66 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTOET. [Book XVIII. 



CHAP. 50. (21.) THE METHODS OF HARROWING, STUBBING, AND 

 HOEING, EMPLOYED FOE EACH DESCRIPTION OF GRAIN. THE 

 USE OF THE HARROW. 



For winter wheat, spelt, wheat, zea, 68 and barley, harrow, 

 hoe and stub upon the days which will be mentioned 69 in the 

 sequel. A single hand per jugerum will be quite enough for 

 any one of these kinds of grain. The operation of hoeing 

 loosens the ground in spring when it has been hardened and 

 saddened by the rigours of the winter, and admits the early 

 sun to the interior. In hoeing, every care must be taken not 

 to go beneath the roots of the corn ; in the case of wheat, zea, 

 and barley, it is best to give a couple of hoeings. Stubbing, 70 

 when the crop is just beginning to joint, cleanses it of all 

 noxious weeds, disengages the roots of the corn, and liberates 

 the growing blade from the clods. Among the leguminous 

 plants, the chick-pea requires the same treatment that spelt 

 does. The bean requires no stubbing, being quite able of itself 

 to overpower all weeds ; the lupine, too, is harrowed only. 

 Millet and panic are both harrowed and hoed ; but this opera- 

 tion is never repeated, and they do not require stubbing. 

 Fenugreek and the kidney- bean require harrowing only. 



There are some kinds of ground, the extreme fertility of 

 which obliges the grower to comb down the crops while in the 

 blade this is done with a sort of harrow 71 armed with pointed 

 iron teeth and even then he is obliged to depasture cattle upon 

 them. When, however, the blade has been thus eaten down, 

 it stands in need of hoeing to restore it to its former vigour. 



But in Bactria, and at Cyrenae in Africa, all this trouble has 

 been rendered quite unnecessary by the indulgent benignity of 

 the climate, and after the seed is in, the owner has no occasion 

 to return to the field till the time has come for getting in the 

 harvest. In those parts the natural dryness of the soil prevents 

 noxious weeds from springing up, and, aided by the night dews 

 alone, the soil supplies its nutriment to the grain. Virgil 72 

 recommends that the ground should be left to enjoy repose every 

 other year ; and this, no doubt, if the extent of the farm will 

 admit of it, is the most advantageous plan. If, however, cir- 



s * li Semen," " seed-wheat," a variety only of spelt. 

 69 In e. v 65 of this Book. 70 Runcatio. 



71 Crates. Ge org. i. 71. 



