PTERIS AQUILINA. 257 
together, one after an other, upon the vigill of Saynt 
Johne the Baptiste (which we call in Englishe myd- 
somer even), sough te for this seede of Brakes upon the 
nyghte, and in dede I fownde it earlye in the mornynge 
before the daye brake; the sede was small, blacke, and 
lyke unto Poppye. I gathered it after this maner: I 
laide shetes and wollen leaves underneath the Brakes, 
which receyved the sede that was by shakynge and 
beatynge broughte oute of the branches and leaves. 
Manye Brakes in some places had no sede at all, but in 
other places agayne a man shall fynde sede in every 
Brake. I went aboute this busyness all figures, con- 
jurynges, saunters, charmes, wytchcrafte, arid sorseryes 
sett a syde, taking with me two or three honest men to 
bere me companye. When I soughte this sede all the 
villagers aboute did shy ve with bousyers, that the people 
made there." 
We have more fully narrated the old superstitions 
relative to "Fern seed" at pp. 158 161. We will 
now turn to more profitable matter the uses to which 
Brakes are applied. These are well epitomised by 
Mr. Lightfoot as follows : 
" The root is viscid, nauseous, and bitterish, and, like all 
the rest of the Fern tribe, has a salt mucilaginous taste. 
It creeps under the ground in some rich soils to the depth 
of five or six feet, and is very difficult to be destroyed. 
Frequent mowing in pasture grounds, plentiful dunging in 
arable lands, but, above all, pouring urine upon it, are the 
most approved methods of killing it. It has, however, many 
good qualities to counterbalance the few bad ones. Fern 
cut while green, and ,left to rot upon the ground, is a good 
