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

¶ Other profitable instructions, right necessarie for husbandmen to know. Cap.iiij.

And first if the horne of the Ramme (nere his eare) be boxed, the same doeth tame his fiercenesse. And if his right genitour be trussed vp before he goeth to couer the Ewe, then doeth he beget an Ewe lambe. And if the left be thus straite trussed vp, and the righte hanging downe, then doeth he begette a hée lambe.

And if in the time of the South wind blowing, the Ram doth then couer the Ewe, he doth after beget a shée lambe.

And if when the North wind bloweth the Ram doth then couer the Ewe, doth after beget a hée lambe. And of what colour also the vaines shal be vnder the tongue of the Ewe, suche shal the colour of the skinne of the lambe be, for if she hath black vaines vnder the tong, then the Lambe shall be blacke of skin, and if white vaines vnder the tong, then shall she haue a white lambe: and if of diuerse colours, then the lambe shal be of diuerse colours on the skin. And that antient Isaac writeth, that Rams in their yong yeares be of lesser moysture and clammynesse, than be the sucking lambs, and this is, through their age and qualitie then ruling.

And therefore the fleshe of yong weathers be better, and ingender better bloud than the sucking lambes.

And this is héere spoken of such Rammes as be gelded, in that their moysture and hotenesse is then temperate.

And the wethers ouer old are to be refused in eating, in that they be then cold and drie without moysture, and they smallye nourish and hardly disgest.

Also béefe and other fleshe of beastes being olde, be euill to eate, through the coldenesse and drynesse, and through the lacke of the moysture and hotnesse. And when the olde Rams in their time to couer the Ewe, be sooner moued thereto, than the yong Rammes, it doeth then signifie a good and profitable season to ensue in that yeare, and a good season and prosperous also for shéepe. But if in the proper time to couer the Ewe, the yong Rammes be sooner prouoked thereto than the olde Rams, then doeth followe the greate rotte or murreyne of shéepe in that yeare.

Also Ewes by drinking of water conceiue the sooner wyth Lambe and of this the shéepeheardes giue them salte to eate, wherby the more drinking of water, they may so conceiue with yong, and they are also by that meanes preserued the healthfuller. And in the Haruest also some sheapheardes giue them to eate Gourdes seasoned with salt to encrease their milke, for by that meanes both the milke more plentifully issue forth of their teates, and the Ewes do sooner conceiue. Also in Sommer is the colde Northerly water good for them, and in the Haruest the warme Southerly water good for them.

Also to let shéepe féede in the ende of the day, is greatelye commended: and if they also stirre but little abrode, the same is thought very profitable, in that the muche iourneying, and labouring of them hither and thither, doth so cause them to become leane. Also the skilful shéepeheards knowe, whiche shéepe will well endure the sharp winter, and which not, in that vpon some of the shéepes backes (as they affirme) Ise maye be founde, and vpon othersome none at al. So that by this may be learned, that such shéepe which be weake, a man can hardely plucke off the Ise from their backes. And further learne, that those shéepe whiche haue long tayles, maye hardlier abide the sharpe colde winter, than those hauing broade tayles: and the shéepe also curled of haire (do in like sorte) hardlier endure the bitter winter.