Of Corne
THus far have I discoursed upon Grasses, Rushes, Spartum, Flags, and Floure de-luces: my next labor is to set downe for your better instruction the historie of Corne, and the kinds therof, under the name of Graine. And beginning with corne, we will first speake of wheat, and describe it in the first place, because it is preferred before all other corne. The Description. 1 THis kinde of Wheate is the most principall of all other, whose eares are altogether bare or naked, without awnes or chaffie beards. The stalke riseth from a threddy root, compact of many strings, joynted or kneed at sundry distances; from whence shoot forth grassie blades and leaves like unto Rie, but broader. The plant is so well knowne to many, and so profitable to all, that the meanest and most ignorant need no larger description to know the same by.
The Place.
Wheat groweth almost in all the countries of the world that are inhabited and manured, and requireth a fruitfull and fat soile, and rather Sunny and dry, than watery grounds and shadowie: for in dry ground (as Columella reporteth) it groweth harder and better compact: in a moist and darke soile it degenrateth sometime to be of another kinde.
The Time.
They are most commonly sowen in the fall of the leafe, or Autumne: sometime in the Spring.
The Nature.
Wheat (saith Galen) is very much used of men, and with greatest profit. Those Wheats do nourish most that be hard, and have their whole substance so closely compact as they can scarsely be bit asunder; for such do nourish very much: and the contrary but little.
The Vertues.
The fine floure mixed with the yolke of an egge, honey, and a little saffron, doth draw and heale byles and such like sores, in children and in old people, very well and quickly. Take crums of wheaten bread one pound and an halfe, barley meale <??>. Fennigreeke and Lineseed of each an ounce, the leaves of Mallowes, Violets, Dwale, Sengreene, and Cotyledon, ana one handfull: boyle them in water and oyle untill they be tender: then stampe them very small in a stone morter, and adde thereto to the yolke of three egges, oyle of Roses, and oyle of Violets, ana <??>. Incorporate them altogether; but if the inflammation grow to an Erysipelas, then adde thereto the juice of Nightshade, Plantaine, and Henbane, ana <??>. it easeth an Erysipelas, or Saint Anthonies fire, and all inflammations very speedily.
Slices of fine white bread laid to infuse or steepe in Rose water, and so applied unto sore eyes which have many hot humours falling into them, doe easily defend the humour, and cease the paine.
The oyle of wheat pressed forth betweene two plates of hot iron, healeth the chaps and chinks of the hands, feet, and fundament, which come of cold, making smooth the hands, face or any other part of the body.