450 plint's NATUBAL HISTOBY. [Book XVII. 



enormous clods ; though at the same time it should be borne 

 in mind that the soil which entails the greatest amount , of 

 labour is not always productive of the smallest amount of 

 profit. So, too, on the other hand, the eye can distinguish a 

 soil that is mixed with ashes or with white sand, while earth 

 that is sterile and dense may be easily detected by its peculiar 

 hardness, at even a single stroke of the mattock. 



Cato, 54 briefly and in his peculiar manner, characterizes the 

 defects that exist in the various soils. " Take care," he says, 

 " where the earth is rotten not to shake it either with carts or 

 by driving cattle over it." Now what are we to suppose that 

 this term "rotten" means, as applied to a soil, about which 

 he is so vastly apprehensive as to almost forbid our setting 

 foot upon it ? Let us only form a comparison by thinking 

 what it is that constitutes rottenness in wood, and we shall 

 find that the faults which are held by him in such aversion are 

 the being arid, full of holes, rough, white, mouldy, worm- 

 eaten, in fact, just like pumice-stone ; and thus has Cato said 

 more in a single word than we could have possibly found 

 means to express in a description, however long. Indeed, if 

 we could find means of expressing the various defects that 

 exist in soils, we should find that there are some of them that 

 are old, not with age (for age cannot 55 be concerned in relation 

 to the earth), but of their own nature, and are hence unfruit- 

 ful and powerless for every purpose from the first. The same 

 writer, 56 too, considers that as the very best of soils, which, 

 situate at the foot of a declivity, runs out into a champaign 

 country, taking a southward direction; such, in fact, being 

 the aspect of the whole of Italy : 57 he says 58 also, that the earth 

 generally known as black 59 earth is of a tender nature, and 

 is consequently the most easily worked and the best for cereals. 

 If we only appreciate with due care the signification of this 

 word " tender," 60 we shall find that it expresses its intended 

 meaning remarkably well, and that in this word is comprised 

 every quality that is desirable for the purposes of cultivation. 



54 De Re Rust. 5. 



55 This he says in reference to his belief, with Epicurus, in the eternity 

 of matter. 



56 De Re Rust. 1. 57 See B. iii. c. 6. 



58 De Re Rust. 151. 



59 "Pulla." The " vegetable" earth of modern botanists. 



60 "Teneram." 



