450 
Flint's natueal histobt. [BookXVIL 
enormous clods ; though at the same time it should be borne 
in mind that the soil which entails the greatest amount of 
labour is not always productive of the smallest amount of 
profit. So, too, on the other hand, the eye can distinguish a 
soil that is mixed with ashes or with white sand, while earth 
that is sterile and dense may be easily detected by its peculiar 
hardness, at even a single stroke of the mattock. 
Cato,^* briefly and in his peculiar manner, characterizes the 
defects that exist in the various soils. Take care," he says, 
where the earth is rotten not to shake it either with carts or 
by driving cattle over it." JS'ow what are we to suppose that 
this term rotten" means, as applied to a soil, about which 
he is so vastly apprehensive as to almost forbid our setting 
foot upon it ? Let us only form a comparison by thinking 
what it is that constitutes rottenness in wood, and we shall 
find that the faults which are held by him in such aversion are 
the being arid, full of holes, rough, white, mouldy, worm- 
eaten, in fact, just like pumice-stone ; and thus has Cato said 
more in a single word than we could have possibly found 
means to express in a description, however long. Indeed, if 
we could find means of expressing the various defects that 
exist in soils, we should find that there are some of them that 
are old, not with age (for age cannot be concerned in relation 
to the earth), but of their own nature, and are hence unfruit- 
ful and powerless for every purpose from the first. The same 
writer, too, considers that as the very best of soils, which, 
situate at the foot of a declivity, runs out into a champaign 
country, taking a southward direction ; such, in fact, being 
the aspect of the whole of Italy i^"^ he says^^ also, that the earth 
generally known as black earth is of a tender nature, and 
is consequently the most easily worked and the best for cereals. 
If we only appreciate with due care the signification of this 
word tender," we shall find that it expresses its intended 
meaning remarkably well, and that in this word is comprised 
every quality that is desirable for the purposes of cultivation. 
51 De Ee Rust. 5. 
^5 This he says in reference to his belief, with Epicurus, in the eternity 
of matter. 
^6 De Ee Eust. 1. 57 See B. iii. c. 6. 
58 De Ee Eust. 151. 
59 "Pulla." The "vegetable** earth of modern botanists. 
60 " Teneram.*' 
