And if the Moone runne then in the ſigne Piſces, at the firſt appearaunce of the dogge ſtarre aboue the earth, it after declareth much raine, and the death of byrdes. And yet doth it promiſe a ſufficient ſtore, & laudable plentifulneſſe, both of Wines, Oyle, and corne, but manye perſons ſhall be diſeaſed in that yeare.
¶Other profitable inſtructions, right neceſſarie for huſbandmen to know. Cap. iiij.
AND firſt if the horne of the Ramme (nere his eare) be boxed, the ſame doeth tame his fierceneſſe. And if his right genitour be truſſed vp before he goeth to couer the Ewe, then doeth he beget an Ewe lambe. And if the left be thus ſtraite truſſed vp, and the righte hanging downe, then doeth he begette a hee lambe.
And if in the time of the South wind blowing, the Ram doth then couer the Ewe, he doth after beget a ſhee lambe.
And if when the North wind bloweth the Ram doth then couer the Ewe, doth after beget a hee lambe. And of what colour alſo the vaines ſhal be vnder the tongue of the Ewe, ſuche ſhal the colour of the ſkinne of the lambe be, for if ſhe hath black vaines vnder the tong, then the Lambe ſhall be blacke of ſkin, and if white vaines vnder the tong, then ſhall ſhe haue a white lambe: and if of diuerſe colours, then the lambe ſhal be of diuerſe colours on the ſkin. And that antient Iſaac writeth, that Rams in their yong yeares be of leſſer moyſture and clammyneſſe, than be the ſucking lambs, and this is, through their age and qualitie then ruling.
And therefore the fleſhe of yong weathers be better, and ingender better bloud than the ſucking lambes.
And this is heere ſpoken of ſuch Rammes as be gelded, in that their moyſture and hoteneſſe is then temperate.
And the wethers ouer old are to be refuſed in eating, in that they be then cold and drie without moyſture, and they ſmallye nouriſh and hardly diſgeſt.
