A Profitable Instruction of the Perfite Ordering of Bees / With the Maruellous Nature, Propertie, and Gouernemente of Them: and the Necessarie Vses Both of Their Honie and Waxe, Seruing Diuersly, as Well in Inward as Outward Causes: Gathered Out of the Best Writers

by Thomas Hill

And if the Spring and Sommer shall be ouer wette, or mistie, or colde, with cloudie weather for manye daies together, whiles all the trées haue borne their blossoms, and the fieldes their floures, and beginne to shedde their floure, then shall follow the scarcitie of fruites of the earth in that yeare, or else a verie greate rot of them, and many sicknesses in that yeare.

And if the sommer be drier than customably, then shal follow the scarcitie of corne, yet the Sommer fruites shall that yeare be sound, the fishes then die, and most sharpe sicknesses shall raine that yeare.

And if the Sommer shal be hotter than customably, then shal followe many sicknesses or diseases, yet great plentie of the Sommer fruites that yeare.

And if the Sommer shal be colder than customably, then shall follow a healthfull yere, but the fruites of the earth shal late ripe that yeare.

And here further note of the spring, that if in the same season of the spring, there shal be a more plentie of all floures and fruits toward than customably, doth after signifie a scarcitie of corne that yere, vnlesse the heate of sommer doth otherwise reforme the same.

And the wise and auncient husbandmen haue obserued, that when the winter shal send downe store of raine on the earth, so that the same excéede not or bée too much, and that the March following be drie, and the Aprill wette by often shoures, and that the same part also of Sommer bée drie in which the corne falleth to ripenesse, then doth the same promise a plentifull yeare.

And when that part of the Haruest shal be faire and drie, in which the wheat is sowen, and the parte of sommer in which corne falleth too ripenesse shal be faire and drie, the spring also meanely warme, doth then not only promise fruitefulnesse, but a plentifull yeare of corne.

And nowe the Haruest moyster than customably doth putrifie the Grapes, and causeth a small yéelde of wines that yeare, with the scarcitie of other fruites.

And if in the latter part of Haruest it be moyster, then in the yere following shal ensue the scarcitie of corne.

And if the Haruest bée drier in the first part, then in the yeare following shal Rie, and that smal graine named Mill, and suchlyke, be deare.