BOOK XMII. X. 53-56 



stalk that tapers gradually almost into a twig ; it is 

 heaped with verv closely packed grains, with a corymb 

 that is at its longest a foot in length. In millet rommon 

 the hairs embracing the seed curve over with a "" " 

 fringcd tuft. There are also varieties of panic, for 

 instance the full-breasted kind, clustered with small 

 tufts growing out of the ear, and witli a double point ; 

 moreover these grasses are of various colours, white, 

 black, red and even purple. Bread of several kinds 

 is made even from millet, but very Uttle from panic ; 

 but there is no grain heavier in ^veight or that swells 

 more in baking : they get sixty poimds of bread out 

 of a peck, and a peck of porridge out of three-six- 

 teenths of a peck soaked in water. A millet has 

 been introduced into Italy from India within the last 

 ten years that is of a black colour, w ith a large grain 

 and a stalk like that of a reed. It grows to seven 

 feet in height, with very large hairs — they are called 

 the maiic — and is the most prolific of all kinds of com, 

 one grain producing three-sixteenths of a peck. It 

 should be sown in damp ground. 



Some kinds of fjrain begin to form the ear at the Formation 

 third joint of the stalk and some at the fourth, but 

 it still remains concealed. Wheat " has four articula- 

 tions in each stalk, emmer six and barley eight ; but 

 the ear does not begin to form before the above-men- 

 tioned number of articulations is complete ; when 

 this has given signs of occurring, in four or at latest 

 five days they begin to blossom, and after the same 

 number of days or a few^ more they finish Howering ; 

 but with barlev this happens in seven days at latest. 

 \'arro states * that the grains are fully formed in 

 thirty-six days and are ready for reaping after eight 

 months. 



225 



