J4 O/Hoeing. Chap. VI. 



They harrowed and hoed Rajiris ; fo that their 

 Occatio and Sarritio were performed with much the 

 fame Sort of Inftrument, and differed chiefly in the 

 Time : The firft was at Seed-time, to cover the Seed, 

 or level the Ground •, the other was to move the. 

 Ground after the Plants were up. 



One Sort of their Sarrition was, Segetes permota 

 Terra debere adobrui, ut fruticare foffint. Another 

 Sort was thus: In Locis autem frigidis farriti nee 

 adobrui) fed Plana Sarritione Terrain permoveri. 



For the better Underftanding of thefe two Sorts 

 of Sarrition, wemuftconfider, that the Antients fowed 

 their Corn under Furrow •, that is, when they had 

 harrowed the Ground, to break the Clods, and make 

 it level, they fowed the Seed, and then plowed it in : 

 This left the Ground very uneven, and the Cora 

 came up (as we fee it does here in the fame Cafe) 

 moftly in the lowefl Places betwixt the Furrows, 

 ■which always Jay higher: This appears by VirgiFs 

 Cum Sulcos aquant Sat a. Now, when they ufed Plana 

 Sarritio^ they harrowed Length- ways of the Furrows, 

 which being fomewhat harden'd, there could be little 

 Earth tlirown down thence upon the young Corn. 



But the other Sort of Sarrition, whereby the Corn 

 is faid Addbrui* to be cover'd, feems to be perform'd 

 by Harrowing crois the Furrows ; which muft needs 

 throw down much Earth from the Furrows, which 

 necerTarily fell upon the Corn. 



How this did contribute to make the Corn fruticare* 

 is another Queflion : lam in no doubt to fay, it was not 

 from covering any Part of it (for I fee that has a contrary 

 Effect), but from moving much Ground, which gave a 

 new Paffure to the Roots : This appears by the Obfer- 

 yation of the extraordinary Frutication of Wheat ho'd 

 without being cover'd j and by the Injury it receives by 

 not being uncover'd when any Earth fails on the Rows. 



The fame Author faith, Faba, & cetera Legumina^ 

 turn quatuor Digitis a Terra exfitmnt, refte farrientur, 



excepto. 



