BOOK XVIII. Lxix. 291-LXX. 294 



fact that, in the first place, because of tlie tixed 

 couxses of the stars this disaster cannot possibly 

 happen everj- year, and only on a few nights in the 

 year, and that its occurrence is easy to forecast, and 

 that, in order to prevent its being apprehended 

 through all the months, it has also been foreseen by 

 the law that governs the stars ; that the moon's con- 

 junctions are safe in sunimer except for a period of 

 two days, and a full moon safe in winter and only 

 formidable in summer and when the nights are 

 shortest, but they have not the same potency by 

 day ; moreover that this is so easily understood that 

 that tiny creature the ant, at the moon's conjunction 

 keeps quite quiet, but at fuU moon works busily even 

 in the nights ; that the bird called the parra " dis- 

 appears on the very day when Sirius rises, and remains 

 concealed till it sets, while the oriole, on the con- 

 trary , comes out exactly on midsummer day ; but that 

 neither phase of the moon is harmful even at night 

 except in fine weather and when therc is not a breath 

 of wind, because dews do not fall when it is cloudy 

 or a wind is blowing, and even so there are remedies 

 available. LXX. When you have occasion for alarm, Precnutioni 

 make bonfires about the vineyards and fiekls of '"**'"*''"• 

 trimmings or heaps of chafF and weeds and bushes 

 that have been rooted up, and the smoke will act as 

 a cure for them ; smoke from chafF is also helpful 

 against fogs, in places where fogs do damage. Some 

 people advisc burning three ci'abs ahve among the 

 trecs to prevent the vines being injured by coal- 

 blight, others roasting the flesh of a sheat-fish in a 

 slow fire to windward, so that the smoke may spread 

 all through the vineyard. Varro gives the informa- 

 tion that a vineyard sutfers less damagc from storms 



373 



