Maison rustique, or The countrey farme· Compyled in the French tongue by Charles Steuens, and Iohn Liebault, Doctors of Physicke. And translated into English by Richard Surflet, practitioner in physicke. Now newly reuiewed, corrected, and augmented, with diuers large additions, out of the works of Serres his Agriculture, Vinet his Maison champestre, French. Albyterio in Spanish, Grilli in Italian; and other authors. And the husbandrie of France, Italie, and Spaine, reconciled and made to agree with ours here in England: by Geruase Markham. The whole contents are in the page following

CHAP. XXIII.

Of Onions, Chibols, and Chy••es.

FOr the most part, Onions (so called of the French, because they haue but onely one white root, like to a pearle; which the Latines call Vnio whether they be white, red, or round, would be sowne in Ianuarie, Febru∣arie, and March, in a fat ground, well dunged, blacke, well turned, as also well cleansed from stones, and enriched: or else in a red earth, which is short and murlie; for in it they grow excellently. They would be remoued in Aprill all along, well weeded, and often laboured, to cause them to grow great and thicke: and they must be kept from cold and freezing winds. In them we must obserue a nature contrarie vnto that of other Hearbes and Plants, being of great•••• force and vertue in the encrease of the Moone than in the decrease, quite conrarie to that of Onions, which in the wane of the Moone is more effectuall, and in the growth of the Moone more drie and weake. Such as are intended to be kept for seed, when they begin to put forth their stalke, and to rise aloft, must haue small s••ickes or poles to set by them and keepe them vpright, that the wind doe not bow or breake them downe. They must be gathered in the old of the Moone, in faire and drie weather, when the leaues begin to drie, and the seed to grow blacke, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 then you must pull vp the whole stalkes, and drie them in the Sunne: And it is said, that if they be sowne and planted when the Moone is vnder the earth, they tast the stron∣ger, but are smaller and lesse: Furthermore, they must be ordered as Leekes. But i•• must be obserued, that they loue and delight in a red earth, and to be sowne in faire weather, in the decrease of the Moone, to be taken vp againe, and by and by watered: and for to make them grow great, they must haue their top taken away when they are planted, and their heads vncouered, and their earth must be digged twentie daies before they be remoued againe, that so it may drie, and not haue anie moisture in it. And to keepe Onions from rotting, you must cast them into warme water, and drie them in the Sunne, and after that they are drie, to lay them vpon Barly straw, so as they may not touch one another. Who so would make choice of Onions, must know, that the round and white ones are a great deale better than

those of a rus••etish or reddish colour, and not to be so hot and sharpe as the other. The best in France are those which grow at Fertlonion, a small village neere vn•••• Estamps, for it hath his name vpon that occasion.

The Onion, though it be the Countrey mans meat, is better to vse than to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for he that eateth euerie day tender Onions, with Honey, to his breakfast, shall liue the more healthfull, so that they be not too new: for the drie are more healthfull 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the greene; the boyled, than the raws; the preserued, than the drie: wherefore the drie must be chosen to vse in Salads, fried Meats, Gallymawfries, baked Meats, Saw∣ces, Beane pottage, and other vses.

The iuice of Onions causeth haire to grow againe, cleanseth filthie ••ares, and such as runne with mattar; taketh away white spots, as well out of the face, as from the rest of the bodie: It cureth the Dropsie with the iuice of Fennell, if it be but beginning: it purgeth the braine through the nosthrils: mingled with Hennes grease it dryeth vp the Kibes: applyed with a linnen cloth vnto burnings, it easeth and take•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the paine: being mixt with strong vineger, it stayeth bleeding at the nose, if it be dropt and put into the nose with a feather.

An Onion rosted vpon hot coales, and eaten with Sugar, Oyle, and a little Vi∣neger, doth cure the Cough, and is good for them that are stopped or stuffed in their Lungs, and such as are short breathed. Take away the heart of an Onions, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it with Cummin seed powdred, stop the hole, and rost the Onion thus prepared ••••∣der hot ashes, when it is rosted, strayne it out, this iuice is singular good for the noyses and deafenesse of the eares, being dropped into them. The thicke ri••de of the Onion burned or rosted vnder hot ashes, assuageth old Head-ach and Me∣grams, if you put in little morsell, moistened or besprinkled with Oyle of Roses and Bayes, within the eare of that side of the head that aketh.

An Onion stamped with fresh Butter, easeth the paines of the Hemorrhoids: stamped with Honey and Salt, it is a soueraigne remedie for the biting of a mad dogge, and other such like beasts: mingled with Hennes grease, it taketh away the red and blew spots of the face: boyled in Wine, or in Water, and afterward stamped and fried in common Oyle, and applyed in forme of a Cataplasme vnto the Nauell, it assuageth the throwes of Women newly brought in bed: rosted vp∣on hot coales, and mixed with Leauen and Oyle of Lillies, it ripeneth Impo∣s••umes. Take away the heart of the Onion, fill the hollow place with Tracle or Mithridate, dissolued and beat with the iuice of Citrons, stoppe vp the hole againe with the Cap or vpper Crust which you cut of••, rost all together vnder the hot ashes, and that so long, as vntill all be well incorporated and drencht in, afterward strayne the Onion so rosted, and giue that which shall be strayned to drinke to him that is infected with the Plague, and cause him by and by to lye downe, and to be well couered, to the end that he may sweat. This Medicine hath not his match against the Plague, prouided that the sweat breake forth by and by.

As for Chibols and Chyues, they come more neere vnto the nature of Onions (as by the smell one may well perceiue) than vnto the nature of Leekes, which they nothing resemble, saue onely in the blade or stalke, and in that they haue no head. They must be sowne in the Spring, as other hearbes, in the same ground with the Onion: They are verie pleasant in Salads, to temper the coldnesse of other cold hearbes.

Notes

• To keepe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from r••tting.
• To make cho••ce of 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• The vertues of 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• Dropsie.
• Kibed heeles.
• The biting of a ••ad dogge.
• Red spots.