I A C E T ARIA.

But all these sorts are not to be had at the very fame time, andtherefore we have divided them into the Quarterly Seasons, each con-taining and lasting Three Months.

Note, That by Tarts is to be understood a Tugil: which is no morethan one does usually take up between the Thumb and the two nextFingers. By Fascicule, a reasonable full Gripe, or Handful.

farther ‘Directions concerning the proper Seasonsfor the Gathering, Composing, and Dressing ofa SALLET.

A ND Fits, as to the Season , both Tlants and Roots are thenproperly to b t gathered, and in prime, when most they aboundwith Juice and in Vigour: Some in the Spring , or a little anticipatingit before they Blossom, or are in full Flower: Some in the AutumnalMonths; which later Season many prefer the Sap of the Herb, tho’ notin such Exuberance, yet as being then better concocted, and lo render’dfit for Salleting, ’till the Spring begins afrelh to put forth new and ten-der Shoots and Leaves.

This indeed, as to the Root newly taken out of the Ground, is true;and therefore should such have their Germination stopp’d the sooner: Theapproaching and prevailing Cold, both maturing and impregnating'them;as does Heat the contrary, which now would but exhaust them : Butfor those other Esculents and Herbs employ’d in our Compositions ofSallets , the early Spring, and ensuing Months (till they begin tomount, and prepare to Seed) is certainly the most natural and kindlySealon to collect and accommodate them for the Table. Some CriticalImpertinents refer not to the very Day only, but to the very Hour andMinute; for instance, the Bellis-major to the 4 th, $th, 6th, and jthof April before Sun-rising, and certain Minutes before or after, to ren-der the Roots emollient, and prevalent against the Taljy : But for theHemeroids in June, Three Days before the Full, in the Evening.There is indeed, in the gathering a Melon, some Accuracy to be oblerv’dc as to the time of the Day, in respect of Sun, and just point of Perfe-ction: But for this let none conlult Culpeper, or the Figure-fingers,to inform them when the governing Tlanet is in its Exaltation', butlook upon the Fruits and Tlants themselves, and judge of their Vir-tues by their own Complexions.

Moreover, in Gathering, relpect is to be had to their Proportions,as provided for in the Table under that Head, be the Quality whatso-ever: For tho’ there is indeed nothing more whollome than ''Lettuceand Musard for the Head and Eyes ; yet either of them eaten in ex-cess, were highly prejudicial to them both: Too much of the firs ex-treamly debilitating and weakning the Ventricle, and hastning the fur-ther decay of sickly Teeth ; and of the second, the Optic Nerves, andSight it less: The like may be said of all the rest. I conceive therefore,a prudent Perlon, well acquainted with the Nature and Properties otSallet-Herbs, Stc. to be both the fittest Gatherer and Composer too',which yet will require no great Cunning, after once he is acquainted withQur Table and Catalogue.

We

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