382 
pliny's katueal histoey. 
[Book XVL 
opportunity of more conveniently discussing in the next Eook 
but one.^* The winter budding takes place at the rising of 
the Eagle, the summer at that of the Dog-star, and a third bud- 
ding^^ again at that of Arcturus. Some persons think that these 
two buddings are common to all trees, but that they are to be 
remarked more particularly in the fig, the vine, and the pome- 
granate ; seeing that, when this is the case, the crop of figs, in 
Thessaly and Macedonia more particularly, is remarkably abun- 
dant : but it is in Egypt more especially that illustrations of 
this vast abundance are to be met with. All the trees in 
general, when they have once begun to germinate, proceed 
continuously with it ; the robur, however, the fir-tree, and 
the larch germinate intermittently, ceasing thrice, and as 
many times^^ beginning to bud again, and hence it is that they 
shed the scales of their bark^^ three several times ; a thing 
that takes place with all trees during the period of germina- 
tion, the outer coat of the tree bursting while it is budding. 
With these last trees the first budding takes place at the 
beginning of spring, and lasts about fifteen days ; and they ger- 
minate a second time when the sun is passing through ths 
sign of Gemini : hence it is that we see the points of the first 
buds pushed upwards by those beneath, a joint marking the 
place where they unite. The third germination of these 
trees takes place at the summer solstice, and lasts no more 
than seven days : at this period we may very distinctly detect 
the articulations by which the buds are joined to one another 
as they grow. The vine is the only tree that buds twice ; the 
first time when it first puts forth the grape, and the second time 
when the grape comes to maturity. In the trees which do not 
blossom there is only the budding, and then the gradual ripen- 
8^ See B, xviii. c. 57. 
There is no such tiling as a third budding. 
As already stated, there are never more than two germinations. 
Tliis rupture of the epidermis, caused by the formation beneath of 
new ligneous and conical layers, takes place not solely, as Pliny and 
Theophrastus state, at the time of germination, but slowly and conti- 
nuously. 
On the contrary, they are irregular both in their commencement and 
their duration. 
This is not the case ; each bud is independent of the one that has 
preceded it. A sucker, however, newly developed may give birth to buds 
not at the extremity, but throughout the whole length of it. 
