Book IV, chapters 5–7: Housekeeping and the increase of household-stuff

CHAP. V.

Of the manner how to gather fruits; as also how to help and dresse the stalk that grows into them, whereby we may prevent the first original, and the occasion of their putrefaction.

WHereas our Ancestors did perceive that the first beginning of putrefaction in fruits did arise from the little stalk that grows into them, or from that part of the fruit where the stalk is entertained into it; (for it is requisite, that the beginning of the spoil, and destruction of them should arise in the very same part, wherein they began first to live and receive their nourishment) they have therefore devised sundry means whereby to prevent all such mischief and harm, as the stalk might bring upon the fruit, Moreover, fruits are very carefully to be gathered, especially those which we would lay up for store, that they be not knockt and hit one against the other; for the hitting of them together will cause their putrefaction. Besides, we must see that they be in their best estate when we gather them, that they be not perfectly ripe; for as they must not be altogether sharp and green when they are gathered, so neither must they be come to their full ripenesse. Furthermore, the fruits that you would lay up, you must take a diligent view of them, and see that they be sound, without any bruise, or speckednesse, or worm in them. But let come to examples. And first

How we must gather Apples, and how we must dress their stalks.

Columella would have such Apples to be preserved, which have a good relish, and are gathered when they are reasonable ripe: and he would have them to be so disposed and placed when they are laid up, that the blossome-end should stand upward, and the stalk-end downward, even so as they grow upon the Tree: but they must not be laid to touch one another: neither must they be thoroughly ripe when they are gathered, but somewhat sharp and sowre. Besides, you must see that every several kind of Apples must be laid up in a several room or cell by themselves: for when sundry kinds are laid together in one cell, there will be a disagreement amongst them, and so they will the sooner putrifie. Experience whereof we have in wine; which if it be made of sundry kinds of grapes, it will not be so durable, as when it is made onely of one kinde. Palladius saith, If you keep Apples in store, you must gather them very charily, that they be taken off from the Tree without any blemish; and you must drench their stalks in scalding pitch, and so place them upon a boarded loft, with the stalk-end downward; and you must take heed that you do not touch them, nor meddle with them till we take them out as being fit for our use. Pliny likewise sheweth, that Apples must be placed upon their stalk-ends. Apuleius the Greek counselleth us to gather our Apples when they are in their full strength; and we must take special regard, that they be gathered by hand without any bruise; and then laid up in such sort that they may not touch one another: but in any case they must be sound, and not thoroughly ripe. He saith moreover, that if you besmear the tops of the Apples with the juice of green Rag-wort, it will preserve them from putrefaction. If you would have

Citrons to last long,

Palladius counselleth you to gather them with their boughs which they grow upon, and lay them up in several, as we shewed before out of Pontanus. Columella shews

How Pears must be gathered that they may endure long;

namely, if you gather them before they be thoroughly ripe: and Palladius saith, that they must be gathered charily by hand, that they may not be bruised; and you must diligently cull out from them, all such as have fallen from the Tree, and lay up none but those that are very sound, and somewhat hard and green, and such as are gathered with their stalks upon them. Democritus saith that those Pears will keep best, which are besmeared with pitch about the stalk, and so hung up. We will also shew the manner how to gather,

Cervices, that they may last.

Marcus Varro saith that Cervises are to be gathered even while they are very sowre, and so to be hung up, that they may ripen but slowly, and that also within doors: for if you lay them up when they are grown to some ripenesse, they will not last so long. Theophrastus by this means procured Cervices to defer their ripening even until Winter. Columella saith, they must be charily gathered with your hand. Pliny saith, they must be hanged up as they are upon their boughs. Palladius saith, they must be gathered when they are hard, and so hanged up together with their stalks in some close and dark place. So

Figs are to be laid up as they are upon their boughs,

as Africanus teaches; but, saith he, they must be gathered before they be ripe: for when once they are come to be ripe, they will hang no longer upon their Tree, as other fruits do, but fall off presently. They are also to be gathered and laid up with their stalk or their navel upon them, that is, the part which they hold by, and depend upon their mother: for if they be so gathered, they will last the longer sound and good. Palladius also would have them to be gathered while they be green and unripe, and that with their stalks upon them, and so to be laid up. Cato saith, that the boughs of the Fig-tree whereon the figs grow, are to be preserved together with their fruit; and those figs that you would keep, must be gathered somewhat green and sowre. Columella saith, that Figs, if we would keep them long, must be gathered, neither when they are very ripe, nor yet when they are too green. Palladius saith, that if you would have

Peaches well kept,

you must fill up the navel of the Peach, that is, that part of the Peach whereby it closeth with the stalk, with one drop of scalding pitch. I for my part have preserved

Damosins a great while together,

by hanging them up with their stalks, upon the rafters of an house; but there is none so good to be kept, as those that are of a purple colour. Palladius would have them to be gathered while they are unripe, yet he would not have them too raw; but in any case they must be very sound, and without any worm, or bruise, or any other blemish. So also the fruit called

Ziziphum may be preserved,

if it be gathered with the boughs that it grows upon, and folded or wrapt up in his own leaves, and so hung upon the beams of an house, as Palladius sheweth. So

Medlars may be kept long,

if you gather them when they are but half-ripe, and hang them up with their boughs in some house. Beritius shews,

How Pomegranates are to be gathered and laid up to last.

You must gather them, saith he, with a very chary hand, lest if you touch them somewhat roughly, they should be hurt or bruised; and that would be an occasion of their putrefaction. Columella saith, that Pomegranates are to be gathered with their stalks, and the stalks to be put into an Elder-tree; because the Elder-tree is so full of pith, that it may easily entertain the Pomegranate stalks. The same Author reports out of Mago the Carthaginian, that all fruits, which you would lay up in store, must be gathered with their stalks upon them; yea, and if it may be without the spoil or hurt of the Tree, they must be gathered with their boughs too; for this will be very helpful to cause the fruit to last the longer. Palladius saith, that Pomegranates may be preserved best, if you gather them sound, and lay pitch upon their stalks, and hang them up in due order: nay, they will keep so much the better, the longer the boughs are, which are pluckt off from the Tree with them. Pliny saith, that they are to be gathered with their boughs, and the boughs to be stuck into the Elder pith, and so to be preserved. Cato shews, how we may preserve

Myrtle twigs with their berries upon them.

They must be taken from the Tree when the berries are somewhat sowre, and so bound up with their leaves about them. Didymus hath taught us, how we must gather

Grapes that they may last long.

We must take special heed that every grape be perfect and sound; and for this cause we must have a very sharp knife or hook, to cut of those grapes that are unsound easily and without any stroke, even with one touch as it were. When you gather your grapes, they must be in their full strength, neither too raw, nor yet past their best liveliness. Some cut off the branches together with the clusters; and when they have so done, they espy out all the grapes that are either putrified, or dryed away, or unripe, and pluck them off with a pair of nippers, lest they should infect their fellows; and after this, they take the branches whereon the cluters grow, and that end which was cut, they dip into scalding pitch, every one by it self. Others hold, that grapes must be hanged up in some high roof, where the air may have full scope at them; but the grapes must be none of those which grow toward the tops of the branches, but they must be the lower clusters. Palladius saith; If we would have grapes to last, we must see that we gather such as are without blemish; they must not be too harsh and sowre, neither must they be over-ripe, but it must be a very clear grape to the eye, and somewhat soft to be felt, and yet it must have a reasonable tough skin. If there be any amongst them that is bruised, or hath any other blemish, we must cut it way; neither must we suffer amongst them any one that is over hard, which the Sun hath not in some sort overcome with his heat: After all this, we must drench the cut ends of the stalks in scalding pitch, and so hang them up.

CHAP. VI.

In what grounds those fruits should grow and be gathered, which we would lay up.

WE must not omit to speak of another necessary observation in this matter; namely, in what ground, in what air, under what Climate, it is best that those fruits, which we should lay up, should grow and be gathered. Whatsoever fruits do grow i[…] moist and waterish, in hollow and low grounds; as also those which grow in such grounds as are much soiled and manured with fat muck; they are much subject to putrefaction; for, in as much as they grow with great store of moisture and heat in them, they have the occasion and original of their own bane within their own bosome. But in wilde fruits, and such as grow upon the tops of mountains, in dry grounds, and such as are not manured at all, and such as the Southern heat doth continually beat upon, it falleth out clean otherwise: for the fruits that grow in such places, are for the most part, dry, and very solide, not abounding either with heat or moisture. Hesiodus in his book of Husbandry, never makes any mention of muck or soiling, and questionless, he would never have omitted such a necessary part of Husbandry as this is, but that he saw the inconvenience of it in this respect, that it makes the fruit more subject to putrefaction, and many infirmities. Fruits that grow in wilde and stony grounds, where the winde hath his full force, will preserve themselves without any skill and device practised upon them: wherefore, if other sleights be added, which are helpful to their preservation, they will surely last much the longer. But let us see whether Antiquity hath made any mention of this matter; and first let us hearken to Theophrastus, who shews

In what ground there grow the best Dates or Palms to be preserved for store.

If you preserve and lay up any Dates or Palms, saith he, you must make choice of those which grow in sandy grounds, as in that Country which is called Syria cava: and there are in all that Country but three sandy places where they do grow, and these are excellent good to be preserved; those which grow in other places, are not durable, but presently wax rotten. Of all those Palms which Syria yeelds, it is held by some, that none are good to last, but those only which grow in the Palme-valley, a place so called there. But those which grow in Aegypt, and Cyprus, and elsewhere, they are all very soon putrified. And Pliny reports out of the same Author, that those Palms which grow in salt and sandy grounds, as in Judaea, and Cyreni[…]n Africa, may be preserved: but not those which grow in Cyprus, Aegypt, Syria, and Seleucia of Assyria. The same Theophrastus speaking of Beans, shews

In what ground there grow the best Beans to be preserved for store.

One Country, saith he, differs from another, and one Climate differs also from another, in respect of the fruits that grow in them, either to be good to lay up, or to be subject to putrefaction. And therefore the Beans that grow in Apollonia which is neer to the Ionian Sea, are not subject at all to any worms or rottennesse, so that they are best of all other to be preserved. Likewise the Beans that grow about Cizicum are very durable.

CHAP. VII.

How fruits must be shut up and kept close that the air come not at them.

WE have shewed before, that, if we would preserve fruit long, we must keep away both heat and moisture from them; both which qualities are found in the air. Wherefore we will first set down the devices of Antiquity in this behalf; and then our own devices and experiments. And first

How to keep Apples close without putrifying.

We will begin with Aristotle, who saith, that fruits are to be kept in bottles full of air, that so the extrinsecal air may be excluded; for thus he speaks in his Problems. Whence cometh it, that the fruits of Trees, and flesh, and such like, do last without putrefaction, when they are shut up in bottles full of air, or in other vessels that are well covered, and closed up on every side? It is because all things are wont to be corrupted when they are stirred or removed, but when things are filled, they stand unmoveable? for it cannot be, that any thing should be moved, unless there be some vacant space to be moved in: now those things which are so shut up, are every way full, and therefore are preserved without corruption. As if he should say; the air which is so enclosed, cannot so soon procure putrefaction, by reason that it is not so subject to the daily alterations of the circumstant air. Or, if the fruit could send forth their heat and moisture which is in them, yet it should be kept in upon them by the fulness of the bottles. But let us see what the Masters of Husbandry do teach concerning this matter. As for example

How to preserve Citrons close without putrifying.

Palladius doth thus preserve them from the air. He shuts up every Citron in a several vessel by it self, and plaisters them up, and sets them orderly in a fit place prepared for that purpose. Sotion saith, that the Pome-Citron must be very well plaistered over with stampt morter, that so it may keep one whole year together, without any harm or blemish. So have others taught us the way

How to keep Apples shut up close.

Columella saith, that every several kind of Apples is to be placed in a several cell by themselves; for when divers kinds are shut up in one and the same cell, they will not agree so well together, but will soon putrifie: But when you have disposed of your Apples that they are set in good order, then shut up the lids of the coffer or cell upon them; and plaister the lids over with lome, that hath straw chopt in it, lest the air get in. Palladius would have every apple placed by it self in a several earthen vessel, which must be pitched within, and plaistered over with morter, or else they may be lapt up in clay, and so preserved. Pliny saith, that the custom in his time was, to make choice of the goodliest apples, and to plaister them over with morter or wax, that it may be like a crust upon them: but, saith he, they must be fully ripe first; for otherwise they will grow and wax bigger, and so break out of their houses. Others put every several Apple or Pear into a several earthen vessel, and besmear the vessels all over with pitch, and then put the vessels with the fruit in them, into a barrel or tub, and so preserve them. Apuleius was wont to preserve them in an earthen pot laid all about on the inside with wax. Some preserve them by lapping them up in Reits or Sea-weed, and so shutting them up into earthen pitchers: but they must be every one wrapt up severally by it self, and so laid, that they may not touch each other; and besides, the pitchers must be very well and close covered. Columella prescribes this course whereby

Quinces are to be shut up, that they may last.

They must be wrapt up in Fig-leaves; and you must take some Potters white earth and put in Wine-lees to it, to make morter of them, and with that morter besmear the Quinces: then you must put them into some new vessels, and cover them all over with some dry plaistering that they may not touch one another. Palladius puts them between two tile-sheards, and closes them up with Lome round about; and then covers them over with dry plaistering, and so layes them up in a New pot or basen, that they may be kept asunder. Democritus doth first cover them over with leaves, and then he makes morter of clay or of some Potters chalk with hair chopt into it, wherewith he besmears the Quinces; and when he hath dryed them in the Sun, he layes them up: and whensoever he would use any of them, he breaks up their case, and there finds his Quinces in the same taking as they were, when he put them in. But Pliny teacheth us very briefly, that if we would keep Quinces long, we must shut them up so close, that no air may come at them. By the like means, you may preserve

All things close exceeding well,

Mago, when he would preserve any fruit close, he covers them all over very carefully with Potters chalk, and then dries it in the Sun; and if there happen to be any chap in the mould, he stoppeth it up with lome, and so when it is drie, layes it up. Others take a new earthen pitcher, and strew it with the dust or shavings of Poplar, or else of the Holm-tree; and then they place the fruit in it, in such sort that there lies some of the dust betwixt every fruit: then they boord that space, and make a floor over that stoary; and having so done, they strew the second stoary with the like dust, and there also dispose of their fruit as in the other stoary: then they boord that space too, and make a third stoary, and so a fourth, and so forward till the pitcher be filled up: and when it is full, they lay a covering upon it, and plaister it over very carefully with thick lome. Others put their fruit into a barrel, but they place them in such order, that the one may not touch the other; and then they close up the barrel again, as Palladius reporteth. Africanus teacheth a way whereby

Figs may be shut up to be preserved long,

You must take a green Gourd, and make in it certain cells or hollow places of receipt, for every several fig a several cell; Into these cells you must put your figs, and wrap the gourd about with a swathe of cloath or leather, and then hang up the gourd in a dark place where neither fire nor smoak may come at them: But you must see that the figs which you would thus preserve, have their tails ar stalks upon them. Others take a cup of glasse, or some other cup that you may see thorough, and set it upon the figs with the mouth downward, and stop up with wax every place round about, that no air may come within the cups mouth; and so the figs are preserved without any corruption. Palladius rehearseth the very same experiment out of the same Author, Likewise

Cervises may be shut up in barrels,

and thereby be preserved a great while. You must take Cervices presently as they are gathered, and make choice of those that are not bruised nor blemished any way: These you must put into a barrel, and shut up the mouth of the barrel very close, and plaister it over with morter. Or else you may take clay morter, that is well made, and beaten together, that it may be about the thickness of honey, and drench your Cervises in it, and then hang them up: so you may preserve them sound a while; and afterward you must wash them, that the morter which sticks upon them, may fall off. So, the fruit

Ziziphum may be shut up in earthen vessels

to be long preserved, as Palladius sheweth. But they must be gathered by hand, and that not before they be ripe; and you must shut them up in long earthen vessels, and plaister them over, and so lay them up. He sheweth also that

Medlars, and the fruit Tuber may be shut up in pitchers, so to be preserved.

You must put your Medlars into pitchers, that are besmeared with pitch on the inside; but the pitchers wherein you put your Tubers, must not only be pitched on the in-side, but also daubed over on the out-side. So Didymus sheweth, that

Myrtle-berries may be very well kept

to last long, if you gather them when they are green, and put them into a vessel, that is not pitched, and so cover it close, and lay them up. Others lay them up with tails or stalks upon them. Palladius sheweth, that

Nuts may be long preserved,

if you shut them up close in coffers; but the coffers must be made of Nut-tree. The same Palladius shews, that

Chest-nuts may be long preserved,

if you put them in wicker baskets, and plaister up the baskets round about: but the rods which the baskets be made of must be Beechen-rods; and they must be made up so close, that no air may come at that fruit which is in them. Likewise

Roses may be shut up to be preserved,

if you take green Barley being pluckt up by the roots, and put them into a barrel that is not pitched, and lay Roses in amongst it before they be blown: for by this means you may keep them long. So also you may shut up

Lillies, to make them last a whole year.

You must gather them with their boughs, as they grow, before they be blown, and put them into new earthen vessels that were never pitched, and when you have covered the vessels, lay them up; and so shall you have Lillies of a year old. But if you have use for any of them in the mean time, bring them forth into the Sun, and by the heat thereof they will be opened and blown. We will shew also out of Didymus, how

Grapes may be shut up to last long,

Some take certain cases that are pitched all within, and when they have strewed them with the dust or dry powder of the Pitch-tree, or the Firre-tree, or the black Poplar-tree, or else with the dry flower of Millet, then they put in their grapes, and so they last long: but they take their grapes presently after the time of Vintage, and make special choice of those grapes that are without any bruise or blemish, and they shut up the mouth of the vessels very close, and overlay them with morter. Or else they may be drenched in clay-morter, that is well beaten, and somewhat liquid, and then be hanged up, and so kept for a while, and afterward when you would use them, wash them over, that the morter may fall off. Columella saith; you must take the great Teat-grape, or else the hard-skinned grape, or else the fair purple-grape, from the Vine, and presently pitch their stalks with hard pitch: then take a new earthen Vatt, and fill it with dry chaffe well sifted, that it be without dust, and so hang up your grapes upon it: then take another Vat, and cover therewith the former, grapes and all: and when you have laid the brims of both vatts together, then daube them up with more that is made with chopped straw; and when you have so done, place them in a very dry loft, and cover them all over with dry chaffe[…]

Wheat may be laid up close to be preserved,

by putting it into caves or pits of the earth, as we have shewed out of Varro; for the Cappadocians and Thracians put their Corn into Caves and Dens; the Spaniards put it into certain pits, and make special provision that the moisture and air may not come at them; except it be when they take cut any for their use; for if the air do not breath upon it, it will be free from the mice and such like vermine: and it is known, that Corn being thus laid up, hath been kept clean and sweet fifty years together. Marcus Varro saith, that

Beans and Pulse have been laid up in vessels, and so preserved for a long time:

but they must be oyle-vessels, and they must be covered over with ashes. Pliny writes the very same experiment out of Varro; that Beans and Pulse being laid up in oylebuts, and covered over with ashes, have lasted a great while; and being laid up in some hole of the earth, they have lasted an hundred and twenty years. So the Pulse called

Lintels, have been preserved long,

as Columella sheweth: for if you put them into oyle-vessels, or else into salting-tubs, that they may be full, and so plaister them over with morter, whensoever you take them forth again for your use, you shall find your Lintels sweet and good.