33. and wyll make white breed] it yeeldeth the finest flower of all. These three sorts of Wheat must euer bee sowne eyther on the Pease stubble, or on a fallow ground that is not very proud or rich, for too rich ground for these Wheats wil make them mildewe and not prosper.
35. After whyte wheate, I. R. adds—“but they are deceaued.”
38. rudeste] ruddiest. This is clearly the right sense.
43. flyntered] flintred. At the end of the section I. R. adds a long piece, as follows.
Lastly, there is another Wheat, which is called hole-straw Wheat; it hath the largest eare of al Wheats, the boldest Corne, and yeeldeth the most, the finest, though not the whitest floure; it is foure-square, and hath short anns; the straw is not hollow, but hath a strong pith throughout, by reason wherof in his growth no weather whatsoeuer can beare him downe, but still he will stand and prosper; his straw yeeldeth as good thatch as Reeds, a singular profit for a Husbandman: and it is an excellent fewell to bake or brew with, euen as good as Gorsse or Whins: Onely Cattell will not eate it, nor is it good for litter; this of all Wheats is the best: these last named are to be sowne on the fallow ground, and the better the ground is, the better they will prosper.
When you sowe your Rye choose a dry season, for small wet killeth Rye. Rie, as the old husbands say, will drowne in the Hopper, that is, if in the Hopper hee catch a shower, his vigor is slaine. Wherfore the drier his mold, is the better, which is the cause that the hote, dry, and light sand is onely for Rye most excellent: his mold must harrow small like a Garden-bed, for the smallest clot hindereth his comming vp; his sprout is so small and tender.
Here I. R. inserts a whole chapter, as follows.
Chapter 16.
¶ How to make barraine ground bring foorth good Corne.
If thy ground be barraine and hard, yeelding nothing but ill Hay of insuing profit, then shal it be necessary for thee to vse these secrets in Art which is most auaileable. And first for thy Pease, Beanes, Barley, and Oates, if thou sowest any of them: sowe them vpon the eight day of April, which is the Equinoctiall vernall,[39] when Libra[40] draweth the houres of the day and night to an euen and iust proportion, and what Corne is so sowne prospereth greatly: but if thou wilt be assured that no Corne thou sowest shall faile, then take Salt-peeter and mingle with thy Corne, and sow it, and thy labor shall neuer be frustrate. For want of it, take the black dreggs of Oyle, and wette thy seede ere thou sow it, and it shall vndoubtedly spring vp. If thou hast none of these, then take Pigions dunge, and mingle it with thy seede in thy hopper, and sow it: though it be not so good as the other, yet is the profitable vertue wonderfull.