BOOK II. XIV. 8-xv. 2 



which the yard and the buildings produce every day. 

 I have also this further direction to give, that all 9 

 manure is most beneficial to crops when it has been 

 stored in proper season and has rested for a year, for 

 it still has its strength unimpaired and does not 

 produce weeds ; moreover, that the older it is, the less 

 beneficial, because it has less sti-ength. For this 

 reason it should be spread on meadoAvs while as fresh 

 as possible, because it produces more grass ; and 

 this should be done in the month of February, while 

 the moon is waxing, as this also contributes some- 

 what to the hay crop. As to the other use of manure, 

 what sort is suitable for the several kinds of crops, we 

 shall speak when we treat of them individually. 



XV. Meanwhile, one who wishes to prepare his 

 fields for grain should distribute manure in piles of 

 moderate size while the moon is waning — in the 

 month of September if he intends to sow in the 

 autumn, at any time of winter if he is to sow in the 

 spring — at the rate of eighteen loads to the iugerum 

 on level ground and twenty-four on hilly land ; and, 

 as I said a little earlier," he should not spread these 

 heaps until he is ready to sow. Yet if anything 2 

 keeps him from applying manux'e at the proper time, a 

 second method is, before hoeing, to scatter over the 

 grainfield the pulverized droppings from the bird 

 houses in the manner of one casting seed ; and if there 

 is none of this, to broadcast goat dung by hand and 

 then stir the ground thoroughly with hoes. This 

 produces luxuriant crops. And I tliink that husband- 

 men should not be unacquainted yvi\\\ the fact that as 

 land grows cold when it is not manured, so it is 

 burned if manured too heavily ; and that it is of 



" Chap. 5 of this book. 



