BOOK XVII. X. 59-xi. 62 



there are some trees that are not grown in any 

 other way, for instance chestnuts and walnuts, with 

 the exception, that is, of those intended for fclling; 

 but also some grown in other ways are gro^vn 

 from seed as well, though a difFerent Idnd of seed — 

 for instance vines and apples and pears — as with 

 these a pip serves as a seed, and not the actual fruit, 

 as in the case of the trees mentioned above. Also 

 medlars can be grown from seed. All of these trees 

 are slow in coming on, and hable to degenerate so 

 as to have to be restored by grafting ; and some- 

 times this happens even with chestnuts. 



XI. Some trees on the other hand have the pro- 

 perty of not degenerating at all in whatever way they 

 are propagated, for instance cypresses, the palm and 

 laurels — for the laurel also can be propagated in a 

 variety of ways. We have stated the various kinds xv. 127 u. 

 of laurel. Of these the Augusta, the berry laurel and 

 the laurustinus are propagated in a similar manner: 

 their berries are picked in January, after they have 

 been dried by a spell of north-east wind, and are 

 spread out separately, so as not to ferment by lying 

 in a heap ; afterwards some people treat tliem with 

 dung in preparation for sowing and soak them with 

 urine, but others put them in running water in a wicker 

 basket, and stamp on them till the skin is washed 

 away, which otherwise is attacked by stagnant 

 moisture and does not allow them to bear. They 

 are planted in a freshly dug trench a hand's breadth 

 deep, about twenty in a cluster ; this is done in March. 

 These laurels can also be propagated by layering, 

 but the laurel worn in triumphal processions can only 

 be grown from a cutting. Myrtles of all varieties 

 are grown from berries in Campania, but at Rome 



43 



