Ghap. 64.] WORK FOR. WINTER. 83 



to be cut for torches : squared stays ^' for the vine may be pre- 

 pared, too, thirty in th'j day time, and if rounded,*^ as many as 

 sixty. In the long hours of the evening, too, some five squared 

 stays, or ten rounded ones may be got ready, and the same 

 number while the day is breaking. 



CHAP. 64. — WORK 10 BE DONE BETWEEN THE WINTER SOLSTICE 

 AND THE PREVALENCE OF THE WEST WINDS. 



Between the winter solstice and the period when the west 

 winds begin to prevail, the following, according to Caesar, are the 

 more important signs afforded by the constellations : the Dog 

 sets in the morning, upon the third ^ day before the calends of 

 January- ; a day on the evening of which the Eagle seta to the 

 people of Attica and the adjoining countries. On the day be- 

 fore^' the nones of January, according to Cresar's computation, 

 the Dolphin rises in the morning, and on the next day, the 

 Lyre, upon the evening of which the Arrow sets to the peo- 

 ple of Egypt. Upon the sixth ^ day before the ides of Janu- 

 ary, the Dolphin sets in the evening, and Italy has many days 

 of continuous cold ; the same is the case also when the sun 

 enters Aquarius, about the sixteen th^^ day before the calends of 

 February. On the eighth*^ before the calends of February, the 

 star which Tubero calls the Eoyal Star^^ sets in the morning in 

 the breast of Leo, and in the evening of the day before^ the 

 nones of February, the Lyre sets. 



During the latter days of this period, whenever the nature 

 of the weather will allow of it, the ground should be turned 

 up with a double mattock, for planting the rose and the vine 

 I — sixty men to a jugerum. Ditches, too, should be cleaned 

 I out, or new ones made ; and the time of day-break may be use- 

 fully employed in sharpening iron tools, fitting on handles, re- 

 j pairing such dolia^^ as may have been broken, and rubbing up 

 ind cleaning their staves. 



I 52 "Ridicas." 53 "Palos." 



I '^ Thirtieth of December. According to the Eoman reckoning, the third 



' lay would be the day but one before. 



'^ Fourth of January. "S Eighth of January. 



57 Seventeenth of January. *^ Twenty-fifth of January. 

 59 ♦' Regia Stella." ' «" Fourth of February. 



" Or wine-vats; by the use of the word " laminas," he seems to be 

 peaking not of the ordinary earthen dolia, but the w oden ones used in 

 iaul and the north of Italv. 



G 2 



