BOOK XVIII. Liii. 194-UV. 197 



If the laiid is not ruanured it gets chilled, and if it is 

 jriven too much nianure it becomes burnt up ; and it 

 pays better to do the manuring frequently than to 

 manure to excess. It stands to reason that the 

 warmer the soil is the less manure it should be given. 



LI\'. The best seed is last year's ; two-year old Quaiuiei of 

 seed is inferior, three-year old very poor, and beyond Timesfor 

 that it is barren ; in fact all things have a hmited ^owing. 

 period of fertihty. The seed that falls to the bottom 

 on the threshing-floor should be kept for sowing, as 

 it is the best because the heaviest, and there is no 

 other more efficient way of distinguishing it. An 

 ear having its seeds separated by gaps will be dis- 

 carded. The best grain is that which is reddish in 

 colour and which when crushed by the teeth shows 

 the same colour inside, and one that has more white 

 inside is infierior. It is a well-known fact that some 

 lands take more seed and others less, and this sup- 

 phes farmers with a binding and primary augury : 

 when the earth receives the seed more greedily, it 

 is believed to be hungry and to devour the seed. 

 The plan is for sowing to be done morc quickly in 

 ihimp places, to prevent the seed from being rotted 

 by moisture, but later in dry places, so that the 

 rainfalls may come afterwards to prevent the seed 

 from lying for a long time without germinating and 

 so withering away ; and similarly when sowing is 

 hurried on it pays to scatter the seed thickly, because 

 it conceives slowly, but when sowing is late, to 

 scatter it thin, because excessive closeness kills it. 

 Also there is a certain science in scattering the seed 

 evenly ; at all events the hand nmst keep in time 

 with the pace of walking, and always go with the 

 right foot. Also it comes about by some not obvious 



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