496 
PLIISTT'S KATUEAL HISTOEY. 
[Book XVII. 
the vine, it remains for us to treat with a particular degree of 
care of the nature of the vine itself. 
The shoots of the vine, as also of certain other trees, the 
interior of which is naturally of a spongy quality, have certain 
knots or joints upon the stem that intercept the pith. The in- 
tervals between these joints in the branches are short, and 
more particularly so towards the extremities. The pith, in 
itself the vivifying spirit of the tree, is always taking an 
onward direction, so long as the knot, by being open in the 
centre, allows it a free passage. If, however, the knot should 
become solidified and deny it a passage, the pith is then thrown 
downward upon the knot that lies next below it, and making 
its escape, issues forth there in the shape of a bud, these buds 
always making their appearance on each side alternately, as 
already mentioned in the case of the reed and the giant- 
fennel;®^ in other words, where one bud makes its appearance 
at the bottom of a knot to the right, the next one takes its place 
on the left, and so on alternately. In the vine this bud is known 
as the gem,"®^ as soon as the pith has formed there a small 
round knob ; but before it has done this, the concavity that is 
left upon the surface is merely called the eye when situate 
at the extremity of the shoot, it is known as the germ.^'^ 
It is in the same way, too, that the stock branches, suckers, 
grapes, leaves, and tendrils of the vine are developed : and it 
is a very surprising fact, that all that grows on the right 
Bide of the tree is stronger and stouter than on the left. 
Hence it is, that when slips of this tree are planted, it is 
necessary to cut these Imots in the middle, in order to prevent 
the pith from making its escape. In the same way, too, 
when planting the fig, suckers are taken, nine inches in length, 
and after the ground is opened they are planted with the part 
downwards that grew nearest to the tree, and with a couple of 
eyes protruding from the earth — in slips of trees, that part is 
properly called the eye which is to give birth to the future 
bud. It is for this reason that, in the seed-plots even the 
itides to the trees from which the upriglits or stays for the vine are cut, or 
which produce osiers for baskets and bindings required in the vintage. 
81 See E. xiii. c. 42, and B. xvi. c. 65. 
^2 Gemma." A name noAv given by botanists to the buds in generaL 
^ Oculus," A bud undeveloped is still so called. 
Germen. 
This remark is not confirmed by experience. 
