BOOK XVII. xun. 254-xLv. 257 



toliage. The object of the proeess that employs xv. si. 

 the gall-insect from the wild fig is to ripen the fruit. 



XLn'. In the gall-insect process it is clear that insects in- 

 the unripe figs give birth to gnats, since when these " *' 

 have flown away the fruit is found not to contain any 

 seeds, which have obviouslv turned into the gnats ; 

 these are so eager to escape that niost of them leave 

 a foot or part of a wing behind them in forcing iheir 

 way out. There is also another kind of gnat with a 

 Greek name meaning ' sting-fly ' ; these resemble 

 drone bees in their sloth and malice, and also in 

 kilHng the genuine and serviceable insects ; for the 

 sting-flies kill the real gnats and themselves die with 

 them. The seeds of figs are also infested by moths, 

 a remedy against them being to bury a shp of mastich 

 upside down in the same hole. But the way to make 

 fig-trees bear very large crops is to diUite red carth 

 with the lees from an oHve-press, mix dung with it, 

 and poiir the mixture on t\\v. roots of the trees when 

 they are bcginning to make leaves. Of w ild figs the 

 bhick ones and those growing in rocky places are the 

 most highly spoken of, because thev contain the 

 largest number of grains ; the best times for the 

 actual process of transference of the gall-insect from 

 the wild fig is said to be just after rain has fallen. 



XL\'. But it is of the first importance to avoid Over-prun- 

 allowing our remedies to produce other defects, "'^' 

 which results from using remedial processes to excess 

 or at the wrf)ng time. To prune away branches is 

 beneficial for trees, but to slaughter them every year 

 without rcspite is extremely unprofitable. A vine 

 only requires a yearly trimming, but myrtles, pome- 

 granates and oHves one every other year, because 

 tluv producc shoots with great rapidity. All other 



177 



