BOOK XVIII. XXIX. ii5-.\.\x. ii8 



stalk. 'Hicse are mixed with saud and pounded, 

 and even so there is a difticulty in rubbing otf the 

 husks, and only half the quantity of naked grain is 

 produced ; and afterwards a quarter thc aniount of 

 Nvhite lime is sprinkled into the grain, and when this 

 lias stuck together with it they bolt it through a Hour- 

 sieve. The grain that stays behind in the sieve is 

 called residuary and is the Uvrgest in size. That 

 which goes through is sifted again in a finer sieve, 

 and is called seconds, and likewise the name of sieve- 

 flour is given to that Mhich in a similar manner stays 

 behind in a third extremely fine sieve that only lets 

 grains like sand through. There is another rnethod 

 of adulteration which is everywhere used : th(?y pick 

 out from wheat the wliitcst and largest grains, half 

 boil them in pots and aftcrwards dry them in the sun 

 to half thcir former size and then again Ughtly 

 sprinkle them with watcr and crush them in a milL 

 A more attractive kind of groats caUed tragum'^ is 

 made from zea than from other wheat, aUhough it is 

 in fact merely a spurious aUca ; but it is given whiteness 

 by an admixture of milk boiled in it instead of chalk. 



XXX. The next subject is the nature of the legu- Le<;uminom 

 minous plants, among which the highest place of Beana. 

 honour belongs to the bean, inasmucli as the experi- 

 ment has been made of using it for making bread. 

 Bean meal is called lomentum, and it is used in bread 

 made for sale to increase the weight, as is meal made 

 from aU the leguminoas plants, and nowadays even 

 cattle fodder. Beans are used in a variety of ways for 

 aU kinds of beasts and especially for man. With most 

 nations it is also mixed with corn, and most of all with 

 panic, for this purpose it is either used whole or 

 broken up rather fine. Moreover in ancient ritual 



263 



