BOOK II. XI. lo-xii. 3 



Now all grain and barley, in short everything that 10 

 is not of double seed," sends out an ear from the third 

 to the fourth joint ; and when it has pushed out the 

 entire spike it casts its bloom within eight days, and 

 then continues to grow until it reaches maturity forty 

 days after its flowering. On the other hand, those 

 that are of double seed, such as beans, peas, and 

 lentils, bloom in forty days and increase in growth for 

 the same length of time. 



XII. And now to reckon up the number of days' 

 labour required to bring to the threshing-floor what 

 we have committed to the earth, four or five modii of 

 common wheat * take up four days' work of the 

 ploughmen, one of the harrower, two of the hoer for 

 the first hoeing and one for the second, one of the 

 weeder, and one and a half of the reaper — a total of 

 ten and one-half days of labour. Five modii of winter 

 wheat require the same number of days. Nine or ten 

 modii of emmer <^ call for as many days' work as five 

 »joc?M of common wheat. Five worf« of barley require 2 

 three days' labour of the ploughman, one day of 

 harrowing, one and a half of hoeing, and one of 

 reaping — six and a half days in all. Four or six modii 

 of beans use up two days' work of the ploughmen in 

 old fallow ground, but one in land under cultivation ; 

 they are harrowed in a day and a half, hoed in a day 

 and a half, hoed a second time in one day and a third 

 time in one day, and harvested in one day — the total 

 amounting to seven or eight days. Six or seven modii 3 

 of vetch want two days' labour of the ploughmen in 

 old fallow, and one in ground that is kept under 



" Semen adoreum, in combination or singly; cf. 11. 6. 1, II. 

 9.1. 



187 



