Chap. 6 1 3 . 'Englijh Herbs. 
995 
XXVII. T he Fonder of the Flowers. Given 
to a Dram in Barly Water, or Mead, or Honied 
Water, it prevails admirably agaioft the yellow 
Jaundice. 
XXV 1 U. The Pulp of ibe Seed. Given ro a 
Dram in an Ounce of Syrup of Wormwood ; 
it is faid to cure the Jaundice, gives eafe in the 
Colick, aad kill worms in the Stomach and 
Bowels. 
XXIX. Kota. Some Authors fay that the 
Seeds of Cnicus or Carthamus which are brought 
to us out of the Levant Countries are more 
quick in their Cathartick or purging Qualities, 
and more powerful in their Operation, than thofe 
which grow in England, or our more Northern 
Climates. 
XXX. As to its Vulnerary Vertue. It is very 
manifeft in its effects, being ufed either in its Pon- 
der , which may be conliantly given inwardly, and 
outwardly ftrewed upon the Sore ; Or , in its 
Tinl/ure, given inwardly daily, and wafhing the 
Wound with it-, Or in its b.xlrad, in like manner 
given, and applyed ; Or, in its Inf upon in Wine, or 
Wine and Water, Or in Syrup, inwardly and out- 
wardly ufed, by which it abforbs the acid parti- 
cles by which the Wound or Ulcer is kept open, 
and gently carries off the Recrements of the hu- 
mors, diverting them another way ; and for thefe 
very reafons, it is of Admirable ufe in Cure- 
ing Sores and Ulcers of the Kings-Evil, being 
ufed in the ways above-mentioned ; or thus. 
Take the Balfam of Peru, 4 Ounces : Ponder or 
LxtraS of Saff-flower 2 Ounce,s mix them. Out- 
wardly lay it upon the Sore or Ulcer: and in- 
wardly give it from half a Dram , to a Dram 
or more, according to Age and other Accidents, 
fo long as need requires. 
XXXI. The Culture of Saff- flower, or Cartha- 
mus. What we (hall fay to this IhalL be from a 
Letter of Henry Hall Efq; whofe Experience in 
the management thereof is worth Obfervation. 
This flower in my Opinion (fays he) is impro- 
perly called Saff or Zaff-flmner, for its Seed is 
the fame we call Carthamus, and is Cultivated 
after this following manner. The ground being 
prepared and made fine, ' the Seed is fowed in 
Kiils, as Peafe here about London ire molt ufu- 
ally ’fowed' 5, but this at a greater diftance, that 
with more conveniency it may be howed and 
cleanfed from the Weeds; befides it mult be 
Sowed very thin, for it is a itrong plant, and 
requires room to fpread, one Stalk producing Se- 
ven Ten, or Twelve Heads of Buttons , all which 
hear flowers. The exaft quantity of Seed ts an 
Acre (for want of my Notes) I dare not affirm ; 
but to the heft of my remembrance, it was a- 
bout five Pecks to an Acre. After ii is come 
up, about 6 inches in height, the ground mult 
be well cleanfed from Weeds ; from which after- 
wards, for the moft part, the plant defends its 
felf; but if once rifen, they mult be carefully 
weeded out; other looking to it needs not, un- 
til the Flower grows ripe, which is known by 
its color, for then ir will be of a deep Orange 
Tawney; it ripened here with us in the beginning 
of Auguft . _ 
XXXll. The Gathering of the Flower. Such 
hands as are dieapeft got , are made ufe of in 
this work, as Women and Children, who with 
little fpud knives, take out the Flower from the 
Buttons which they put into Baskets they carry 
on their left Arm, which when filled, they empty 
into other great Baskets, in which it is carried 
home to be cured. The ripeft of the Flowers 
mull firft be gathered ; the others will ripen fuc- 
celfively. The work may take up a Week or 
Ten Days, before all will be fit to gather. The 
planters thereof affirm, that the gathering the 
Flowers, does not impede the ripening of the 
Seed: but in this I am a. little doubtful, for 
fome Experiments I have made, have evinced to 
me the contrary. After the Flowers are gathered, 
the Seed ripens, which is known by the clea- 
ving of the Buttons, or fome other tryal. Then 
they cut the Plant, and allowing it time to dry, 
having bound it in (heaves and bundles, they 
houie it, and at convenient times Thraih ir. 
XXXIII. The Curing of the Flower. There is 
no other Ceremony in this, th3n the laying it 
on a clear Floor, where the Air may have a 
free Accefs; it is lay’d about 2 inches in Thick- 
nefs, and Itirred about 2 or 2 times a day, to 
accelerate the drying , and avoid Fermentation, 
which would fpoil the color of the Flower. In 
performance of this, I think a Stove would with 
more advantage, and quicker difpatch, prepare the 
Flower for packing, which when thorow dry they 
put into Canvafe Bags. 
XXXIV. A ota. i. Saff-Flower is a Drug which 
now ufualiy comes from Germany , and is chiefly 
Cultivated about Srrasburgh: here it is much ufed 
by Silk Dyers, who give a good price for ir, 
which encouraged a Gentleman of my Acquaint- 
ance, to procure fome Seed from thence, which 
he lowed in fome Grounds not far from him, 
with fo good fuccefs, that notwithllanding feveral 
Difcouragements he met with, he fent an Agent 
purpofely to get a confiierable parcel of Seed, 
which was difpofed of in feveral places. 
XXXV. Nota 2. Some fmall quantity of this 
Seed I got, to make fome experiments with ; but 
recommended for the fowing of a Quantity, a 
piece of Ground in the Valley of Everjham in 
Glocefderjhire , belonging to a Sifter of mine, who 
the year before had from this Ground a Crop 
of Wheat. The Ground was a mixt Sand, of 
about 15 (hill, per Acre value, and was then dref- 
fed as is ufual in that Country for Barley, only 
it had a Harrowing extraordinary, for the better 
and finer lying of it. This piece of Ground con- 
fiding of about 2; Acres, was taken for 2 years 
by an Adventurer in this Seed, at the Rate of 
2; Ihili. per Acre, in confideration that the plant 
is faid to be a great impoverifher of Land ; 
he fowed his Seed in April, and gathered the 
I lower in Auguft ; which having cured, was put 
into Bags and Sold at London, at Ten Pounds 
per Hundred Weight ; a price he faid, much be- 
low his Expectation ; but at that Rate we com- 
puted he might gain above 20 (hillings per Acre 
clear profit, all charges difeounted, excepting 
the price of the Seed. There was alfo a plen- 
tiful return of Seed , which had it been well 
managed would have amounted to a confiderable 
Value, perhaps as much as the flower , which 
for want of Experience was a little too timely 
gathered. This Field might yi^i by Eftimation 
140 Bufhels, for only fome parr of it was Thralht ; 
the refidue was put up in a Stack, in the open 
Air, but Thatch’t, to pieferve it from Wet. 
XXXVI. Kota. 2. What I have here writ, is 
from the relation of fome of the planters, and 
the perfon that Sowed the Ground here men- 
tioned and gathered the Flower. Now fince the 
fowing of this Seed, and propagating of the 
Plant, may arrive to a very great improvement 
if rightly managed, I will offer fome Experi- 
ments of my own, for the encouragement of this 
Plantation; and which feem to me ro Obviate 
the main Objections which have been made a- 
6 L 2 gainft 
