ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, VIII. vn. 2-4 



general it does not reinvigorate the ground, 1 since 

 it exhausts 2 it ; but it destroys weeds, 3 and above all 

 and soonest caltrop. And in general 4 it is not every 

 kind of soil which suits it ; the soil should be black 

 and fat. Of the other leguminous plants the bean 

 best 5 reinvigorates the ground, even if it is sown 

 thick and produces much fruit. 



Of special features of ( summer crops.' 



All those crops 6 sown at the summer seed-time 

 need little water, 7 and they say also that spring water 

 is better for them than rain water ; and Italian 

 millet 8 and millet need less water, for, if they have 

 too much, they shed their leaves. Millet is the 

 robuster plant, Italian millet is sweeter and less 

 robust. Sesame and lupin are not eaten green by 

 any animal 9 ; whether the same is true of erysimon 

 and horminon is matter for enquiry ; for these too 

 are bitter. Erysimon is like sesame and is oily ; 

 horminon is like cummin and black, and is sown 

 at the same time as sesame. These matters then 

 require investigation. 



Of treatment of cereals peculiar to special localities. 



10 In good soils to prevent the crop running wildly 

 to leaf they graze and cut down the young corn, 



6 Plin. 18. 96 and 101. 



7 oAi'-you, sc. vSaros, but the omission is strange ; perhaps 

 due to misunderstanding of b\iyov Set by a scribe. Sch. joins 

 the words TO Se . . . iravra to the last sentence, and supplies 

 Kapirifcrai TTJI/ yrjv (oXiyov Set = almost). 



8 f^f\ivoi Ald.H. ; eAu/iot Vin. cf. 8. 1. 1. n. 



9 C$ov add. Sch. from G and Plin. 18. 96. cf. C.P. 6. 12. 12. 

 10 Plin. 18. 157-162. 



185 



