Chap. 65.] WOliK FOE WINTER. 85 



ever it may happen to be, on which the west winds begin to 

 prevail (for it is not always on the seventh before the ides of 

 February 72 that they do begin), whether, in fact, they begin 

 to blow before the usual time, as is the case with an early 

 spring, or whether after, which generally happens when the 

 winter is prolonged there are subjects innumerable to engage 

 the attention of the agriculturist, and those, of course, should 

 be the first attended to, which will admit of no delay. Three 

 month wheat must now be sown, the vine pruned in the way 

 we have already" described, the olive carefully attended to, 

 fruit-trees put in and grafted, vineyards cleaned and hoed, 

 seedlings laid out, and replaced in the nursery by others, the 

 reed, the willow, and the broom planted and lopped, and the 

 elm, the poplar, and the plane planted in manner already men- 

 tioned. At this period, also, the crops of corn ought to be 

 weeded, 74 and the winter kinds, spelt more particularly, well 

 hoed. In doing this, there is a certain rule to be observed, the 

 proper moment being when four blades have made their appear- 

 ance, and with the bean this should never be done until three- 

 leaves have appeared above ground ; even then, however, it is a 

 better plan to clean them onl} r with a slight hoeing, in preference 

 to digging up the ground but in no case should they ever be 

 touched the first fifteen days of their blossom. Barley must 

 never be hoed except when it is quite dry : take care, too, to 

 have all the pruning done by the vernal equinox. Four men 

 will be sufficient for pruning a jugerum of vineyard, and each 

 hand will be able to train fifteen vines to their trees. 75 



At this period, too, attention should be paid to the gardens 

 and rose- beds, subjects which will be separately treated of in 

 succeeding Books; due care should be given to ornamental 

 gardening as well. It is now, too, the very best time for 

 making ditches. The ground should now be opened for future 

 purposes, as we find recommended by Virgil 76 in particular, 

 in order that the sun may thoroughly warm the clods. It is a 

 piece of even more sound advice, which recommends us to 

 plough no lands in the middle of spring but those of mid- 

 dling quality ; for if this is done with a rich soil, we$ ds will be 

 sure to spring up in the furrows immediately ; and if, on the 



Seventh of February. 73 In B. xvii. c. 35. 



74 Fee approves of this method of weeding before the corn is in ear. 



75 In a day, probably. 76 Georg. i. 63. 



