BOOK III. VI. 2-3 



whose offspring we wish to rear should not be 

 valued merely because it puts forth grape clusters 

 in great quantity, for this may be due to the large 

 size of the stock and the great number of fruiting 

 canes ; " though I should not call that a fruitful vine 

 where only one cluster is seen to each cane. But 

 if a larger number of clusters hang upon every young 

 shoot ; if from every eye on its many mature branches 

 it sprouts out with fruit ; if, finally, it also puts out 

 from its firm wood a green shoot with some clusters ; 

 if, too, it is heavy ^vith the fruit of its secondary 

 shoots ; ^ such a vine, fruitful beyond doubt, should 

 be marked out for the gathering of mallet-shoots. 

 The mallet-shoot, moreover, is a young shoot grow- 

 ing out of a cane of the year before ; it is named 

 according to its resemblance, because, projecting 

 on both sides in that part where it is cut from the 

 old branch, it has the appearance of a mallet. Our 

 opinion is that this should be taken from the most 

 prolific stock every time that the vines are pruned, 

 and carefully planted, with three or four eyes 

 sho\\ing above ground, in soil that is moderately 

 moist but not wet ; if only it be our first considera- 

 tion that the vine from which the shoot is taken be 

 not uncertain in its flowering, that its berries have 

 no difficulty in growing big, and that it bear fruit 

 which is neither early nor too late in ripening. For 

 the former is damaged by birds, and the latter by 



" Cf. V. 6. 29; Festus, 246 L, "palmites" vitium sarmenta 

 appeUantur, quod in moduvi palmarum hnma7mrmti virgulas 

 quasi digitos edunt ; Isidore, Orig. XVII. 5. 9. 



'' Nepoiea, laterals or secondary shoots, lit. "grand- 

 children " of the flagcllum or cane in the order flagellum- 

 pamfinus-nefos, springing from the axil of the fampinus or 

 leaf-stalk. 



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