BOOK XVri. xxxv. 185-188 



ground in this manner, inasmuch as this custom 

 prevails both in Africa and in Egypt and Syria and 

 the whole of Asia and at many places in Europe. 

 In these vineyards therefore the vine ought to be 

 kept down close to the ground, nourishment being 

 given to the root in the same way and at the same 

 time as in the case of a vine trained on a cross-bar, 

 care being ahvays takcn to leave merely the pruned 

 stum})s, with threc buds on cach in fertile land and 

 two where the soil is thinner, and it pays better to 

 have many of them than to have long ones. The 

 properties of soil that we have spoken of will make 

 themselves felt more powerfuUy the nearer the 

 bunches of grapes are to the ground. 



It pays best to keep the difFerent kinds of vine iHsinbutwn 

 separate and plant each plot with only one sort, for oy*^^'''" 

 a mixture of ditferent varicties spoils the flavour 

 even in the wine and not only in the must ; or if 

 they are mixed, it is essential not to combine any 

 but those that ripcn at the same time. The riclier 

 the soil and the more level the ground the greater 

 the height of the cross-bars required,and high cross- 

 bars also suit land liable to dew and fog and where 

 there is comparatively Httle wind, whereas k)wer bars 

 suit thin, drv and parched land and places exposed 

 to the wind. The cross-bars should be ticd to the 

 prop as tiglitly as possible, but the vine should be 

 kept together with an easy tie. We stated what xiv. 20 ti. 

 kinds of vines should be grown and in what sort of 

 soil and with what aspect when we were enumerat- 

 ing the natures of the various vines and wines. 



The remaining points connected with the cultiva- oihfrpoints 

 tion of the Vine are vehemently debated. The '^owingT 

 majority of writers recommend digging over the i^^ous 



129 



