BOOK V. X. 14-18 



filbert without its shell, and then cover it over with 

 earth. Do this before March 1st or between 

 March 7th and 15th. You should at the same time 

 plant the walnut, the pinenut and the chestnut. 



It is correct to plant the pomegranate in the spring 15 

 up to April 1st. But if it bears fruit which is bitter 

 and not sweet, this will be remedied by the follow- 

 ing method : moisten the roots with sow-dung and 

 human ordure and stale urine. This will both render 

 the tree fertile and during the first years cause the 

 fruit to have a vinous taste ; after five years it makes 

 it sweet and its kernels soft. We ourselves have 

 mixed just a little juice of alexanders with wine and 

 smeared the uppermost tops of the tree. This has 

 remedied the tartness of the fruit. To prevent 16 

 pomegranates from bursting on the tree, the remedy 

 is to place three stones at the very root of the tree 

 when you plant it; if, however, you have already 

 planted it sow a squill near the root of the tree. 

 According to another method, when the fruit is al- 

 ready ripe and before it bursts, you should twist the 

 little boughs on which it hangs. By the same method 

 the fruit will keep without decaying for a whole year. 



Plant the pear-tree in the autumn before winter 17 

 comes, so that at least twenty-five days remain before 

 mid-winter. In order that the tree may be fruitful 

 when it has come to maturity, trench deeply round 

 it and split the trunk close to the very root and into 

 the fissure insert a wedge of pitch-pine and leave it 

 there ; then, when the loosened soil has been filled 

 in, throw ashes over the ground. We must take 18 

 care to plant our orchards with the most excellent 



» in om. SAac. i*" cuneo SAac. 



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