BOOK II. X. 1 8-2 1 



of October * on ground that lacks moisture. It 

 usually requires a loamy soil, such as the Cam- 

 panians call pullum ; still it thrives no less well even 

 in rich sand or in mixed ground.* The same quantity 

 of seed is sown to the iugerum as of millet and panic, 

 sometimes even two sextarii " more. But I have 

 seen this same seed sown in the months of June and 

 July in districts of Cilicia and Syria, and harvested 

 during the autumn, when it was fully ripe. 



The chick-pea or the chickling-vetch, which has a 19 

 resemblance to the pea, should be sown in January 

 or February in rich soil if the weather is moist ; 

 though in some sections of Italy the sowing is made 

 before the first of November. Three vwdii are 

 sufficient for one iugerum. No legume is less hurtful 

 to land ; but it seldom does well, because, when in 

 bloom, it cannot endure dry weather or south •^^^nds ; 

 and both these drawbacks iisually attend the season 

 when it drops its blossoms.** The chick-pea which is 20 

 called arietillum,^ and also one of another variety, 

 called Punicum, may be sown during the whole 

 month of March, if the weather is moist, in the 

 most fertile soil ; indeed, this kind is harmful to land 

 and for that reason is not approved by the more 

 expert farmers. If it must be sown, however, it 

 should be soaked a day ahead to hasten its germina- 

 tion. Three modii are enough for one iugerum. 



Hemp demands a rich, manured, well-watered soil, 21 

 or one that is level, moist, and deeply worked. Six 

 grains of this seed to the square foot are planted at 



* 1 sextarius = about 1 pint. 



* Cf. Palladius II (Jan.), 5. 



* Pliny says {N.H. XVIII. 124) that it is so called because 

 of its resemblance to the head of a ram {aries), 



169 



