Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

Of Frumento. chap. 65.

WHeate is called Frumentum, & hath that name of Fruendo, vsing in ea∣ting: and thereof corne hath his name Fruges, as Isidore sayth. And so the ouer part of the roote is called Frumen, and the sauour of the meate is principallye knowen. It is a propertie of Wheate to haue eyles on high in the eare, & graines and corne in hollowe hoales. For in all manner Wheate the stalke springeth out of the roote, and the eare of the stalke in∣uironed with small holes, in the which the graines of corne bée closed. And a∣bout the eare groweth small cyles and sharpe, as it were dartes, and thereof the eare hath his name Spica, for dartes bée called Spicula. And these eyles defend the eare, as it were dartes, for small Birds shoulde not bite the eare, and take awaie the graines of Wheate, nor other small beasts. And the stalke is compassed with leaues, and bulles succoured therewith, for it should not bend to the grounde by weight & heauinesse of the corne in the eare. The stalke is called Stipula, as it were Vstipula, and hath that name of Vsto, burnt. For when it is gathered, some of the strawe is burnt to helpe & to amende the lande. And some is kepte to

fodder of beasts, and is called Palea: for it is the first meate y^t is laid before beasts, namely in some countreies, as in Tus∣can. And the kinde thereof is colde, that it suffereth not Snowe that falleth to shodde, and is so hot that it compelleth Apples for to ripe. Huc vsque Isidorus, lib. 17.

Many manner corne is called Fen∣mencum, as Isidore sayth, and Pli. also lib. 18. as Wheate, Barly, Rye, & Meale, and other such, of whome it shall be spo∣ken afterward, each in his owne place: But in all corne that is called Frumen∣tum, generally men shall take héed of the ground that it is sowen in, and of the qualitie of the grounde: for some Corne thriueth in one ground, and faileth in a∣nother, and fordryeth, as Plinius sayeth. And so it is to be vnderstoode, of other corne and lande. Also manner and time of sowing must be regarded. For some corne is soone sowen, and some late, for Winter séede is soone, sowen, and Sum∣mer séede is late sowen. And some is so∣wen vnder sorrow, and some aboue, And some Wheat is sowen in certaine man∣ner, and in time certaine: and Bar∣ly in other manner and time, and so is Meale and Commin, as Hieronimus sai∣eth expresly super Esay. And man take most héede of couenable time, both in sowing and in gathering of Corne. For Plinius sayth, libro. 18. That it is done better in one time then in another, for Corne gathered in the full of the Moone is saued from corruption. Also of fayre weather and time. Sowe, is Serere in Latine, and commeth of Sereno coelo, as Isidore sayeth. And Serenum coelum is cléere Skye in this manner speach. And then men shall sowe, and not in greate Raine and Stormes, as Virgil say∣eth. And Plinius sayeth there, cap. 13. If the winde bée too strong corne is apay∣red, and that in three times, and state of the corne. When Corne bloometh, and when the blossome falleth, and when it ripeth. By anye euill blast the eare fa∣deth and is destroyed, and looseth the fruit and corne. Also too much raine gréeueth: for then all is lost by colde humour, or else it turneth vnkindly into other hearbs and superfluitie of leaues.

Also sodeine and immoderate heate gréeueth, that is closed in a Clowde, for while the humour is drawen into the in∣ner parts of the roote by strong heat, then of hot humour and gleamie, Wormes bréede about the roote. And by fretting & gnawing of such wormes, the substance of the corne is wasted. Also in Corne and graines wormes bréed about the Jeaues, and destroye the graines of the Corne, when the eares in rainye weather after passing heate bée corrupt and rotten. Al∣so in passing drinesse Corne lacketh hu∣mour, and is so lost for default of nou∣rishing and féeding, or else greene Flyes bréede therein, that he called Canthari∣des,* 1.1 and fret all the thrift of the Corne: And sometime many long Flies more & lesse bréed therein, & destroy euery deale. Also in the séede corne néedeth cleannesse and purenesse. For as Plinius saith ther, cap. 17. If the séeds be touched with Lallowe, or with grease, it is spilte and lost. Also in Corne that groweth, néedeth busily husbandrie, for it néedeth y^e Corne be cleane wéeded & cleansed of superflui∣tie of euill weeds. For as he saith there, a∣mong the best Wheats sometime growe euill wéeds and venimous, as Carle and Rey, & other such there commeth for cor∣ruption and mallice of the humour that is drawen, or of might of the heate that worketh not sufficiently in all the mat∣ter. Also there it is said, of corrupt dewe, that cleaueth to the leaues, commeth cor∣ruption in corne, and maketh it as it wer¦red or rustie. And among all manner corne, wheat beareth the price, & to man∣kinde nothing is more friendly, nothing more nourishing. But héer of séeke in lit∣tera S. and séeke de Messe & Segete.

(* 1.2The first and best kinde of wheate, after the opinion of Columella, is redde wheat the second is the Spi••e wheate, & the third is called y^e pound wheat, or Sū∣mer wheat: Rawe wheat chewed in the mouth is good for to be laid to, against & biting of a mad dog. Wheat is most no∣rishing séede for man.)

Notes

• * 1.1

  Canthari¦des, are log flies, y^t be varia¦ble colou¦red, & ve¦ry veni∣mous, in operatiō & do al∣so sting.
• * 1.2

  Additiō.