92 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XVIII. 



rieties; the Italian, 30 which is considerably shorter than the 

 other, and can be handled among underwood even ; and the 

 Gallic, which makes quicker work 31 of it, when employed on 

 extensive domains, for there they cut the grass in the middle 

 only, and pass over the shorter blades. The Italian mowers 

 cut with one hand only. It is a fair day's work for one man 

 to cut a jugerurn of grass, and for another to bind twelve hun- 

 dred sheaves of four pounds each. When the grass is cut it 

 should be turned towards the sun, and must never be stacked 

 until it is quite dry. If this last precaution is not carefully 

 taken, a kind of vapour will be seen arising from the rick in 

 the morning, and as soon as the sun is up it will ignite to a 

 certainty, and so be consumed. When the grass has been cut, 

 the meadow must be irrigated again, for the purpose of ensur- 

 ing a crop in the autumn, known to us as the " cordum," or 

 aftermath. At Interamna in Umbria the grass is cut four 

 times 32 a-year, and this although the meadows there are not 

 irrigated, in most places, three. After all this has been done, 

 too, the pasturage of the land is found no less lucrative than 

 the hay it has produced. This, however, is a matter of con- 

 sideration for those more particularly who rear large herds of 

 cattle, and every one whose occupation it is to breed beasts of 

 burden, will have his own opinions upon the subject : it is 

 found, however, the most lucrative of all by those whose busi- 

 ness it is to train chariot-horses. 



CHAP. 68. THE SUMMER SOLSTICE. 



We have already stated 33 that the summer solstice arrives at 

 the eighth degree of Cancer, and upon the eighth day before 34 

 the calends of July : this is an important crisis in the year, 

 and of great interest to the whole earth. Up to this period 

 from the time of the winter solstice the days have gone on 

 increasing, and the sun has continued for six months making 

 his ascension towards the north ; having now surmounted the 

 heights of the heavens, at this point he reaches the goal, and 



30 Similar in shape to our sickle, or reaping hook, no doubt. 



31 " Majoris compendii." Similar to our reaping-hook, also. Fee 

 thinks that the former was similar to the u faux faucille," or false sickle, 

 the latter to the common sickle of the French. 



32 Fee says that this is the case in some parts of France. 



33 In c. 59 of this Book. 



31 Twenty-fourth of June. See the last Chapter. 



