¶ The Description.
BArley hath an helme or straw which is shorter and more brittle than that of Wheat, and hath more joints; the leaues are broader and rougher; the eare is armed with long, rough, and prickly beards or ailes, and set about with sundry rankes, sometimes two, otherwhiles three, foure, or six at the most, according to 〈◊〉〈◊〉; but eight according to Tragus. The graine is included in a long chaffie huske: the roots be slender, and grow thicke together. Barley, as Pliny writeth, is of all graine the softest, and least subiect to casualtie, yeelding fruit very quickely and profitably.
1 The most vsuall Barley is that which hath but two rowes of Corne in the eare, each graine set iust opposite to other, and hauing his long awne at his end, is couered with a huske sticking close thereto.
2 This which commonly hath foure rowes of corne in the eare, and sometimes more, as wee haue formerly deliuered, is not so vsually sowen with vs; the eare is commonly shorter than the former, but the graine very like; so that none who knowes the former, but may easily know the later at the first sight.