BOOK V. VII. 1-4 



to be the most suitable for this purpose, a tree which 

 closely resembles the cornel-tree. Indeed the 

 cornel-tree, the horn-beam and sometimes the 

 mountain-ash and the willow are planted by most 

 people to this very end ; but willows should not be 

 planted except in watery places, where other trees 

 take root with difficulty, because it spoils the 

 flavour of the wine. The elm also can be adapted 

 to this purpose " by having its top cut off while it is 

 still young, so that it does not exceed the height of 

 fifteen feet ; for I have noticed that the plantation 

 of dwarf trees is usually so ordered that the " stories " 

 are arranged at the height of eight feet in dry, sloping 

 places, and twelve feet on flat, marshy ground. But 

 usually this tree is divided up into three branches, 

 upon each of which several arms are allowed to 

 grow on both sides ; then almost all the rods are 

 pared off" at the time when the vines are pruned, so 

 that they may not cause a shade. 



If no cereal is sown amongst the dwarf trees, spaces 

 of twenty feet are left on either side ; but if one 

 indulges in crops, forty feet are left on one side and 

 twenty on the other. In all other respects operations 

 are carried out on the same principle as in an Italian 

 plantation, namely, that the vines are planted in 

 long holes, that they may be looked after with 

 the same care, and trained along the boughs of the 

 trees, and the young cross-branches joined together 

 every year from the nearest trees and the old ones cut 

 off". If one cross-branch does not reach to another, it 

 should be connected by a rod running between 

 them. When later the fruit bows the vine down with 

 its weight, it should be supported by props put 

 underneath it. This kind of plantation, just like all 



69 



