thelebee put downe by a mans hand 

 into their beilie, after the manner of erammingPullen,and you ftail foone fee, that this food 

 and manner of feeding, (hall make the beafts more flrong and lufhejandtheit flelli morefaf^ 

 andcompaft* 



As for Barley cares, fome there bee wliich have but two rankcs or rcwes : others againc 

 have more, even to the number of fixe. Iti the verijC grainealfo there is much difference ; foe 

 thcrebce many of them longer than other,,] ight^ri fi^pjrter, rounder, whiter, blacker, and hi\ 

 cf all, enclining to a reddifb or purple coloui . 7 his is the worff of all others for to make drie 

 Grout or Polenta : and as for the white, it is bcft for that purpofe, but will not abide any lenv . 

 pefiuous or hard weather . And to fay a truth, of all corne. Barley is the foftefl and tendcreil, K 

 and will leaf^ endure any ha rdnefTe : It would not beefbwed, but in a drie and fine ground, laid 

 light, and brought into temper: howber, good it muft bee, and well in heart. ThechafTe and 

 pugs that come of Barley, is fuppofed to bee as good as the beft : but for ffraw is hath no fel- 

 low, eipecially to make litter of . Moreover, in tins regard. Barley of all other graine, is leaft 

 fubjed. unto blaif ing, for lighdy it is cut downe before that Wheat is mieldewed . And there- 

 fore it is, That the wiferfortof Husbandmen in ihecountrey, fow no: more Wheat than will 

 ferve for the provifion of their houfc oncly . Furthermore, they fay,that Barley is fowcd with 

 the rake, namely, wiien the mould liglitly covereth it : and therefore it commeth up foonefl", 

 and bringethmoflencrcafeand plentie. That which is gathered at Carthage in Spaine^ within £ 

 the moneth of Apriil, isfowed the veriefamemoncth in Cekibetia, fo as in oncyeare it ycel- 

 dethtwo crops . It is nofooner ripe, buttheymakegreaterhaiito cut it downe, and to inncir, 

 than any other corne : for the flraw is veric brittle, and the huske which containcth thegrainc 

 is as thin and fmali. To conclude, it is thought to yceld the better groats if it be taken whiles it is 

 fopcwhat greenCjrathcr than if it (hould have the f ull ripeneffe. , 



Chap, vin, .i 



f f« Tht kinds of Wheat dr TmrmentU' tome grow no fw differently m eve-^ "''^ 

 rie f lace .K^lfijOj other forts bfcornein'the Lcvnn^^ • 



YOlifhall nor^odin all plates itHc-famc kinds of Wheat; artdiwhcrc you mdct with the ve- 

 ry fame, yet they beare not one name^b Ut have fundrie appellations. The red bearded whea? 

 named in LatineEarj and which in old time they called Adoret^m j the winter wheat Siligo, and 



