l.OS PLINY'S NATURAL HISTOKT. [Book XIX. 



and the Athenians on the slopes of Hymettus. Sisyrnbrium, 

 too, is planted in a similar manner ; it grows to the greatest 

 perfection upon the walls of wells, and around fish preserves 

 and ponds. 17 



CHAP. 56. (9.) FOUR KINDS OF FERFLACEOTJS PLANTS. HEMP. 



The other garden plants are of the ferulaceous kind, such as 

 fennel, for instance, very grateful to serpents, as already 

 stated, 18 and used for numerous seasonings when dried ; thapsia, 

 too, which bears a close resemblance to fennel, and already 

 mentioned by us when speaking 19 of the exotic shrubs. Then, 

 too, there is hemp, 20 a plant remarkably useful for making 

 ropes, and usually sown after the west winds have begun to 

 prevail : the more thickly it is sown, the thinner are the 

 stalks. The seed is gathered when ripe, just after the autumnal 

 equinox, and is dried by the agency of the sun, the wind, or 

 smoke. 21 The hemp itself is plucked just after vintage- time, 

 and is peeled and cleaned by the labourers at night. 



The best hemp is that of Alabanda, 22 which is used more 

 particularly for making hunting-nets, and of which there are 

 three varieties. The hemp which lies nearest the bark or the 

 pith, is the least valuable, while that which lies in the middle, 

 and hence has the name of " mesa," is the most esteemed. 

 The hemp of Mylasa 23 occupies the second rank. With re- 

 ference to the size to which it grows, that of Rosea, 23 * in the 

 Sabine territory, equals the trees in height. 24 



We have already mentioned two kinds of fennel-giant when 

 speaking 25 of the exotic shrubs : the seed of it is used in Italy 

 for food ; the plant, too, admits of being preserved, and, if 

 stored in earthen pots, will keep for a whole year. There are 



17 The plants, Fee says, that we find in these localities, are nearly 

 always ferns, or else Marchantia, or mosses of the genus Hypnum. Fee 

 queries whether one of these may not have been the sisymbrium of Pliny. 

 Water-cresses, again, have been suggested. 



18 In B. viii. c. 41. The Anaethum fceniculum of Linnaeus. 



19 In B. xiii. c. 42. 



20 The Cannabis sativa of Linnaeus. See B. xx. c. 97. 



21 Hemp-seed is never smoke-dried now. 



22 See B. v. c. 29. The same hemp is mentioned as being used for 

 making hunting-nets, by Gratius, in the Cynegeticon. 



23 See B. v. c. 29. 23 * See B. iii. c. 17, andB. xvii. c. 3 



24 This, as Fee says, is no doubt erroneous. It is seldom known to at- 

 tain a couple of inches in circumference. 25 In B. xiii, c. 42. 



