BOOK XVII. n. 15-17 



vegetation for the vevy reason that it does not dchijre 

 it. In this \vav the earth also is niade to ferment, 

 and is filled w ith her own substance, not exhausted by 

 seeds sown in her trying to suck her milk, and when 

 lapse of time has removed her covei'ing she greets the 

 mild hours with a smile. This is the method to make 

 corn crops fatten most abundantly — except in coun- 

 tries where the atmosphere is always warm, for in- 

 stance Egypt : for there the unvarying temperature 

 and the mere force of habit produce the same efFect 

 as management produces elscwhere ; and in any place 

 it is of the greatest benefit for there to be nothing to 

 cause harm. In the greater part of the world, when 

 at the summons of heaven's indulgence the buds have 

 hurried out too early, if cold weather foHows they 

 arc shrivelled up. This is why late winters are inju- 

 rious, even to forest trees as well, which actually suffer 

 worse, because they are weighed down by tlieir own 

 shade, and because remedial mcasures cannot help 

 them, to clothe the tender plants with wisps of straw 

 not being possible in the case of forest trees. Con- Ejjectsoj 

 sequently rain is favourable first at the period of '"'""• 

 the winter storms, and next with thc wet weather 

 coming before the l)udding period ; and a third season 

 is when the trees are forming their fruit, though not 

 at the first stage but when the growth has become 

 strong and healthy. Trees that hold back their fruit 

 later and necd more prolonged nourishment also 

 receive benefit from late rains, for instance the vine, 

 the olive and the pomegranate. These rains, however, 

 are required in a different manner for each kind of 

 tree, as they come to niaturity at diffei-ent times ; con- 

 sequently you may see the same storm of rain causing 

 damage to some trees and benefiting others even 



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