Our English Clover-grass sowen thrives very well.
Radishes I have seen there as big as a man’s Arm.
Flax and Hemp flourish gallantly.
Our Wheat i. e. summer Wheat many [p. 189.] times changeth into Rye, and is subject to be blasted, some say with a vapour breaking out of the earth, others, with a wind North-east or North-west, at such time as it flowereth, others again say it is with lightning. I have observed, that when a land of Wheat hath been smitten with a blast at one Corner, it hath infected the rest in a weeks time, it begins at the stem (which will be spotted and goes upwards to the ear making it fruitless): in 1669 the pond that lyeth between Water-town and Cambridge, cast its fish dead upon the shore, forc’t by a mineral vapour as was conjectured.
Our fruit-Trees prosper abundantly, Apple-trees, Pear-trees, Quince-trees, Cherry-trees, Plum-trees, Barberry-trees. I have observed with admiration, that the Kernels sown or the Succors planted produce as fair & good fruit, without graffing, as the Tree from whence they were taken: the Countrey is replenished with fair and large Orchards. It was affirmed by one Mr. Woolcut (a magistrate in Connecticut Colony) at the Captains Messe (of which I was) aboard the Ship I came home in, that he made Five hundred Hogsheads of Syder out of his own Orchard in one year. Syder is very plentiful in the Countrey, ordinarily sold for Ten shillings a Hogshead. At the [p. 190.] Tap-houses in Boston I have had an Ale-quart spic’d and sweetned with Sugar for a groat, but I shall insert a more delicate mixture of it. Take of Maligo-Raisons, stamp them and put milk to them, and put them in an Hippocras bag and let it drain out of it self, put a quantity of this with a spoonful or two of Syrup of Clove-Gilliflowers into every bottle, when you bottle your Syder, and your Planter will have a liquor that exceeds passada, the Nectar of the Countrey.
The Quinces, Cherries, Damsons, set the Dames a work, Marmalad and preserved Damsons is to be met with in every house. It was not long before I left the Countrey that I made Cherry wine, and so may others, for there are good store of them both red and black.
Their fruit-trees are subject to two diseases, the Meazels, which is when they are burned and scorched with the Sun, and lowsiness, when the wood-peckers job holes in their bark: the way to cure them when they are lowsie is to bore a hole into the main root with an Augur, and pour in a quantity of Brandie or Rhum, and then stop it up with a pin made of the same Tree.
The first Neat carried thither was to [p. 191.] New-Plimouth Anno 1624 these thrive and increase exceedingly, but grow less in body than those they are bred of yearly.
Horses there are numerous, and here and there a good one, they let them run all the year abroad, and in the winter seldom provide any fother for them, (except it be Magistrates, great Masters and Troopers Horses) which brings them very low in flesh till the spring, and so crest fallen, that their crests never rise again. Here I first met with that excrescence called Hippomanes, which by some is said to grow on the forehead of a foal new cast, and that the Mare bites it off as soon as foaled; but this is but a fable. A neighbour at Black-point having a Mare with foal, tyed her up in his Barn, the next day she foaled, and the man standing by spied a thing like a foals tongue to drop out of the foals mouth, which he took up and presented me with it, telling me withall, that he had heard many wonderful things reported of it, and that it was rank poyson. I accepted of it gladly and brought it home with me, when it was dry, it lookt like Glew, but of a dark brown colour; to omit all other uses for it, this I can assure you that a piece of it soakt in warm water or cold, will take spots out of wollen Clothes being rub’d thereon.