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. LX.

Of remedying of strange accidents that may happen vnto Hearbes.

THe Hearbes either sowne or planted in the gardens before spoken of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not hurt onely by haile,* 1.1 lightning, thunder, frosts, fogges, blash••••••, and other harmes hapning by the courses of seasons, but also they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 annoyed, by reason of wast and destruction brought vpon them 〈◊〉〈◊〉 little beasts, as Grashoppers, Weazles, Caterpillers, house and field Rats, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Moules, Pismires, Flies, Gnats, Bats, Wall-lice, Fleas, Greone-flies, Horse-〈◊〉〈◊〉, Frogges, Snailes, Adders, and such like, which mischiefes you must be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 full to meet withall, that so you may not loose your labour about your garden, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 frustrated both of the profit and pleasure that might rise and come thereby. And to speake generally of the preuenting of these inconueniences, it is good, ac••ording to the counsell of Columella, to steepe the seeds for a certaine time in the juice of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 madame, or to mingle with the said seed some ••oot, or else to water them with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wherein soot hath beene tempered: but it is better to speake of these things p••••∣ticularly.

Generally against all such beasts as doe hurt gardens, it is good to 〈…〉〈…〉

place of the Garden as where you thinke these beasts doe most abound and keepe, the paunch of a Sheepe, full of dung, as it commeth out of the Sheepes belly, and to couer it with a little earth, and within two daies you shall find all these beasts gathe∣red together into this place: before you haue done thus twice or thrice, you shall be prouided of the meanes to kill and root out all these 〈◊〉〈◊〉: know then, in a word, what be the necessarie remedies for the auoiding of such accidents.

Against Haile,* 1.2 ancient men were wont to set the whole compasse of their ground about with white wild Vine, or else to fasten vnto the top of a high post an Owle, hauing her wings spread.

The Lightnings and Thundring will doe no harme, if there be buried in the midst of the Garden a kind of Toad,* 1.3 called a Hedge-toad,* 1.4 closed vp in a pot of earth. O∣thers doe hang in the midst of the Garden, or at the soure corners thereof, the sea∣thers of an Eagle, or the skinne of a Seale. Others plant manie Bay-trees round a∣bout the Garden. It is true, that to breake or dissolue the Thunder, accompanied with a great thicke cloud, threatening haile, there is nothing better than to ring the belles, as is vsed to be done in hot Countries, and to send forth the roaring sounds of the Canons, as is wont to be done at Sea: or else to set on fire some heapes of Weeds, or stinking and rotten Seeds.

There is nothing more hurtfull or dangerous for hearbes than Frost,* 1.5 which com∣meth when Snow and Ice are thawing. And for to preserue your hearbes from this inconuenience of cold, you must spread all ouer the ground great store of straw, and ashes withall about that: for by this meanes the heat of the earth will be preserued, and the frost hindred that it cannot enter.

If you conceiue that your hearbs are like to be hurt by mists or fogs, you must get together in diuers places of your gardens diuers heapes of tender twigs and straw,* 1.6 or of weeds and shrubs pulled vp in the same place, and after to set them on fire: for the smoake thereof doth correct and cleare the duskish and cloudie ayre.

Against blasting,* 1.7 which is a corruption happening to hearbes and trees by some euill constellation, there is nothing better than to burne with the dung, the right horne of an oxe, in such sort, as that there may on euerie side be caused a verie great smoake: for this smoake will driue away and resolue the euill qualitie of the ayre which is the carrier of this maligne influence: or else it will be good to plant in di∣••er•• places of the gardens, diuers Bay-tree-boughes, for the blasting will fall all vp∣on them.

To preserue seeds from being eaten of birds, you must s••atter round about your gardens wheat or barly sod in wine,* 1.8 mingled with hellebor: or else, water and s••eepe the seed in the decoction of ••ray fishes, boyled in fresh water, assuring your selfe, that looke what groweth of such seeds, will be free from all danger of these fowles: or else water your seed with water and the l••••s of wine: or else ••ca••er throughout the gar∣dens, some boyled leekes, for so soone as they shall haue swallowed thew, they wil be easily taken vp with your hand. Some put ten cray fishes in a vessell full of vvater, which they couer and set out in the Sunne for the space of ten daies, afterward they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the seeds they would sow with this water twice; once before they be sowne, and the other eight daies after that they are sowne. By this meanes the seeds will not one∣ly be kept safe from birds, but also from all other manner of beasts.

To take away all harme which may come by little beasts,* 1.9 it will be good to drie, vpon the skinne of a Tortoise, all such seeds as you intend to sow in your Gardens: or else to plant in diuers places of your Gardens some Mints, especially amongst your Coleworts: or else to sow amongst your pot-hearbs some Cich-pease, or Rocket, or to fill the ground of your Kitchin Garden with Goose-dung, tempered with salt ••rine, or else to sow the seeds in the first quarter of the Moone.

New Oyle lees, or the foot of the Chimney sowne all about in your Gardens,* 1.10 is good against Snailes.

To keepe away Caterpillers, you must water your hearbes with water wherein haue beene steeped the ashes of the young shoots of Vines:* 1.11 or perfume your hearbes

and trees with quicke brimstone. Some steep•• the seeds in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of fig tree 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and to kill the caterpillers, doe cast vpon them the ashes themselues: others like it better to plant a great onion called Squilla, or else to burne ••oad-stooles that grow out of the nut-tree: or else some great store of garleeke without any head, to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that by the strong smell which sh••ll 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thereof, they may die.

Columella maketh mention of a certaine and approued remedie in this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ca∣terpillers, which is,* 1.12 that when they will not be driuen away by other mea••••, to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a woman ba••e footed, hauing her termes, her bosome open, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 about her eares, to walke three times about the quarters and alleys of the hedges, or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the garden. This done, you shall see the Caterpillers fall vpon the earth, from the hearbs and trees bearing fruit, neither more nor lesle, than and if by shaking you beat 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the raine or water from a tree: but in the meane time there must be care bad that this be not done at 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rise, because that then euerie thing in the garden would 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and pine away.

If you water the fleas or lice with strong vinegar, mingled with the juice of ••en∣bane, wherein the water of hemlocke shall haue boyled,* 1.13 or with water 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ni∣gella hath bin steeped: or with the decoction of mustard-s••eed; they wil die shortly.

Gnats will be killed if you lay 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in sleepe,* 1.14 and sprinkle the water about the gar∣den: or if you make a perf••me of Galban••m, or of Brimstone, or of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or of ox-dung. If you would 〈◊〉〈◊〉 away flies, make a perfume of Colo 〈◊〉〈◊〉, or water the place with water wherein it hath steeped.

To gather together all the Pa••mar-wormes and other like beasts into one place to the end you may kill them,* 1.15 you must spread in the place, especially where they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bound, the g••ts and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of some sheepe newly killed, the same made 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cleane, but still full of filth and dung: then two daies after, you shall find them all come together vnto the entrailes.

For to kill Weazles, you must steepe Sal-ammoniack and Wheat together,* 1.16 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sow them neere the place where the Weazles haunt, for by this they will 〈…〉〈…〉 killed or caused to run away if they eat it: Some say, that if you catch a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cut off her taile and cods, and let her goe againe aliue, that afterward there will be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 moe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in that place.

Ants will she away if you burne those which you take, or if you annoint the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the tree which they vse,* 1.17 with oxe-gall; or with the de••••ction of Lupines: or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 if you burne in the garden wild cucumber: or if one clay ouer with white or red 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the tree where they are: or if there be put at the mouth of their hole, some 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉〈◊〉-stone together.

You shall kill wormes,* 1.18 if you perfume their holes with the smoake of oxt-〈◊〉〈◊〉 if you water them with pure lee. You shall make them come out of the ground if 〈◊〉〈◊〉 water the place with the decoction of the leaues and seed of hempe: or if you 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the ground where you see great store of wormes: it is true also that you shall rid your ground of them, if you ••are your ground during the time of great heat, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 then you shall ••ind them in great numbers vpon the face and vppermost part of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 earth, and so you may gather them into bowles to giue them to your 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which thereby will become fat, and lay great store of egges.

You shall kill snailes,* 1.19 if you sprinkle them with the new l••••s of oyle, or with the foot of the chimney.

Grashoppers will doe no great hurt vnto hearbes,* 1.20 if they be vvatered with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vvherein Wor••ewood or Le••kes, or Centaurie hath beene stamped: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 kill them, you must boyle bitter lupines, or wild cucumbers in salt brine, and 〈…〉〈…〉 therewith, or else burne a great sort of Grashoppers in the place from 〈◊〉〈◊〉 would driue them, for the smell of the smoke doth kill them: but and if you 〈…〉〈…〉 them altogether out of your gardens, you must hang vp some Bats vpon yo•••• highest trees.

You shall driue away field-Rats,* 1.21 if you cast in the canicular, or dogge-〈…〉〈…〉 of hemlocke into their holes, together with hellebor and barly meale: or 〈◊〉〈◊〉

you shut the mouthes of their holes with Bay-tree-leaues, to the end that when they would come forth, they may be forced to take those leaues in their teeth, and so by the onely touching of them they are killed. Or if you mingle amongst their meat such as you know them to be delighted in, quicke siluer, tinne, or burnt lead, blacke hellebor, or the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of yron: or if you make a perfume of the bodies of their kinds: or if you boyle beanes in any poysoned water, & so lay the said beanes at the mouthes of their holes, which vpon the smell thereof will quickly run vnto them.

You shall also kill Rats and Mice with paste made of honie, coperas,* 1.22 and stamped glasse mixt together, and layed in places where they haunt most.

Moules will neuer cast in those gardens where the hearbe called Palma Christi doth grow either of it owne accord,* 1.23 or purposely sowne: likewise you shall either kill them or driue them away, if you lay at their holes mouthes a Walnut filled with chaffe, brimstone, and perrosin, and there set it on fire; for by the smoake that will come of this nut, the Moules will be killed, or else run away: or if you lay in diuers furrows about the garden a small ball of hemp-seed, it will be a let to keepe that there come not any into those grounds out of other, and withall will driue away those which are there alreadie. There are three waies to take them: the first is to stand as it were vpon your watch about Sunne rise, neere vnto the place where they haue late∣ly cast vp the earth; for this is ordinarily the verie houre that they cast in according to their custome, and thus may you throw them verie easily out of their holes with a pic••axe or spade. The second way is, by causing water to run into the hole where they haue newly digged; for when as they once feele the water, they will not stay to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 forth and saue themselues vpon some greene turffe or other, and there you may ••••ther take them aliue or kill them. The third way, Take a liue one in March, when they are a bucking, and put the same into a verie deepe and hollow bason at night af∣••••er Sunne set: burie the said bason in the earth vp to the brims, that so the Moules 〈◊〉〈◊〉 easily tumble into it, when they heare the captiue crie in the night time; for all such as shall heare her (and this kind of cattell is of a verie light hearing) comming ••••eere to their food, they will into the bason one after another; and by how many moe goe in, by so much will they make the greater noyse (not being able to get out againe) ••••ecause the bason within is smooth, ••leeke, and slipperie. Some lay garleeke about ••heir holes, or onions, or leekes, and these make such a smell as that they either driue ••hem away, or kill them.

All maner of Serpents are driuen away with the perfume of Galbanum,* 1.24 or of harts∣••••rne, or of the root of lillies, or of the horne of a goats claw, or of hyssope, or brim∣••••••••, or pellitorie, or an old shooe-sole. It is good also to plant in some part of the ••ardens an Elder-tree, or an Ash-tree; for the flowres of the Elder-trees by their ••••inking smell doe driue away Serpents: and the shade of the ashe doth kill them: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 like sort it fareth with the pomegranat-tree, whose shade (as we haue said before) ••••riueth away Serpents. It is good likewise to plant some one or other bough of ferne 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the garden, because the onely smell thereof doth driue them away.

You shall driue away scorpions, if you burne some of them in the place whence 〈◊〉〈◊〉 would banish them: or if you make a perfume of verjuice mixt with Galbanum,* 1.25 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the fat of a goat: or if you plant in your garden some little Nut-tree.

The perfume of Iuie will cause the Reremouse to abstaine flying in your garden.* 1.26

Frogges will hold their peace and not crie any more,* 1.27 if you set a lanterne with a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 light, vpon the side of the water or riuer, which compasseth the garden. If you 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in any corner of your garden the gall of a goat, all the frogges will gather 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and so you may easily kill them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.2

  Against Haile.
• * 1.3

  Against Light∣ning▪
• * 1.4

  A Hedge-toad
• * 1.5

  Frost.
• * 1.6

  Against Mists and Fogs.
• * 1.7

  Blasting.
• * 1.8

  Against Birds.
• * 1.9

  Against little 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.10

  Against Snailes.
• * 1.11

  Against Cater∣pillers
• * 1.12

  Womens 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.13

  Against 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.14

  Against 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.15

  Against the 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.16

  Against 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.17

  Against 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.18

  Against 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.19

  Against 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.20

  Against Gras∣••oppers.
• * 1.21

  〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.22

  Against Rats and Mice.
• * 1.23

  Against 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.24

  Against 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.25

  Against 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.26

  Against 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.27

  Against 〈◊〉〈◊〉