Lib. i. 
Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 
8? 
5 [ The time. 
It is fovven inthefe countries in Marchand Apriil,and the fruit is ripe in September. 
5 [ The names. 
f T urky wheat is called of fome Frumentum T urcicim, and Milium Indicttm ,as alfo MaiTum apd 
Maiz, or Mays. It in all probabilitievvas vnknowne to the antient both Greekeand Latine Au- 
thors. In Englifh it is called Turky come, and T urky wheat. The Inhabitants of America and 
the Iflands adioymng,as alfo of the Eaft and Weft Indies, do call it Mats : the Virginians Para 
tern. 6 5 ^ 
5] Thetemferature and vertues. 
Turky wheat doth nourifh far lelfe than either wheat, rie, barley, or otes . The bread which is 
made thereof is meanly white, without bran : it is hard and dry as Bisket is, and hath in it no dam- 
mineffe at all ; for which caufe it is of hard digeftion, and yeeldeth to the body little or no nou- 
rilhment •, it flowly defeendeth, and bindeth the belly, as that doth which is made of Mill or Pa- 
nick. We haue as yet no certaine proofe or experience concerning the vertues of this kinde of 
Corne ; al though the barbarous Indians, which know no better, are conftrained to make a verrue 
ofneceflitie,and thinke it a good food : whereas we may eafily iudge,that it nourifheth but little 
and is of hard and euill digeftion, a more conuenient food for fwine than for men. 
Chap. 6i. OfTurkte Millet. 
Sorghum. 
Turky Millet. 
times make bread hereof, but it is brittle 
vieth to fatten hens and pigeons with, 3 
51 The defeription. 
T Vrky Millet is a ftrangerin England.lt hath 
many high ftaIkes,thicke,and"jointed com- 
monly with fome nine ioynts, befet with 
many long and broad leaues like Turky Wheat; 
at the top whereof groweth a greatand large tuft 
or eare like the great Reed. The feed is round and 
fharpe pointed, of the bigneffe ofa Lentill/ome- 
times red, and now and then ofa fuller blacke co- 
lour. It is faftned with a multitude of ftrong {len- 
der roots like vnto threds :the whole plant hath 
the forme of a Reed .- the ftalkes andeares when 
the feed is ripe are red. 
% The place. 
It ioyeth in a fat and moift ground : it groweth 
in Italy, Spaine, and other hot regions. 
The time. 
This is one of the Sommer graines, and is ripe 
m Autumne. 
_ ... f The names. 
The Millanois and other people of Lombard y 
call it Melegua, and Melega : in Latine, Melica : in 
Hetnma,Saggi»a .■ in other places ofltal y, Sorgho: 
in Portugal, Milium Sdurrum „• in Englilh.Turkv 
Mill, or Turky HirfTe. 
$ This feemes to be the CMilium which was 
brought into Italy out of India,inthe reigne of 
the Emperour Nero : the which is deferifi'ed by 
Pliny Jib. i2.cap.-y. £ 
5J The temperature and vertues. 
The feed of T urky Mill is like vnto Panicke in 
tafte and temperature.The country People forne- 
andoflittlenourifhmcnt, and for the moft part it fer- 
