loo VARRO ON FARMING [bk. 



CHAPTER XLIX 



THE HAY HARVEST 



1 Stolo finished speaking, and thinking that as no 

 further questions were asked, nothing more was 

 needed on the subject of the nutrition of plants, he 

 said that he would proceed to discuss the getting 

 in of the ripe crops. And, firstly, said he, re- 



- garding meadows reserved for hay, when grass has 

 ceased growing and the heat begins to dry it up, it 

 should be cut close with the scythe, and then tossed 

 with forks until thoroughly dry. When it is quite 

 dry it should be made into bundles and then carted 

 to the homestead. Then any hay left on the mea- 

 dows must be raked up, and the heap thus made 



2 added to the rest of the hay. That done, you must 

 go over ^ the fields again, that is, cut with scythes 

 whatever bits have been passed over by the mowers, 

 leaving little tufts of grass on the surface. From 

 this cutting (secari) I fancy that the word sicilire 

 (to cut a second time) is derived. 



^ Sicilienda prata. Pliny (N. H., xviii, 28) defines the word 

 in the same way : hoc est quae faenisices {foeniseces) praeteri- 

 erunt secari^ adding, est enim in primis inutile enasci herbas 

 sementaturas. 



