The Continuation of the Hortulan and Rural Advertisements, Promised in the Next Foregoing Tract; Communicated by the Same Hand, Dr. John Beale

Last Winter, when the severe cold had killed the little Creatures, observing the water thawed by the warmth of the room, in which it had stood for a whole day with a fire in it, I found, after 24 hours were elapsed, and another time, after 17 hours were passed, that some living Animals appeared again in that water. When I shall write next, I intend, for further satisfaction, to assert and confirm the truth of what I have related by the testimony of divers Eye-witnesses. I remain, Sir, Delft, March 23, 1677. The Continuation of the Hortulan and Rural Advertisements, promised in the next foregoing Tract; communicated by the same hand, Dr. John Beale. The Tract of March, having, as to these Hortulan Observations, ended with the fifth paragraph; we now proceed to the Sixth, which is to give notice, That the Cider-Engins for the more speedy and commodious making of Cider and Perry, (as these Engins are now made by Henry Allun) may be seen at the Cabinet in Exeter-street near the Savoy; and in the Palace-yard, Westminster. They may be compared with the Cider-Engin belonging to the Cider-houses at Queen-Hyth, as also with those belonging to the Cider-houses beyond the Tower; and with the Engins invented by Mr. Wolridge of Petersfield in Hampshire, and the formerly mentioned in N. 124, 583. An Ingenious Gentleman in this neighbourhood, the Owner of Clifton, a mile hence, having a Corn-mill and a Malt-mill, on a stream near his house, hath lately built a Cider-mill on the same stream, where it runs through his Orchard, and 'tis said to grind Fruit perfectly well, and with incredible dispatch. The upper stone is fitly hollow'd. The work done by an ingenious Joyner or Carpenter in a neighbouring Village. And I hear, that others are now devising to make Cider-mills, like Malt-mills to be drawn about with a Horse or two, as their occasion shall require. Mr. Tarranton in his Improvement and Dialogue, p. 106, &c. describeth the Wind-mills and Water-mills, which he had seen amongst Forreigners for the great benefit of the Cloathing-trade. I have long since seen three Mills, a Paper-mill, a Fullers-mill for the benefit of Bewdley, and a Mill to grind Scyths and other Utensils of Husbandry, on the stream which feeds the three three fair Fishponds at Hurcours-lodge, near Kidderminster in Worcestershire. And I have marvailed, that in this Age of expert Engineers amongst us, we have not yet any Floating mills to grind Corn upon some of our Rivers, as in France. I thought it a strange and pleasant sight, when the Loire about Orleans was all over cover'd with thick Ice, to see some hundreds, as we thought, of their floating Corn-mills drawn up into the Loiret, within sight of the Spring-head, from which the River flows immediately. We may have need of such help, where Wears*, which hinder the making of our Rivers navigable, shall be broken down. Some years ago I have seen Engins bought at London about 4l. or 5l. price, to grind Wheat or Bread-corn by the hand-labour of a man, sufficient for a full Family, without much charges. And so was all our Malt ground by domestick Malt-mills, in my memory. The Ancients did grind all their Corn, or pound it in Cities and in Armies, even in Rome, in the Age of her grandeur, by mens handy labour. And because many do discourage themselves from planting Cider-orchards, saying, that if they had the fruit, they should yet want many matters too costly for them: For their sakes, I shall here instance, that in all the neighbourhood round about us, they that make 20 hogsheads of Cider yearly, and much more, do pound all their fruit in Troughs, made for the purpose deep and strong, with broad-feeted pounders, one, two, or three (as their need requireth) pounding together in the same Trough. And to me they hold the paradox stoutly, That without more cost or trouble, this is the best and cheapest way. Workmen are cheaper in the Country at some season, than in some Cities. And 'tis a charity to employ Men that want employment, rather than Beasts; and sometimes 'tis unsafe to trust, either to the Winds or to the Water. The Needle-makers will not take it well, that Needles should be made as easily, and cheap as Pins: Nor Glass-houses, that Glass should be made malleable. Sir, you said very well, that Cider-Orchards and Household-Gardens are convenient Adjuncts for Tradesmens granaries, N.131.p.796. But perhaps the truth of that expression extends further further than you are aware of. I shall explain it by Instances, which are here apparent before our eyes, and do seem to me worthy to be considered in most other parts of England. Cider (you know) costs no fuel to brew it, and the labour is but once in the year. 'Tis drawn by divine Chymistry; so many Trees, so many huge Alimbecks, which attend to that divine work constantly all the year; they need no Furnaces, to send forth a corroding smoak to choak all the City, to strangle them into Consumptions, and to corrupt all beauties and amenities. Neither Iron, Steel or Marble can resist the fumes of Brewinghouses; whereas Cider is of a thousand kinds ('tis as hard to number all sorts of Apples and Pears, as to number all sorts of Grapes and Figs,) proper to cure many diseases; and a kind vehicle for any healing Vegetable, or other Medical matters. To speak modestly and without an hyperbole; the Cider of the best Pepins duly ripened and kindly fermented, is a peculiar remedy for the Consumption; and generally all strong and pleasant Cider (as we have here) exciteth and cleanseth the stomach (which, if foul, is esteem'd by famous Physicians the Mother of all diseases:) It strengthneth digestion and infallibly frees the Kidneys and Bladder from breeding the Gravel and Stone. This is (above all) the peculiar excellency of the right Red-strake of Irchin field, when it escapes all sophisti- cations. But that which makes Cider fittest to accompany the Tradesmens granary, is, that if it be made of right Cider-fruits, so that it be full bodied, and strong, it will hold good without decay, and will yearly be much improved for some years, to the next plentiful year; as usually it falls out, and best of all in large Vessels; the larger, the better. Tradesmen should not be for bottled-Cider, which is commonly more windy, than healthful. It hath been tried from my Childhood in Vessels of 14, 15, or 16 hogsheads, of the free household measure, containing between 60 or 70 Statute gallons. I have been often told, that Sir John Winter had a Vessel, which contained 30, or at least 28 hogsheads. So that now for a fit match to a Granary (as Cider increaseth here) we have need to think of the great Vessel at Heydelberg, described in your Numb. 130. p. 768. If it be the same Vessel, which was made by Michael Vernains, and holds good still; it must be of long durance. For, this Cooper was famous (as I have it from good Authors) for making such a huge Vessel for Prince Frederick Elect. Palatine of Heidelberg, An. 1591. And a far greater, An. 1593, 1598, for Prince Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick. Sir John Winters Vessel is said to be hoop'd with Plates of Iron; these with Timber. To conclude this point soberly; When the Citizens shall ordinarily drink Cider well-diluted, as the French drink Wine, and as the sober people in all our Cider-countreys drink their washings of Cider (as they call it,) and Cider well diluted in the grinding time, and as they drink in London their Six shilling Beer, I am perswaded, it will much conduce to the health, which is the life of the people; For, Non est vivere, sed valere, vita. And I have often heard Labouring people affirm, that they are more strengthened for hard work by Cider largely diluted, than by very good Beer. Yet I have much more to say for Household Gardens, as a fit Match for Granaries. Cato, the Oracle of Rome, undertakes by copious Instances in his positive style, that Coleworts are a cure for all Sores and Diseases. His Universal medicine, Coleworts and Cabbages, with a little care, hold out seven or eight months. We have them all the year round; good sauce for Bacon as red as any Rose, as they have it in Herefordshire, where the Swine will get a share of the fruit, which fall from their hedges: And the Bacon of New Forest is generally commended. These are in good houses always at hand; and may be easily dressed without waste of much time. But Roots of all sorts, Rapes, Turneps, Carrots, Parsneps, Skirrets, Potato's, do challenge the precedence before Granaries: They are a kind of under-ground Granaries, and do oft-times hold out, when Corn faileth; specially the Potato's of Barbados, or of Virginia. The Potato's of Barbados (in our fresh memory) relieved Ireland from two years Famine, when their Corn failed there: As Chestnuts relieved France in the extremity of their Civil war, when their Ploughs were forsaken. These Potato's cost little or no culture, for ten years together, being only covered with Fern, or other light muck, and that turn'd in with the Earth; and two or three Roots, as often as there is occasion to take any of them up for use. And they should be taken up, here and there, (by small parcels,) where they grow thickest. A few Acres of these will run far to furnish a City, and the Country round about. Before and since you gave notice of them from me to the R.Society, they have been sold in the Markets of Bristol and Wells, at the price of four shillings per bushel; dear enough in respect of the easy propagation and easy culture, and cheap enough in respect of their use. Children of poor people thereabout, eat them raw (instead of Bread and other food) without hurt. Some do roast them in Embers, as they do Wardens; some do boil them, peel them, and eat them with Butter and Pepper, either served whole, or chopt, as they do Parsnips. Some do strengthen their Beer or Ale, or make good Drink with them. So they are, to them, instead of Corn and Malt, and an acceptable Treat. Every way they are a strong and wholesome nourishment for Labourers. Some do parboil them slightly, peel them, and mince or cut them in small bits, mingle them with slices of Fat flesh, seasoning all to their palate, and bake them in Pyes or Pastyes; and they esteem them a restorative delicacy, not much inferior to Artichocks. Artichocks were once a dainty for Emperors, saith Muffet; and were (in his remembrance) sold for a Crown apiece in England. Now they are cheap, and vulgar in France for more than half the year; and are eaten raw there with Pepper and Salt when no bigger than a Cloak-button, or fried in sweet Oil or Butter, or dressed to their mind, when they come to full maturity. Sir Hugh Platt hath taught us, how to keep ripe Artichocks green and fresh for all Christmas, in his Jewelhouse, chap. 1. and for Easter, in his Closet, 2. 69. So we may have them young, or ripe for the whole year-round. To return to Potatoes; I observe them to grow and prosper abundantly in much differing kinds of Soil, from the North of Shropshire to the Sea coast of Dorsetshire. But they like not a stiff and strong land. I tried them two years in a strong Wheat-land, and could get no good of them there. All the Roots, which were there generated, were little bigger than the bulbs of Saffron. In light and hollow land of the hottest ferment (which is commonly of little worth for Corn or Pasture,) there Potatoes thrive best and taste best. But now I am at a difficulty, whether the great difference, which we find find in the relish, be from the differing kinds of the Potatoes of Barbados and Virginia; or, whether those differ in kind (for both have the same resemblance above-ground,) or whether the difference, which we find, be only from the diversity of the Soyl. That the Soyl makes a great difference, and that all may be careful to choose a fit Soyl for their Garden-diet, I shall here offer some notable Instances to prove it. All the people here, (the very vulgar,) do find the Carrots, and Turnips or Rapes, from the common Fields of Meriot, eight miles from hence, Westward, far to excel other very good Turnips and Carrots in fatness and pleasing relish. And Cabbage-plants from the wide Fields of Lydiard, westward of Taunton (where they have a rich reddish Soyl) do so far excel all other the best Cabbage plants, that these Lydiard plants are bought in all places at 80 miles distance. In the Spring-time, when the ways are pretty deep, I see many Horses pass through this Town laden with Lydiard-plants, which they sell here, and in all Town many miles beyond Salisbury. All call for Lydiard-plants, and give more for them than for many other. They become sooner, and surer, and sweeter Cabbages. And Garden-plants are sometimes much altered in taste and properties, by the accidents of the year. In a doughty Summer, the Plague then being hot in London, we had Carrots in Northamptonshire from a kind Soyl, were they were wont to be very good; but then so rank, dry, and earthy, that we could not endure to see them on the Table. I hear that the Turnips of Hackney are better than other Turnips about London. We have here very good Turnips, white and yellow, which are fatter and esteemed more restorative. But all England wants the Bohemian Turnips, blood-red on the outside; which are extold by Muffet (as he found them in Prague) to be so restorative and delicate, that the Emperour himself nurseth them in his Garden. These Arguments I produce to invite them that have the kindest Soyl for these underground Granaries, Potatoes and Turnips, to get them immediately from Barbados, Jamaica and Prague, by Merchants, at the first hand, before they be degraded, or any ways vitiated by more unkind Soyl. And since there is a peculiar sort of Black Black Mulberries, which do far excel the rest for our Junkets, as all our old Books tell us all along down, till within these 1200 years, we must send for them to Naples or Sicily, or to Persia, whence our Silk trade came. The White Mulberries (as we call them) are for the finest Silk. The Spanish Potato requires diligent culture, much Sun, and a light and pregnant Garden-soil. In the modern Latin they are called Glandes Malacenses, being brought into Spain from Velez Malaga, a Province in America. They report that more than a dozen of their huge Spanish Ships were brought at one time to Sevil in Spain, fully freighted with these Potatoes, and were soon dispersed all over Spain. We say, the Spaniard is slow at every thing: But they may say, The Englishman in many parts of England, is more slow at the best Improvements of our own Country; witness our want of Vineyards, of Groves, of Mulberries, of the best Chestnuts, Wall-nuts, Figs, Almonds, which are wanting in most parts, and do not refuse to grow in our Climate. Mr. Hughes, in his American Physician, saith, The Potatoes of Jamaica, and of the Leeward Islands, Barbados, &c. do much exceed Spanish Potatoes, and are the best, the most wholesome and delicious Root in the whole World; that some of the Roots are yellowish, or of a golden colour, some white. We wish again, that we had them of all sorts at the first hand, to be tried in light and quick Land, a little shelving towards the South. Mushrooms and the Tubers or Tubera from Libya, were the choicest delicacies of Rome for many Ages. But I am not at leisure to serve Luxury; yet 'tis better, we should have the best at home, than be always at the charges to send for them. And 'tis probable that our own Native soil will make them wholesome for Englishmen.