BOOK III. XXI. 5-7 



lose the early vintage, which, being assailed by the 

 plunderings of birds and by rains or winds, usually 

 comes to ruin. But if he should wish to gather the 6 

 fruit of each Idnd at intervals of time, he must first 

 take the risk of carelessness on the part of the 

 vintagers ; for it would be impossible to assign the same 

 number of overseers, one to each man, to watch over 

 them and give orders that the sour grapes shall not 

 be gathered. 



Moreover, when vines of different kinds ripen at 

 the same time, the taste of the better kind is spoiled 

 by the worse, and the flavour of many, when blended 

 into one, becomes intolerant of age. And so 

 necessity forces the farmer to market his wine 

 when it is new, though it would bring a better 

 price if the selling could be put off for a year, or at 

 least until summer. Now the separating of varieties, 7 

 mentioned above, has a very great advantage, in that 

 the vinedresser can more readily give each its proper 

 pruning when he knows the particular sort in that 

 plot which he is pruning ; and this is a difficult 

 practice to observe in vineyards that are planted 

 with many sorts of vines, because the greater part of 

 the pruning is done dui-ing the time when the vine 

 is not even bearing distinctive foliage. And it makes 

 a great difference, according to the nature of each 

 stock, whether the vinedresser allows the growth of 

 more or fewer canes, whether he is encouraging the 

 groAvth of the vine by leaving long shoots or re- 



' expedire Aid., Gesn, 



* sic SAac, vett. edd. : suam cuique facilius vulgo. 

 ' disputat a : deputet Aid., Gesn. 



* Ac SAacM : At vulgo. 



345 



