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

Medick fodder, or Snaile-clauer.

THere is not either anie Pulse or other feeding which is more agreeable or more precious for the feeding of beasts, than Snaile-clauer, called in French Sainct foin, for that it may seeme to spring out of the earth, and as it were of a more speciall fauour from God, not onely for the nourishing and fatting of heards of cattell, but also to serue for Physicke, for beasts that are sicke, and in that respect it is called of the Latines Medica. Some call it Burgundie hay, because the Burgundians 〈◊〉〈◊〉 beene alwaies verie carefull for the sowing and tilling of this hearbe. The inhabi∣tants of Picardie call it Foinasse, and manie haue giuen it the name of great Trefoile. Howsoeuer the name goe, the benefit of this gras••e is so great, as that euerie casefull husbandman ought continually to reserue the better part of his grounds, to bee sowne therewith. Make choice therefore of the sowing and growing of great store of this gras••e, of an euen ground that is verie cleane and fat, easie to be plowed, and

which hath had three earings before it was sowne, as also which hath beene well dunged, well harrowed, and digged and delued rather in the decrease of the Moone, than plowed with the plough, beginning the worke in Iune, afterward in August, October, December, and Februarie, to the end that the weedes that are in the ground may bee sufficiently killed, as well by the heate of Summer, at the cold of Winter. After that you haue made the ground well pleasing, and fit by such indu∣strie, beginne to sow it in the end of Aprill, during the new of the Moone, and to∣ward the latter end of the day; for being watered by the dew of the night, it will spring more speedily and easily out of the earth, than and if it were sowne in the heat of the day, because it would be burst continually, and would come but to small ef∣fect and profit. You must not bee niggardly in sowing of it: for by how much the more seed you sow, by so much the more thicke will the grasse grow; neither will there grow any other grasse there; and so there will also the more profit grow and rise thereupon to the good house-holder. So soone as it is sowne, you must harrow it euerie manner of way, as long-waies, broad-waies, and ouer-thwart, with harrowe•• or rakes of wood set thicke with teeth, but not of yron, because it is an vtter enemie to yron: afterward you must water it gently for the first time; for and if you should water it forcibly, and with aboundant store of water, you should driue the seed all to one side of the field, and yet you must not water it after September vnto the end of Aprill. It will be good to cut it downe with a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fiue or sixe times the first yeare, and so proportionably the yeares following; for it endureth ten yeares, yea thirty as Pliny sayeth, without standing in neede of being sowne againe. The fit time to cut it downe is May, Iune, Iuly, and August, and the new of the Moone: in the meane time you shall not let it lye vpon heapes any longer than a day in the mea∣dowes, for if it should stay there any long time, it would raise such a hear, as that it vvould smother and kill whatsoeuer were vnder it, to the keeping of it for euer grow∣ing againe: wherefore it will be good to carrie it elsewhere, and to drie it assoone as possibly may bee, stirring it euerie day, from day to day. Againe, you must not let the cattell feede neere vnto this grasse, in as much as not their tooth onely, but their verie breathing on it also is very noysome vnto it, and that so greatly, as that it afterward becommeth either barren, or else dieth presently: it must not bee giuen greene for cattell to eate, least it make them sicke by reason of the moisture and heat that is therein: it must stay till it be drie before you giue it them to eate, and then al∣so but in small quantitie; for that this grasse begetteth in them such store of blo••d, as that of the much eating thereof, they would be strangled therewith. The good husbandman must be carefull to gather and reserue seed of this snaile clauer, to sow the same vvhen it shall bee requisite: it must not bee gathered the first yeare that it beareth, by reason of his weakenesse; but in all the other following, and that in the moneths of Iune and Iuly, so soone as the huskes wherein the seede is contained shall appeare drie, and the seeds themselues be turned yellow.