BOOK XIV 



I. So far \ve havc been dealing mostly with foreign wideiydif- 

 trees that cannot be trained to grow elsewhere than {]^^in(UuTai 

 in their place of origin and that refuse to be natural- hi&u/ry. 

 ized in strange countries. We may now speak of those 

 common to various countries, of all of which Italy can 

 be thought to be the special parent. Only it must be 

 remembered by the student that for the present we 

 are specifying their natures and not their modes of 

 cultivation, although actually a very large factor in 

 the nature of a tree is due to its cultivation. There 

 is one thing at which I cannot sufficiently wonder — 

 that of some trees the very memory has perished, 

 and even the names recorded by authors have passed Some tww 

 out of knowledge. For who would not admit that *^""^'" 

 now that intercommunication has been estabhshed 

 throughout the world by the majesty of the Roman 

 Empire, hfe has been advanced by the inter- 

 change of commodities and by partnership in the 

 blessings of peace, and that even things that had 

 previously lain concealed have all now been estabUshed 

 in general use ? Still, it must be asserted, we do not 

 find people acquainted with much that has been 

 handed down by the \\Titers of former days : so much 

 more productive was the research of the men of old, 

 or else so much more successful was their industry, 

 when a thousand years ago at the dawn of hterature 

 Hesiod began putting forth rules for agriculture, and 



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