72 VARRO ON FARMING [bk. 



oxen are said to '^furrow" when by means of 

 small planks attached to the ploughshare they cover 

 the corn that has been sown on the ridges, and 

 at the same time cleave trenches to carry off the 

 rain-water. Some people who do not own such 

 broad acres — as in the case of Apulian and similar 

 farms — then usually break up any great clods lef: 

 on the ridges by means of hoers. When the plough 

 makes a gap, a channel, with the share^ it is called a 

 furrow. That which is between two furrows — the 

 raised earth — is called a ridge {pored), because that 

 part of the corn-land ^' casts iovXh''' {porricit) the 

 corn. In the same way, too, when giving the 

 entrails to the gods, they used the term porricere 

 (to cast forth). 



CHAPTER XXX 



THE SECOND PERIOD 



In the second period — between the vernal equinox 

 and the rising of the Pleiads — the following is to 

 be done : the corn-lands to be weeded — that is, the 

 weeds cleaned from them; oxen to do the first 

 ploughing, willows to be cut, the meadows fenced. 

 Such things as should have been done before and 

 are. not quite finished must be done now, be- 

 fore they (the plants) begin to put forth buds and 

 flowers, because if deciduous plants have begun to 



