ee Barlyes the first is most in vse, as being most apt and
proper to euery soyle, whether it be fruitfull or barraine, in this our
kingdome, but they haue all one shape, colour and forme, except the
soyle alter them, onely the spike-Barly is most large and plentifull,
the common Barly hardest and aptest to grow, and the beane-Barly least,
palest, & tenderest, so that with vs it is more commonly seene in
gardens then in fields, although in other Countries, as in Fraunce,
Ireland, and such like, they sowe no other Barly at all, but with vs it
is of no such generall estimation, and therefore I will neither giue it
precedencie nor speake of it, otherwise then to referre it to the
discreation of him who takes delight in many practises: but for the
common Barly, or spike-Barly, which our experience findes to be
excellent and of great vse, I will knit them in one, and write, my full
opinion of them, for their choise in our seede. You shall know then that
when you goe into the market to chuse Barly for your seede, you shall to
your best power elect that which is whitest, fullest, and roundest,
being as the ploughman calles it, a full bunting Corne, like the nebbe
or beake of a Bunting, you shall obserue that it be all of one Corne,
and not mingled, that is, clay Barly, and sand Barly together, which you
shall distinguish by these differences: the clay Barly is of a palish,
white, yellow colour; smoth, full, large, and round, and the sand Barly
is of a deepe yellow, browne at the neather end, long, slender, and as
it were, withered, and in generall no sand Barly is principall good for
seede: but if the Barly be somewhat of a high colour, and browne at the
neather end, yet notwithstanding is very full, bould, and bigge, then it
is a signe that such Barly comes not from the sand, but rather from an
ouer fat soyle, sith the fatnesse of the earth doth euer alter the
complection of the Barly; for the whiter Barly euer the leaner soyle,
and better seede: you shall also obserue, that there be not in it any
light Corne, which is a kinde of hungry graine without substance, which
although it filleth the seeds-mans hand, yet it deceiueth the ground,
and this light Corne will commonly be amongst the best Barly: for where
the ground is so rich that it bringeth forth the Barly too rankely,
there the Corne, wanting power to stand vpon roote, falleth to the
ground, and so robde of kindly ripening, bringeth forth much light and
insufficient graine