BOOK XVI. xLix. 113-L. 116 



but the abortive fruit that does not mature forms 

 after the leaves have grown. The fig-tree also pro- 

 duces an early crop of fruit, called at Athens ' fore- 

 runners,' especially in the Spartan variety. 



In the same class of fruit-trees there are some noubic 

 that bear two crops, (L.) and on the island of Cos the ^"^^^^- 

 wild figs bear three, the first ehciting a following 

 crop and the foUowing crop a third one. It is this 

 last crop that is used in the process of caprification. xv. 8I. 

 But in the wild fig also the fruit grows at the back of 

 the leaves. Among the apples and the pears there 

 are some that bear two crops a year, as also there 

 are some early varieties. The wild apple bears twice, 

 its second crop coming after the rising of Arcturus, 

 especially in sunny locaUties. There are indeed 

 vines that actually bear three crops, which con- 

 sequently people call ' mad vines,' because on these 

 some grapes are ripening while others are just 

 beginning to swell and other bunches are only in 

 flower. Marcus Varro states that there once was a R-R- 1. 7, 6. 

 vine at the temple of the Mother of the Gods in 

 Smyrna that bore three times a year, and an apple 

 tree in the district of Cosenza that did the same. 

 But this regularly occurs in the district of Tacupe 

 in Africa (about which we shall say more in another xviii. I86. 

 place), such is the fertihty of the soil. The cypress 

 also bears three times, for its berries are gathered in 

 January, May and September, and those of each 

 crop are of a different size. 



But also in the trees themselves, even when laden other 

 with fruit, there is a diiference between different J^^^Jf/nyf 

 kinds : the arbutus and the oak bear more fruit in 

 their upper part and the walnut and the marisca fig 

 on their lower branches. All trees bear earUer the 



463 



