461 Sixteenth of February.
462 Twenty-second of February.
463 Fifth of March.
464 On the fifth of March, Ovid says, Fasti, iii. l. 407. Columella makes it rise on the sixth of the nones, or the second of March.
465 Eighth of March.
466 Or, more literally, the “Northern Fish.”
467 Fifteenth of March, the day on which he was assassinated, in accordance, it is said, with the prophecy of a diviner, who had warned him to beware of the ides of March.
468 Eighteenth of March.
469 Twenty-first of March.
470 In c. 46 and c. 47.
471 Seventh of February.
472 In B. xvii. c. 35.
473 Fée approves of this method of weeding before the corn is in ear.
474 In a day, probably.
475 Georg. i. 63.
476 De Re Rust. 40.
477 See B. xvii. c. 8.
478 Alluding to his quotation from Cicero in c. 61.
479 Or mastich.
481 It is not known whence he derived this unfounded notion.
482 Twenty-fifth of March.
483 First of April.
484 This passage is omitted in the original, but was probably left out by inadvertence.
485 Third of April.
486 Fifth of April.
487 Eighth of April.
488 Eighteenth of April.
489 Sixteenth of April.
490 Twentieth of April.
492 From ὕειν, to rain.
493 “Sus,” a pig.
494 Twenty-fourth of April.
495 Twenty-fifth of April.
496 Twenty-sixth of April.
497 Twenty-seventh of April.
498 Twenty-eighth of April.
499 Second of May.
500 Eighth of May.
501 Tenth of May.
502 “Cuculus.” Sec B. x. c. 11.
503 “Petulantiæ vales.” Perhaps “indecent,” or “wanton jokes:” at least, Hardouin thinks so.
504 By causing quarrels, probably.
505 See B. xi. c. 34.
506 A quotation from some unknown poet, Sillig thinks.
507 See B. xvi. c. 41.
508 See Virgil, Ecl. iii. l. 111.
509 Eleventh of May.
510 Thirteenth of May.
511 Twenty-first of May.
512 Twenty-second of May.
513 Second of June.
514 Seventh of June.
515 Tenth of June.
516 Fifteenth of June.
517 Twenty-first of June.
518 Twenty-fourth of June.
519 First of June.
520 Columella, B. ii. c. 18.
521 The varieties now known as Trifolium pratense, Trifolium rubens and Trifolium repens.
522 “Gramen.” Under this head, as Fée says, he probably includes the gramineous plants, known as Alopecurus, Phleum, Poa, Festuca, &c.
523 Probably the Lysimachia nummularia of Linnæus, which has a tendency to corrode the lips of the sheep that pasture on it.
524 Known to us as “horse-tail;” varieties of which are the Equisetum fluviatile and the Equisetum palustre of Linnæus.
525 De Re Rust. c. 53.
526 See Virgil’s Georg. i. 289.
527 As to whetstones, for further information, see B. xxvi. c. 47.
528 The word “falx,” “sickle” or “scythe,” is used here as denoting an implement for mowing, and not reaping.
529 Similar in shape to our sickle, or reaping hook, no doubt.
530 “Majoris compendii.” Similar to our reaping-hook, also. Fée thinks that the former was similar to the “faux faucille,” or false sickle, the latter to the common sickle of the French.
531 Fée says that this is the case in some parts of France.
532 In c. 59 of this Book.
533 Twenty-fourth of June. See the last Chapter.
534 On this subject see B. xvi. c. 36. See also Varro, De Re Rust. B. i. c. 46, and Aulus Gellius, B. ix. c. 7.
535 “Tenes Sidus.”
536 Twenty-sixth of June.
537 Fourth of July.
538 There is some confusion, apparently, here. Canicula, Syrius, or the Dog-star, belongs to the Constellation Canis Major; while Canis Minor a Constellation which contains the star Procyon, (“the forerunner of the Dog,”) precedes it.
539 Fourth of July.
540 Fourteenth of July.
541 Seventeenth of July.
542 B. ii. c. 40, and B. xix. c. 25.
543 Twentieth of July.
544 Twenty-third of July.
545 Thirtieth of July.
546 Sixth of August.
547 Eleventh of August.
548 Eighth of August.
549 See B. xvii. c. 37.
550 Carbunculus.
551 Cicero. De Div., B. ii. 201, Aristotle, Polit. B. i. c. 7, and Diogenes Laertius tell this story of Thales the philosopher; Pliny being the only one that applies it to Democritus.
552 In the last Chapter. This passage is corrupt.
553 Mentioned by Seneca, Ep. 59.
554 It was reserved for the latter part of the last century to discover that mildew operated on vegetation through the medium of minute, parasitical fungi. It is mostly attributed to defects in the light or the atmosphere, or else humidity in excess. See c. 44 of this Book.
555 In B. ii. c. 6, for instance.
556 An onomatic prejudice, as Fée says, solely founded on the peculiarity of the name.
557 In the preceding Chapter.
558 In the preceding Chapter.
559 In B. xvi. c. 42.
560 Twentieth of December.
561 Or festival in honour of Robigo, the Goddess of mildew, on the twenty-fifth of April. See Ovid’s Fasti, B. iv. l. 907, et seq.
562 Robigo.
563 “Nineteen” is the proper number.
564 “Et cui præoccidere caniculam necesse est.” The real meaning of this passage would seem to be,—“Before which, as a matter of course, Canicula must set.” But if so, Pliny is in error, for Canicula, or Procyon, sets heliacally after the Dog-star, though it rises before it. Hardouin observes, that it is abundantly proved from the ancient writers that it was the custom to sacrifice a puppy to Sirius, or the Dog-star, at the Robigalia. As Littré justly remarks, it would almost appear that Pliny intended, by his ambiguous language, to lead his readers into error.
565 Twenty-eighth of April. The festival of Flora.
566 Twenty-third of April. This was the first, or Urban Vinalia: the second, or Rustic Vinalia, were held on the nineteenth of August.
567 The same as the Greek Πιθοίγια, or “opening of the Casks.”
568 Tenth of May.
569 In B. xvi. c. 42, and in c. 66 of this Book.
570 Second of June.
571 Twenty-fourth of June.
572 Fourth of July.
573 Seventeenth of July.
574 Twentieth of July.
575 Twenty-third of July.
576 Nineteenth of August.
577 Eighth of August.
578 See B. x. c. 45, and c. 50. The popinjay, lapwing, and tit-mouse have been suggested.
579 Virio. See B. x. c. 45.
580 Columella, De Arborib. c. 13, gives similar advice.
581 This absurd practice is mentioned in the Geoponica, B. v. c. 31.
582 As to this fish, see B. ix. c. 17.
583 “Uva picta.” This absurdity does not seem to be found in any of Varro’s works that have come down to us.
584 Nothing whatever is known of him or his works; and, as Fée says, apparently the loss is little to be regretted.
585 Rubeta rana.
586 De Re Rust. 129. Cato, however, does not mention chalk, but Virgil (Georg. i. 178) does. Poinsinet thinks that this is a “lapsus memoriæ” in Pliny, but Fée suggests that there may have been an omission by the copyists.
587 See the last Note. He recommends that it should be turned up with the hand, rammed down with “tenacious chalk,” and levelled with a large roller.
588 Both cow-dung and marc of olives are still employed in some parts of France, in preparing the threshing floor.
589 Palladius gives a long description of this contrivance, which seems to have been pushed forward by the ox; the teeth, which were sharp at the edge and fine at the point, catching the ears and tearing them off. But, as Fée says, the use of it must have been very disadvantageous, in consequence of the unequal height of the stalks. The straw, too, was sacrificed by the employment of it.
590 In contrarium juncto.
591 “Merges.” Supposed to be the same as the “batillum” of Varro. Its form is unknown, and, indeed, the manner in which it was used. It is not improbable that it was a fork, sharp at the edge, and similar to an open pair of scissars, with which the heads of corn were driven off, as it were; this, however, is only a mere conjecture. By the use of “atque,” it would almost appear that the “merges” was employed after the sickle had been used; but it is more probable that he refers to two different methods of gathering the ears of corn.
592 The roots and the stubble are, in reality, as good as a manure to the land.
593 Called “tribulum;” a threshing-machine moved by oxen. Varro, De Re Rust. i. 52, gives a description of it. Fée says that it is still used in some parts of Europe.
594 On the contrary, Fée says, the risk is greater from the depredations of birds, and the chance of the grain falling out in cutting, and gathering in. Spelt and rye may be left much longer than wheat or oats.
595 Columella, B. ii. c. i., gives the same advice.
596 “Palea” seems here to mean “chaff;” though Fée understands it as meaning straw.
597 The chaff of millet, and not the straw, must evidently be intended here, for he says above that the straw—“culmus”—of millet is generally burnt.
598 Muria dura.
599 Georg. i. 84, et seq. Fée says that Virgil has good reason for his commendations, as it is a most excellent plan.
600 Palladius, i. 19, says two feet.
601 On account of the damp. Columella, however, recommends a mixture of sand, lime, and marc of olives for the floor; B. i. c. 6.
602 In B. xv. c. 8.
603 This is still done in the Valais, and has the great merit of preserving the corn from house and field-mice.
604 “Ventilare.” On the contrary, the weevil penetrates deep, and does not keep near the surface.
605 De Re Rust. ii. 21.
606 See B. ii. c. 48.
607 Those keep the best, Fée says, which have a farinaceous perisperm. Millet has but one coat.
608 This, in reality, would tend to make them turn rancid all the sooner.
609 And so repel the attacks of insects.
610 This would not only spoil the flavour, but absolutely injure the corn as well.
611 This also, if practised to any extent, would infallibly spoil the grain.
612 De Re Rust. i. 57.
614 Twelfth of August.
615 Twenty-second of August.
616 Twenty-eighth of August.
617 Fifth of September.
618 Ninth of September.
619 Twelfth of September.
620 See the Rudens of Plautus, Prol. l. 69.
621 Sixteenth of September.
622 Eighteenth of September.
623 Twenty-first of September.
624 Commissura.
625 Twenty-fourth of September.