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Of Sperage or Asparagus

The Description.

THe manured or garden Sperage, hath at his first rising out of the ground thicke tender shoots very soft and brittle, of the thicknesse of the greatest swans quill, in taste like the green bean having at the top a certaine scaly soft bud, which in time groweth to a branch of the height of two cubits, divided into divers other smaller branches, wheron are set many little leaves like haires, more fine than the leaves of Dill: amongst which come forth small mossie yellowish floures which yeeld forth the fruit, green at the first, afterward as red as Corall, of the bignesse of a small pease; wherein is contained grosse blackish seed exceeding hard, which is the cause that it lieth so long in the ground after his sowing, before it spring up: the roots are many thicke soft and spongie strings hanging downe from one head, and spred themselves all about, whereby it greatly increaseth. The Place.

Our garden Asparagus groweth wilde in Essex, in a medow neere to a mill, beyond a village called Thorp; and also at Singleton not far from Carby, and in the medowes neere Moulton in Lincolnshire. Likewise it growes in great plenty neere Harwich, at a place called Bandamar lading, and at North Moulton in Holland a part of Lincolnshire.

The Time.

The bare naked tender shoots of Sperage spring up in Aprill, at what time they are eaten in sallads; they floure in June and July, the fruit is ripe in September.

The Names.

It is named Asparagus, of the excellency, because asparagi, or the springs hereof are preferred before those of other plants whatsoever: for this Latine word Asparagus doth properly signifie the first spring or sprout of every plant, especially when it is tender, and before it do grow into an hard stalk, as are the buds, tendrels, or yong springs of wild Vine or hops, and such like.

The Vertues.

The first sprouts or naked tender shoots hereof be oftentimes sodden in flesh broth and eaten; or boiled in faire water, and seasoned with oile, vineger, salt, and pepper, then are served up as a sallad: they are pleasant to the taste.