BOOK XVII. XIII. 67-xiv. 72 



discovered ot" ciitting off slips and planting these, 

 a plan first adopted with elders, qiiinces and 

 brambles, whicli were planted for the purpose of 

 niakini( a hedgc, but later it was also introduced as a 

 wav of growing trees, for instance poplars, alders, 

 and willow, whicli last is evcn planted with the cutting 

 upside down. Suckers are planted out at once in the 

 place chosen for theni to occupy ; however, before 

 going on to other classes of plants it is desirable to 

 speak of the management of a nursery. 



XIV^. For, with a view to a nursery it pays to chose Mamgnnent 

 soil of the highest quahty, since it often comes about a^^"l,j""'' 

 that a nurse is more ready to humour young things /'"<"" «'^*''- 

 than a mother. Consequently the soil shouki be dry 

 and sappy, and well worked «ith a double mattock so 

 as to be hospitable to the new arrivals, and it shoukl 

 resemble as elosely as possiblc tlie earth into which 

 they are to be transplanted ; and before all the plot 

 must be cleared of stones, and fenced in well enough 

 to protect it even from the inroads of poultry ; and it 

 should be as free from cracks as possible, so that the 

 sun may not penetrate into it and scorch tlie roots. 

 The seeds should be sown eighteen inches apart, as if 

 the plants touch one another, besides other defects they 

 get worm-eaten ; and it pays to hoe them and weed 

 them fairly often, and also to prune the seedhngs tlicm- 

 selves when they branch and accustom them to endure 

 the knife. Cato also recommends erecting hurdles XLViir.2,3. 

 supported on forked sticks, the height of a man, to 

 catch the sun, and thatching these with straw to keep 

 off the cold ; and he says that this is the method for 

 rearing pear and apple seeds, and pine cones, and also 

 cypresses, as cven they can be grown from seed. 

 Cypress seed consists of very smail grains, some of 



49 



