496 plint's NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XVII. 



the vine, it remains for us to treat with a particular degree of 

 care of the nature of the vine itself. 



The shoots of the vine, as also of certain other trees, the 

 interior of which is naturally of a spongy quality, have certain 

 knots or joints upon the stem that intercept the pith. The in- 

 tervals between these joints in the branches are short, and 

 more particularly so towards the extremities. The pith, in 

 itself the vivifying spirit of the tree, is always taking an 

 onward direction, so long as the knot, by being open in the 

 centre, allows it a free passage. If, however, the knot should 

 become solidified and deny it a passage, the pith is then thrown 

 downward upon the knot that lies next below it, and making 

 its escape, issues forth there in the shape of a bud, these buds 

 always making their appearance on each side alternately, as 

 already mentioned in the case of the reed and the giant- 

 fennel ; 81 in other words, where one bud makes its appearance 

 at the bottom of a knot to the right, the next one takes its place 

 on the left, and so on alternately. In the vine this bud is known 

 as the " gem," 82 as soon as the pith has formed there a small 

 round knob ; but before it has done this, the concavity that is 

 left upon the surface is merely called the " eye :" 83 when situate 

 at the extremity of the shoot, it is known as the " germ." 84 

 It is in the same way, too, that the stock branches, suckers, 

 grapes, leaves, and tendrils of the vine are developed : and it 

 is a very surprising fact, that all that grows on the right 85 

 side of the tree is stronger and stouter than on the left. 



Hence it is, that when slips of this tree are planted, it is 

 necessary to cut these knots in the middle, in order to prevent 

 the pith from making its escape. In the same way, too, 

 when planting the fig, suckers are taken, nine inches in length, 

 and after the ground is opened they are planted with the part 

 downwards that grew nearest to the tree, and with a couple of 

 eyes protruding from the earth — in slips of trees, that part is 

 properly called the eye which is to give birth to the future 

 bud. It is for this reason that, in the seed-plots even the 



ludes to the trees from which the uprights or stays for the vine are cut, or 

 which produce osiers for baskets and bindings required in the vintage. 



81 See B. xiii. c. 42, and B. xvi. c. 65. 



82 ' l Gemma." A name now given by botanists to the buds in general. 



83 " Oculus." A bud undeveloped is still so called. 



84 Germen. 



65 This remark is not confirmed by experience. 



