ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, VIII. vi. 2-5 



and sun, as well as the soil itself, he would more 

 properly gauge 1 the differences. 



Similarly manuring 2 for the sown crops should be 

 done with regard to the soil ; and it is better to turn 

 up fallow 3 land in winter than in spring. And 

 there are some 4 places in which deep ploughing 

 is not expedient, as in Syria; wherefore they use 

 small plough-shares. In other parts to work the 

 ground too much is injurious, as in Sicily : wherefore 

 many settlers in the country, it appears, make a 

 mistake. From every point of view b therefore the 

 soil must be considered. 



The seeds are also classified according as each 

 suits a particular soil ; in wintry lands wheat is 

 sown rather than barley, and in general they say 6 

 that corn rather than leguminous plants should be 

 sown in barren soils which are only disturbed 7 at 

 long intervals ; and such soils bear wheat better 

 than barley. 8 Moreover wheat welcomes abundant 

 rain 9 more than barley, and bears better on land 

 which is not manured. 10 In like manner they dis- 

 tinguish among wheats themselves which suits 

 which kind of soil, namely which grows best in 

 good 11 fat soil and which in crumbling light soil, 

 and 12 so on with other kinds of soil. 



13 More abundant rain is beneficial to all crops when 

 they have come into leaf and formed the flower; 

 however it is harmful to wheats and barleys and 

 other cereals when they are actually in flower ; for 



8 rf)s xpiQris conj.W. ; /cat xpiGris UM: rj tcpiO^Ald.: ft KpiOk H. 

 of. C.P. Lc. 



10 Explained C.P. I.e. 



11 oryaflf) conj. Casaub : so Vin. ; ayaOrj Aid. (and so with the 

 other datives). lz Kal add. St. 



13 Plin. 18. 151 and 152. 



179 



N 2 



