CHAP. 40.—SECALE OR ASIA.
The people of Taurinum, at the foot of the Alps, give to
secale [Note] the name of "asia;" it is a very inferior [Note] grain, and
is only employed to avert positive famine. It is prolific, but
has a straw of remarkable thinness; it is also black and
sombre-looking, but weighs extremely heavy. Spelt is mixed
with this grain to modify its bitterness, [Note] and even then it is
very disagreeable to the stomach. It will grow upon any soil,
and yields a hundred-fold; it is employed also as a manure
for enriching the land.
