516 
pliisty's natural historx. [Book XVII, 
hj tlie holdfasts. In the Gallic method of cultivation they 
train out two branches at either side, if the trees are forty feet 
apart, and four if only twenty; where they meet, these branches 
are fastened together and made to grow in unison ; if, too, they 
are anywhere deficient in number or strength, care is taken 
to fortify them by the aid of small rods. In a case, however, 
where the branches are not sufficiently long to meet, they are 
artificially prolonged by means of a hook, and so united to the 
tree that desires their company. The branches thus trained to 
unite they used to prune at the end of the second year. But 
where the vine is aged, it is a better plan to give them a longer 
time to reach the adjoining tree, in case they should not have 
gained the requisive thickness ; besides which, it is always 
good to encourage the growth of the hard wood in the dragon 
branches. 
There is yet another method,^ which occupies a middle 
place between this mode of propagation and that by layers. 
It consists of la^'ing the entire vine in the earth, and then 
splitting the stock asunder by means of wedges ; the fibrous 
portions are then trained out in as many furrows, care beiug 
taken to support each of the slender plants by fastening it to 
a stake, and not to cut away the branches that shoot from the 
sides. The growers of Ji^ovara, not content with the mul- 
titude of shoots that run from tree to tree, nor yet with an 
abundance of branches, encourage the stock-branches to en- 
twine around forks planted in the ground for the purpose ; a 
method, however, which, in addition to the internal defects 
arising from the soil, imparts a harshness to the wine. 
There is another fault, too, that is committed by the people 
of Varracina,^''' near Eome — they only prune their vines every 
other year ; not, indeed, because it is advantageous to the tree, 
but from a fear lest, from the low prices fetched by their wines, 
the expense might exceed the profits. At Carseoli they adopt 
a middle course, by pruning away only the rotten parts of 
the vine, as well as those which are beginning to wither, and 
leaving the rest to bear fruit, after thus clearing away all 
superfluous incumbrances. The only nutriment they give 
it is this exemption from frequent pruning ; but unless the 
mil should happen to be a very rich one, the vine, under such 
""'^ It is no longer used, and Fee doubts its utility. 
ITardouin suggests " Tarracilia." 
