BOOK XIV. xxiv. I2I-XXV. 124 



and pour this into tlieir wines to overcome their 

 harshness. Still both in the case of this kind of wine 

 and in all others they supply the vessels themselves 

 with coatings of pitch, the method of making which 

 will be described in the next volume. xvi. 52. 



XXV. Of the trees which distil a juice, some grow- VaHeties 

 ing in the East and others in Europe produce pitch and "•^ ''^*'"' 

 resin, and the province of Asia," which hes between 

 the two, has some of both sorts. In the East the best 

 and finest resin is produced by the turpentine-tree, 

 and next by the lentisk — the latter being also called 

 gum-mastic; afterwards comes the juice of the 

 cypress, which has a very sharp flavour — all of these 

 trees producing a hqiiid juice and merely a resin, 

 whereas the juice of the cedar is thicker and suitable 

 for making pitch. Arabian resin is white and has a 

 sharp scent, stifling to a person engaged in boiUng it ; 

 the resin of Judaea dries harder and has a stronger 

 scent than even that from the turpentine-tree ; and 

 Syrian resin has a reseinblance to Attic honey. The 

 resin of Cyprus excels all other kinds ; it hkewise is 

 the colour of honey, and has a fleshy consistency. 

 That of Colophon is yellow^er than the rest, but if 

 ground up turns white ; it has a rather oppressive 

 scent, and consequently the perfumers do not make 

 use of it. In Asia a very white resin is made from 

 the pitch-pine ; it is called psagdas. All resin can 

 be dissolved in oil, and some people think that 

 potter's chalk can also be so dissolved ; and I am 

 ashamed to confess that the chief value now set on 

 resin is for use as a depilatory for men. 



The method of seasoning wine is to sprinkle the useofresin 

 must with pitch during its first fermentation, which ^J^^fdwes 

 is completed in nine days at most, so that \h.t.for flavour- 



•^ iiuj wifu. 



267 



