BOOK XVIII. xu\. 1S2-L. 186 



called, that as 1 believe bein£:j the form at that time 

 in ase of the word aratrare. This is done either when 

 the stem is beginning to grow or when it has already 

 shot up as far as the second or third set of leaves. 

 Nor will we withhold a reccnt instance that was 

 ascertained two years ago in the Trier country : the 

 crops having been nipped by an extremely cold 

 winter, in March they actually sowed the fields 

 again, and had a verv bounteous harvest. 



We will now give the remaining methods of culti- waysof 

 \ation correspondine to the various kinds of corn. Qrowing an 



1111 11 'ceedmg 



L. Common, emmer, hard naked and ouitY vaTiovsi.iiui 

 emmer wheats and barley shoukl be harrowed, hoed "J ''^"' ''"^- 

 and stubbed on the days that will be stated ; a single 

 hand per acre will be enough for each of these kinds 

 of grain. Hoeing loosens in the spring season the 

 harshness of the soil that has been hardened by the 

 rigour of winter, and lets in the fresh sunshine. One 

 who is going to hoe must beware of digging under- 

 neath the roots of the corn. Naked and emmer 

 wheats, barley and beans are better for two hoe- 

 ings. Stubbing, when the crop has bcgun to make a 

 joint, Uberates the roots of the corn by pulling up 

 useless weeds and disengages the crop from ckjds 

 of turf. Of the leguminous plants chick-pea needs 

 the same treatment as emmer; beans do not want 

 inuch stubbing, as they overpower weeds ; lupine 

 is onlv harrowed ; common and ItaHan miUets are 

 harrowed and hoed, but not hoed a second time and 

 not stubbcd ; fenugreek and calavances are harrowed 

 onlv. There are some kinds of ground the fertiHty 

 of which necessitates combing the crop while in the 

 blade — the comb is another kind of harrow fitted 

 with pointed iron teeth — and even then they also 



305 



