Chap. 734 ’ ‘Englijh Herbs. .1253 
CHAP. DCCXXXIV. 
O/WHEAT Indian: 
O R, 
MAIZE. 
1, 'T' HE Names. We know no Greek Name 
X for it } but it is called in Latin, Erumentum 
Turcicum , Turky Wheat * Erumentum Indicum 
aliquorum , Cf Milium Indicum maximum : in Englijh , 
TurkyWheat , Indian Wheat , Indian and Maize, 
as the Wejl-lndians call it. 
II. The Kinds. We have but One Species there- 
of, but fome may account them Two, byreafon of 
their Magnitude , which I take to be rather from 
the Nature of the Soil ; a rich Soil affording a very 
large fort ; whereas a poor Soil gives you only a 
Dwarf kind of Plant : But there is a great Variety 
in the Colors of the Ears, fome being all White, 
fome all Yellow, fome all Red, and fome Blew. 
And again, fome Ears have Grains of all thofe Co- 
lors at once:, but this difference, we account makes 
no differing Species of the Plant. 
The Descriptions. 
III. Its Root is Thick and Bufhy , full of grofs 
f ibres or Strings , from whence fpring up feveral 
ftrong and tall Stalks,! fix or eight Ecet high , as 
thick as a Girls Wrifi , if it grows in any rank 
Ground , full of great Joints , with a white Spongy 
Pith inthe middle. The Leaves are long , twice as 
Wheat Indian: Or, Maiz e , 
White , Tellow, Red or Blew , as the Grams in ike 
Ears will prove. Thefe flowers fall away without 
any thing of an Ear fuccceding them : But zvhilft 
this flowering i r, come forth the Ears at the joints 
of the Stalks with the Leaves , from which in two 
or three of the lower Joints up, towards the Tops of 
the Stalks, One at a Joint, which have many Leaves 
enclofing them, and are fmallefi at the Top, with a 
fmall long Bujh of Hairs or Threads, hanging down 
at the Ends -, which when they are Ripe, are to be 
gathered. The Leaves enclofing the Ear being ta- 
ken away, the Head or Ear appears, much like to 
a long Cylinder ( not a Cone ) fet with 6 , 8, or 10 
rows of Grains, as large almoft as Peafe , and fome- 
times larger - not fully round, but flat on the /ides 
which join one to another, orderly and very clofely 
fet together , of the fame Color on the out fide as the 
Bloomings were, viz. either White, fellow. Red or 
Blew only, or of fome or all of thofe Colors together j 
the whole Grain is hard and brittle, its external 
Husk being very hard almoft like a Shell, but its in- 
ward Fulp, when grownd into Meal or flower, al- 
mofl as white as Snow which Grains when Chewed, 
are fomewhat dry, and not clammy in the Mouth , as 
our Wheat is. 
IV. The Places. It is faid to grow in Turky, 
and that it was firft brought from thence : It is 
true, that it is now univerfally Planted almcft all 
over the Weft Indies but it is certain, that it was 
not an aborigine of thofe Countries ; but was firft 
carried thither by Europeans. It requires to be 
Planted in a rich and fat Ground, as Millet does; 
for a poor lean Soil, makes but a poor fort of Corn. 
It has been Planted in our Gardens in England, and 
in very hot Summers has come to perfe&ion with us. 
V. The Times. It is Sown in the Spring, in 
March and April -, and the Grain is for the moil 
part ripe in July and Augufi. 
VI. The 'Qualities . It is Temperate in refpefl 
to Heat or Cold, and dry in the firft Degree, Ab- 
fterfive, and very nourifhing. 
VII. The Specification. It cleanfes the Stomach, 
Bowels, Reins, and Urinary Paffages ofTartarous 
Mucilage ; infomuch, that it is faid to be very ef- 
fectual to hinder the breeding of the Stone. It alfo 
nourilhes well, with a thin and Abfterfive Nutri- 
ment, and reftores in Confumptions. 
VIII. The Preparations. In the Weft Indies there 
is made thereof, 1 . The boiled Grain or Maize. 
2. Pultage. 3. Homine. 4. Bread, Cakes, Pud- 
dings. 5. Parched Corn. 6 . ACataplafm. 7. The 
whole Grain. 
The Virtues. 
IX. The boiled Grfln or Maize. The Corn is 
firft fteeped a little in warm Water , then beaten in 
a wooden Mortar with a wooden Peftle , till all the 
external hard Hull is beaten off-, then it is boiled 
in Water till the Grain is perfectly foft and burft in 
the boiling, and becomes almoft like to our boiled 
Difh Wheat. They Eat it being feafoned with Salt, 
by mixing with it Butter, or Milk, Cream or Wine, 
and Sugar, it admirably nourifhes and ltrengthens, 
and makes the Country Man able to go thro’ La- 
bour and Bufinefs. 
X. Pultage. The Grain is freed from the exter- 
nal hard Hull as aforefaid : then being dryed in the 
Sun, it is grownd in a Mill to Meal, which being 
Sifted , and boiled in Water till it is M', is 
yet mote boiled, till it becomes of the confi fiance of 
a thin Hafiy Pudding. It is Eaten as the former 
boiled Grain, with Butter, Salr, Milk, Cream, or 
Wine and Sugar, and has the fame Effects in nou- 
rifhing and {Lengthening thofe that Eat jt. 
XI. Homine,. 
