[E354] In Harrison's Descript. of England, Part II. p. 50 et seq., there is a long chapter on the cultivation and uses of Saffron in England, from which I extract the following: "As the Saffron of England, which Platina reckneth among spices, is the most excellent of all other; for it giueth place neither to that of Cilicia, whereof Solinus speaketh, neither to anie that commeth from Cilicia, where it groweth upon the mount Taurus, Tmolus, Italie, Ætolia, Sicilia or Licia, in sweetnesse, tincture and continuance; so of that which is to be had amongst us, the same that grows about Saffron Walden, somtime called Waldenburg, in the edge of Essex, first of all planted there in the time of Edward the Third, and that of Glocestershire and those westerlie parts, which some thinke to be better than those of Walden, surmounteth all the rest, and therefore beareth worthilie the higher price, by sixpence or twelue pence most commonlie in the pound.... The heads of saffron are raised in Julie, either with plough, raising or tined hooke; and being scowred from their rosse or filth, and seuered from such heads as are ingendred of them since the last setting, they are interred againe in Julie and August by ranks or rowes, and being couered with moulds, they rest in the earth, where they cast forth little fillets and small roots like vnto a scallion, until September, in the beginning of which moneth the ground is pared and all weeds and grasse that groweth vpon the same remooved, to the intent that nothing may annoie the floure when as his time dooth come to rise. These things being thus ordered in the latter end of the aforesaid moneth [of September], the floure beginneth to appeere of a whitish blew, fesse, or skie colour, and in the end shewing itselfe in the owne kind, it resembleth almost the Leucotion of Theophrast, sauing that it is longer, and hath in the middest thereof three chines verie red and pleasant to behold. These floures are gathered in the morning before the rising of the sunne, which otherwise would cause them to welke or flitter. And the chines being picked from the floures, these are throwne into the doong-hill; the other dried vpon little kelles couered with streined canuasses vpon a soft fire; wherby and by the weight that is laied vpon them, they are dried and pressed into cakes, and then bagged vp for the benefit of their owners. In good yeeres we gather foure score or an hundred pounds of wet saffron of an acre, which being dried dooth yeeld twentie pounds of drie and more. Whereby, and sith the price of saffron is commonlie about twentie shillings in monie, or not so little, it is easie to see what benefit is reaped by an acre of this commoditie.... For admit that the triple tillage of an acre dooth cost 13 shillings foure pence before the saffron be set, the clodding sixteene pence, the taking of euerie load of stones from the same foure pence, the raising of euerie quarter of heads six pence, and so much for cleansing of them, besides the doong which is woorth six pence the load to be laid on the first yeere, for the setting three and twentie shillings and foure pence, for the paring fiue shillings, six pence for the picking of a pound wet, etc.; yea though he hire it readie set, and paie ten pounds for the same, yet shall he susteine no damage, if warme weather and open season doo happen at the gathering." Harrison then describes fully the culture of saffron, and the adulterations and tricks practised by the dealers, and afterwards describes the virtues of it: "Our saffron (beside the manifold vse that it hath in the kitchin and pastrie, also in our cakes at bridals, and thanksgivings of women) is verie profitably mingled with those medicines which we take for the diseases of the breast, of the lungs, of the liuer, and of the bladder; it is good also for the stomach if you take it in meat, for it comforteth the same, and maketh good digestion: being sodden also in wine, it not onelie keepeth a man from dronkennesse, but incorageth also unto procreation of issue. If you drinke it in sweet wine, it inlargeth the breath, and is good for those that are troubled with the tisike and shortnesse of the wind: mingled with the milke of a woman, and laied vpon the eies, it staieth such humors as descend into the same, and taketh away the red wheales and pearles that oft grow about them: it killeth moths if it be sowed in paper bags verie thin, and laid vp in presses among tapistrie or apparrell: also it is verie profitable laid vnto all inflammations, painefull aposthumes, and the shingles, and doth no small ease vnto deafnes.... Three drams thereof taken at once, which is about the weight of one shilling nine pence halfe penie, is deadlie poison."
[E355] "The two S. Maries daies," i.e. July 22nd, St. Mary Magdalene's Day, and August 15th, the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.—M. Mr. Skeat suggests that the days meant are August 15th and September 8th, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.
There is no doubt Mr. Skeat is right; compare "Centory must be gotten betweene our Lady dayes."—Langham's Garden of Health. The date is not uncommon in Herbals.—Note by Mr. J. Britten, F.L.S.
[E356] Mustard-seed is very apt to shed, and therefore should be gathered before it becomes too ripe. After dressing it is to be laid in a soller or garret. "Soller, a lofte, garnier."—Palsgrave. "Garytte, hay solere."—Prompt. Parv.
[E357] Though all the editions which I have seen read as printed in the text, it is evident that Tusser meant exactly the opposite, viz.:
"By day will deceiue thee, etc.
By great will dispatch, etc."
Men who take work by the great, that is, by the job or contract, are, as experience tells us, naturally anxious to get the work done as soon as possible, while those who are engaged by the day as naturally try to spin out the work as long as they can. According to Carr's Craven Glossary, a Day-work is three roods of land. "Four perches make a day-worke; ten daysworks make a roode or quarter." (Twysden MS. quoted by Halliwell.) The latter agrees with Norden's statement: "You must know (says he), that there goe 160 perches to one acre; 80 perches to halfe an acre; 40 perches to one roode, which is ¼ of an acre; ten daies worke to a roode, foure perches to a daies worke; 16 foote and a halfe to a perche." (Surveior's Dialogue, 1610.) In Cowel's Interpreter we read "Day-werc of Land, as much arable ground as could be ploughed up in one day's work, or one journey, as the farmers still call it."
[E358] "Harvest lord," the principal reaper who goes first and regulates the movements of the rest; Harvest-Lady, the second reaper in the row, called in Cambridgeshire the Harvest-Queen. The rate at which the Harvest-lord reaped of course regulated that of the others, and therefore Tusser recommends that he should have a penny or two extra in order to encourage him to have an eye to the loiterers, and to keep all up to the mark. Cf.:
"At heighe pryme Peres lete the plowe stonde,
To ouersen hem hymself, and who-so best wrouȝte
He shulde be huyred therafter whan heruest tyme come."
—Piers Plowman, ed. Skeat, E. E. Text Soc. B Text, Passus vi. 114.