BOOK III. XXI. lo-ii 



longer no trace of inferiority can be detected in 

 their flavour, because almost every wine has the 

 property of acquiring excellence with age. There- 11 

 fore, as we proposed to show, the orderly distribution 

 of varieties is of the greatest advantage ; and yet, 

 if you cannot effect such an arrangement, the next 

 best method is to plant no vines of different sorts 

 except those which have a similar flavour and pro- 

 duce fruit that reaches maturity at the same time. 

 Furthermore, if you are interested in fruit trees, 

 you may set the tops of fig or pear or apple trees at 

 the very ends of the rows on that side of the vineyard 

 which lies to the north, so that they may not shade it 

 when they grow up ; and after two years' time you 

 may graft them or, if they are of superior quality, 

 you may transplant them as mature trees. So much 

 for the planting of vineyards. 



There still remains that part of most impor- 

 tance — that we give directions also for their cultiva- 

 tion, and of this we shall treat at length in the book 

 that follows. 



349 



