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CHAP. XII.
Of the choice and quantitie of seed to be sowne.
FOr Wheat to make seed of, the industrious Husbandman shall chuse such as is full, thicke, heauie, firme, and so hard and strong, as that it cannot but with paine be broken betwixt the teeth, of a red colour, bright, cleane, not aboue a yeare old, which maketh sauourie and well-tasted bread, threshed out of choice and culled eares, which after fanning and win∣nowing lyeth vppermost (as that which is the thickest and most massie) which was growne in a fat ground, but cont••arily seated to that wherein such Wheat is to be sowne, as from hill to plaine, and from moist to drie, and yet so contrarie, as that the seed of a bad place be rather sowne in a good place, than the seed of a good place sowne in a bad: for seed, be it neuer so good, doth become worse and degene∣rate easily, when it is sowne in a bad plot.
And for as much as I speake onely of Wheat in this place, being the graine of most vse in Fraunce, you shall vnderstand, that there be diuers kinds thereof, as shall be shewed hereafter; which sith their names are not familiar in other Countries, I will here repeat those which are most in vse amongst our neighbours, especially in En∣gland: of which, the first is called whole-straw Wheat, because the straw is whole and entire, not hauing anie hollownesse within it, and this is of all Wheat the largest and goodliest, and yeeldeth the greatest store of flowre, yet not of the most pure and most white colour: it prospereth onely on the rich stiffe clay-grounds, and must necessarily haue three earings before it be sowne. Next vnto it, is the great Pollard Wheat, which hath no aues vpon the eares: it is a large Wheat also, and prospereth likewise vpon stiffe clay-grounds, yet will aske but one earing, because it loues to be sowne vpon Pease-ground, from whence Pease was reaped the same yeare. The next is small Pollard, which loues an indifferent earth, as that which is grauelly, or of bar∣ren mixture, and it must haue euer full three earings. Then Ograue Wheat, which loueth anie well-mixt soyle, and will grow either after three earings, or but one, so it besowne where Pease is reaped. Then ••laxen Wheat, which will ioy in anie soyle, except the stiffe clay, or burning sand, prouided that it haue fully three earings, and be well manured. And lastly, Chylter Wheat, which is like vnto flaxen Wheat.
It will be good before you sowe your seed, to lay it in steepe in water some certaine houres, and afterward to spread and lay it abroad somewhere in the shadow to drie, that so it may be readie to rowle or runne at such time as it is to be cast into the earth: by this meanes you shall chuse the fairest cornes that shall stay behind in the bo••∣tome of the water, to sowe them, which will grow within three or foure daies: but as for those which swimme aloft aboue the water, they shall be taken away, because they are not worth any thing to sow: for the best vse for such, is either to seed Hennes, or else to grind, that so you may get out euen that s••all quantitie of meale and flowre that is within them. Some before the sowing of their corne, doe sprinkle it o∣uer a little with water, wherein haue beene infused Houseleeke, or the stamped seedes and roots of wild Cucumbers, to the end that the corne may not be eaten of Moules, field-Mice, or other such like vermine. Yet howsoeuer this may be a practise in France, it is not receiued generally amongst Husbandmen, to steepe the corne in water, before they sowe it, because so much moisture cooleth and drowneth the kernell of it too much: Nay, they are so farre from the practise thereof, that a well-reputed Husbandman will not suffer his corne to be so much as washed before it be sowne.
The quantitie of corne which must be sowne, shall be measured and rated accor∣ding to the peece of ground: for an arpent of fat ground will for the most part take foure bushels of Wheat, a reasonable fat ground will take fiue, and a leane will take