[40] Per ver haec fieri oportet. Sulcos et scrobes fieri, seminariis, vitariis locum verti, vites propagari, in locis crassis et umectis ulmos, ficos, poma, oleas seri oportet. Ficos, olea, mala, pira, vites inseri oportet luna silenti post meridiem sine vento austro. Oleas, ficos, pira, mala hoc modo inserito. Quem ramum insiturus eris, praecidito, inclinato aliquantum, ut aqua defluat; cum praecides, caveto ne librum convellas. Sumito tibi surculum durum, eum praeacuito, salicem Graecum discindito. Argillam vel cretam coaddito, harenae paululum et fimum bubulum, haec una bene condepsito, quam maxime uti lentum fiat. Capito tibi scissam salicem, ea stirpem praecisum circumligato, ne liber frangatur. Ubi id feceris, surculum praeacutum inter librum et stirpem artito primoris digitos II. Postea capito tibi surculum, quod genus inserere voles, eum primorem praeacuito oblicum primoris digitos II. Surculum aridum, quem artiveris, eximito, eo artito surculum, quem inserere voles. Librum ac librum vorsum facito, artito usque adeo, quo praeacueris. Idem alterum surculum, tertium, quartum facito; quot genera voles, tot indito. Salicem Graecam amplius circumligato, luto depsto stirpem oblinito digitos crassum tres. Insuper lingua bubula obtegito, si pluat, ne aqua in librum permanet. Eam linguam insuper libro alligato, ne cadat. Postea stramentis circumdato alligatoque, ne gelus noceat.
[40] 1 The following work should be done in the spring: Trenches and furrows should be made, ground should be turned for the olive and vine nurseries, vines should be set out; elms, figs, fruit trees, and olives should be planted in rich, humid ground. Figs, olives, apples, pears, and vines should be grafted in the dark of the moon, after noon, when the south wind is not blowing. The following is a good method of grafting olives, figs, pears or apples: 2 Cut the end of the branch you are going to graft, slope it a bit so that the water will run off, and in cutting be careful not to tear the bark. Get you a hard stick and sharpen the end, and split a Greek willow. Mix clay or chalk, a little sand, and cattle dung, and knead them thoroughly so as to make a very sticky mass. Take your split willow and tie it around the cut branch to keep the bark from splitting. 3 When you have done this, drive the sharpened stick between the bark and the wood two finger-tips deep. Then take your shoot, whatever variety you wish to graft, and sharpen the end obliquely for a distance of two finger-tips; take out the dry stick which you have driven in and drive in the shoot you wish to graft. Fit bark to bark, and drive it in to the end of the slope. In the same way you may graft a second, a third, a fourth shoot, as many varieties as you please. 4 Wrap the Greek willow thicker, smear the stock with the kneaded mixture three fingers deep, and cover the whole with ox-tongue, so that if it rains the water will not soak into the bark; this ox-tongue must be tied with bark to keep it from falling off. Finally, wrap it in straw and bind tightly, to keep the cold from injuring it.
[41] Vitis insitio una est per ver, altera est cum uva floret, ea optuma est. Pirorum ac malorum insitio per ver et per solstitium dies L et per vindemiam. Oleae et ficorum insitio est per ver. Vitem sic inserito: praecidito quam inseres, eam mediam diffindito per medullam; eo surculos praeacutos artito; quos inseres, medullam cum medulla conponito. Altera insitio est: si vitis vitem continget, utriusque vitem teneram praeacuito, obliquo inter sese medullam cum medulla libro conligato. Tertia insitio est: terebra vitem quam inseres pertundito, eo duos suculos vitigineos, quod genus esse voles, insectos obliquos artito ad medullam; facito iis medullam cum medulla coniungas artitoque ea qua terebraveris alterum ex altera parte. Eos surculos facito sint longi pedes binos, eos in terram demittito replicatoque ad vitis caput, medias vitis vinclis in terram defigito terraque operito. Haec omnia luto depsto oblinito, alligato integitoque ad eundem modum, tamquam oleas.
[41] 1 Vine grafting may be done in the spring or when the vine flowers, the former time being best. Pears and apples may be grafted during the spring, for fifty days at the time of the summer solstice, and during the vintage; 2 olives and figs should be grafted during the spring. Graft the vine as follows: Cut off the stem you are grafting, and split the middle through the pith; in it insert the sharpened shoots you are grafting, fitting pith to pith. A second method is: If the vines touch each other, cut the ends of a young shoot of each obliquely, and tie pith to pith with bark. 3 A third method is: With an awl bore a hole through the vine which you are grafting, and fit tightly to the pith two vine shoots of whatever variety you wish, cut obliquely. Join pith to pith, and fit them into the perforation, one on each side. 4 Have these shoots each two feet long; drop them to the ground and bend them back toward the vine stock, fastening the middle of the vine to the ground with forked sticks and covering with dirt. Smear all these with the kneaded mixture, tie them up and protect them in the way I have described for olives.
[42] Ficos et oleas altero modo. Quod genus aut ficum aut oleam esse voles, inde librum scalptro eximito, alterum librum cum gemma de eo fico, quod genus esse voles, eximito, adponito in eum locum unde exicaveris in alterum genus facitoque uti conveniat. Librum longum facito digitos III S, latum digitos III. Ad eundem modum oblinito, integito, uti cetera.
[42] 1 Another method of grafting figs and olives is: Remove with a knife the bark from any variety of fig or olive you wish, and take off a piece of bark containing a bud of any variety of fig you wish to graft. Apply it to the place you have cleared on the other variety, and make it fit. The bark should be three and a half fingers long and three fingers wide. Smear and protect as in the other operation.
[43] Sulcos, si locus aquosus erit, alveatos esse oportet, latos summos pedes tres, altos pedes quattuor, infimum latum P. I et palmum. Eos lapide consternito; si lapis non erit, perticis saligneis viridibus controversus conlatis consternito; si pertica non erit, sarmentis conligatis. Postea scrobes facito altos P. III S, latos P. IIII, et facito de scrobe aqua in sulcum defluat: ita oleas serito. Vitibus sulcos et propagines ne minus P. II S quoquo versus facito. Si voles vinea cito crescat et olea, quam severis, semel in mense sulcos et circum capita oleaginea quot mensibus, usque donec trimae erunt, fodere oportet. Eodem modo ceteras arbores procurato.
[43] 1 Ditches, if the ground is swampy, should be dug trough-shaped, three feet wide at the top, four feet deep, sloping to a width of one foot one palm at the bottom. Blind them with stones, or lacking stones, with green willow sticks laid crosswise in layers; or, failing this, with bundles of brush. Then dig trenches three and a half feet deep, four feet wide, so placed that the water will run off from the trenches into the ditch; and so plant olives. 2 Dig furrows and trenches for vines not less than two and a half feet deep and the same distance wide. If you wish the vines and olives which you have planted to grow fast, spade the furrows once a month, and dig around the foot of the olives every month until they are three years old. Treat other trees in the same way.
[44] Olivetum diebus XV ante aequinoctium vernum incipito putare. Ex eo die dies XLV recte putabis. Id hoc modo putato. Qua locus recte ferax erit, quae arida erunt, et siquid ventus interfregerit, ea omnia eximito. Qua locus ferax non erit, id plus concidito aratoque. Bene enodato stripesque levis facito.
[44] 1 The trimming of the olive-yard should begin fifteen days before the vernal equinox; you can trim to advantage from this time for forty-five days. Follow this rule: If the land is very fertile, clear out all dead branches only and any broken by the wind; if it is not fertile, trim more closely and plough. Trim clean, and smooth the stems.
[45] Taleas oleagineas, quas in scrobe saturis eris tripedaneas decidito diligenterque tractato, ne liber laboret, cum dolabis aut secabis. Quas in seminario saturus eris, pedalis facito, eas sic inserito. Locus bipalio subactus siet beneque terra tenera siet beneque glittus siet. Cum taleam demittes, pede taleam opprimito. Si parum descendet, malleo aut mateola adigito cavetoque ne librum scindas, cum adiges. Palo prius locum ne feceris, quo taleam demittas. Si ita severis uti stet talea, melius vivet. Taleae ubi trimae sunt, tum denique maturae sunt, ubi liber sese vertet. Si in scrobibus aut in sulcis seres, ternas taleas ponito easque divaricato, supra terram ne plus IIII digitos transvorsos emineant; vel oculos serito.
[45] 1 Cut olive slips for planting in trenches three feet long, and when you chop or cut them off, handle them carefully so as not to bruise the bark. Those which you intend to plant in the nursery should be cut one foot long, and planted in the following way: The bed should be turned with the trenching spade until the soil is finely divided and soft. 2 When you set the slip, press it in the ground with the foot; and if it does not go deep enough, drive it in with a mallet or maul, but be careful not to break the bark in so doing. Do not first make a hole with a stick, in which to set out the slip. It will thrive better if you plant it so that it stands as it did on the tree. 3 The slips are ready for transplanting at three years, when the bark turns. If you plant in trenches or furrows, plant in groups of three, and spread them apart. Do not let them project more than four finger-widths above the ground; or you may plant the eyes.
[46] Seminarium ad hunc modum facito. Locum quam optimum et apertissimum et stercorosissimum poteris et quam simillimum genus terrae eae, ubi semina positurus eris, et uti ne nimis longe semina ex seminario ferantur, eum locum bipalio vertito, delapidato circumque saepito bene et in ordine serito. In sesquipedem quoquo vorsum taleam demittito opprimitoque pede. Si parum deprimere poteris, malleo aut mateola adigito. Digitum supra terram facito semina emineant fimoque bubulo summam taleam oblinito signumque aput taleam adponito crebroque sarito, si voles cito semina crescant. Ad eundem modum alia semina serito.
[46] 1 Make a nursery as follows: Choose the best, the most open, and the most highly fertilized land you have, with soil as nearly as possible like that into which you intend to transplant, and so situated that the slips will not have to be carried too far from the nursery. Turn this with a trench spade, clear of stones, build a stout enclosure, and plant in rows. Plant a slip every foot and a half in each direction, pressing into the ground with the foot; 2 and if it does not go deep enough, drive it in with a mallet or maul. Let the slips project a finger above the ground, and smear the tops with cow dung, placing a mark by each; hoe often if you wish the slips to grow rapidly. Plant other slips in the same way.
[47] Harundinem sic serito: ternos pedes oculos disponito. Vitiarium eodem modo facito seritoque. Ubi vitis bima erit, resicato; ubi trima erit, eximito. Si pecus pascetur, ubi vitem serere voles, ter prius resicato, quam in arborem ponas. Ubi V nodos veteres habebit, tum ad arborem ponito. Quotannis porrinam serito, quotannis habebis quo eximas.
[47] 1 The reed bed should be planted as follows: Plant the eyes three feet apart.
Use the same method for making and planting the vine nursery. Cut back the vine when it is two years old and transplant when it is three. If the ground on which you wish to plant the vine is to be used for pasture, see that the vine has been cut back three times before it is tied up to the tree; it should not be trained on the tree until it has five old knots. Plant a leek-bed every year, and you will have something to take off every year.
[48] Pomarium seminarium ad eundem modum atque oleagineum facito. Suum quidquid genus talearum serito. Semen cupressi ubi seres, bipalio vertito. Vere primo serito. Porcas pedes quinos latas facito, eo stercus minutum addito, consarito glebasque conminuito. Porcam planam facito, paulum concavam. Tum semen serito crebrum tamquam linum, eo terram cribro incernito altam digitum transversum. Eam terram tabula aut pedibus conplanato, furcas circum offigito, eo perticas intendito, eo sarmenta aut cratis ficarias inponito, quae frigus defendant et solem. Uti subtus homo ambulare possit facito. Crebro runcato. Simul herbae inceperint nasci, eximito. Nam si herbam duram velles, cupressos simul evelles.
[48] 1 In making the fruit nursery follow the method used in making the olive nursery. Plant separately each variety of slip.
Turn the ground with a trench spade where you are going to plant cypress seed, and plant at the opening of spring. 2 Make ridges five feet wide, add well-pulverized manure, hoe it in, and break the clods. Flatten the ridge, forming a shallow trough. Plant the seed as thickly as flax, sifting dirt a finger-breadth deep over it with a sieve. Level the ground with a board or the foot, and set forked stakes around the edges. Lay poles in the forks, and on these hang brush or fig-curtains, to keep off cold and sun. Make the covering high enough for a person to walk under. Hoe often, and clear off the weeds as soon as they begin to grow; for if you pull up the growth when it is hard, you will pull up the cypress with it.
3 Plant and cover pear and apple seed in the same way. use the same method for planting pine-nuts, but alter it slightly.
[49] Vineam veterem si in alium locum transferre voles, dumtaxat brachium crassam licebit. Primum deputato, binas gemmas ne amplius relinquito. Ex radicibus bene exfodito, usque radices persequito et caveto ne radices saucies. Ita uti fuerit, ponito in scrobe aut in sulco operitoque et bene occulcato, eodemque modo vineam statuito, alligato flexatoque, uti fuerit, crebroque fodito.
[49] 1 You may transplant an old vine if you wish, up to the thickness of your arm. First prune back so as to leave not more than two buds on each branch; clear the dirt thoroughly from the roots over their full length, and be careful not to injure them. 2 Replace the vine just as it was, in a trench or furrow, cover with soil, and trample firmly. Plant, tie, and train it just as it was, and work it often.
[50] Prata primo vere stercorato luna silenti. Quae inrigiva non erunt, ubi favonius flare coeperit, cum prata defendes, depurgato herbasque malas omnis radicitus effodito. Ubi vineam deputaveris, acervum lignorum virgarumque facito. Ficos interputato et in vinea ficos subradito alte, ne eas vitis scandat. Seminaria facito et vetera resarcito. Haec facito, antequam vineam fodere incipias. Ubi daps profanata comestaque erit, verno arare incipito. Ea loca primum arato, quae siccissima erunt, et quae crassissima et aquosissima erunt, ea postremum arato, dum ne prius obdurescant.
[50] 1 Manure meadows at the opening of spring, in the dark of the moon. When the west wind begins to blow and you close the dry meadows to stock, clean them and dig up all noxious weeds by the roots.
2 After pruning vines, pile the wood and branches; prune fig trees moderately, and clear those in the vineyard to a good height, so that the vines will not climb them; make new nurseries and repair old ones. All this before you begin cultivating the vines.
As soon as the sacred feast has been offered and eaten, begin the spring ploughing, working first the driest spots and last the heaviest and wettest, provided they do not get hard in the meantime.
[51] Propagatio pomorum, aliarum arborum. Ab arbore abs terra pulli qui nascentur, eos in terram deprimito extollitoque primorem partem, uti radicem capiat; inde biennio post effodito seritoque. Ficum, oleam, malum Punicum, cotoneum aliaque mala omnia, laurum, murtum, nuces Praenestinas, platanum, haec omnia a capite propagari eximique serique eodem modo oportet.
[51] 1 Layering of fruit trees and other trees: Press into the earth the scions which spring from the ground around the trees, elevating the tip so that it will take root. Then two years later dig up and transplant them. Fig, olive, pomegranate, quince, and all other fruit trees, laurel, myrtle, Praenestine nuts, and planes should all be layered, dug, and transplanted in the same way.
[52] Quae diligentius propagari voles, in aullas aut in qualos pertusos propagari oportet et cum iis in scrobem deferri oportet. In arboribus, uti radices capiant, calicem pertundito; per fundum aut qualum ramum, quem radicem capere voles, traicito; eum qualum aut calicem terra inpleto calcatoque bene, in arbore relinquito. Ubi bimum fuerit, ramum sub qualo praecidito. Qualum incidito ex ima parte perpetuum, sive calix erit, conquassato. Cum eo qualo aut calice in scrobem ponito. Eodem modo vitem facito, eam anno post praecidito seritoque cum qualo. Hoc modo quod genus vis propagabis.
[52] 1 When you wish to layer more carefully you should use pots or baskets with holes in them, and these should be planted with the scion in the trench. To make them take root while on the tree, make a hole in the bottom of the pot or basket and push the branch which you wish to root through it. Fill the pot or basket with dirt, trample thoroughly, and leave on the tree. When it is two years old, cut off the branch below the basket; 2 cut the basket down the side and through the bottom, or, if it is a pot, break it, and plant the branch in the trench with the basket or pot. Use the same method with a vine, cutting it off the next year and planting it with the basket. You can layer any variety you wish in this way.
[53] Faenum, ubi tempus erit, secato cavetoque ne sero seces. Priusquam semen maturum siet, secato, et quod optimum faenum erit, seorsum condito, per ver cum arabunt, antequam ocinum des, quod edint boves.
[53] 1 Cut hay in season, and be careful not to wait too long. Harvest before the seed ripens, and store the best hay by itself for the oxen to eat during the spring ploughing, before you feed clover.
[54] Bubus pabulum hoc modo parari darique oportet. Ubi sementim patraveris, glandem parari legique oportet et in aquam conici. Inde semodios singulis bubus in dies dari oportet, et si non laborabunt, pascantur satius erit, aut modium vinaceorum, quos in dolium condideris. Interdiu pascito, noctu faeni P. XXV uni bovi dato. Si faenum non erit, frondem iligneam et hederaciam dato. Paleas triticeas et hordeaceas, acus fabaginum, de vicia vel de lupino, item de ceteris frugibus, omnia condito. Cum stramenta condes, quae herbosissima erunt, in tecto condito et sale spargito, deinde ea pro faeno dato. Ubi verno dare coeperis, modium glandis aut vinaceorum dato aut modium lupini macerati et faeni P. XV. Ubi ocinum tempestivum erit, dato primum. Manibus carpito, id renascetur: quod falcula secueris, non renascetur. Usque ocinum dato donec arescat: ita temperato. Postea viciam dato, postea panicum frondem ulmeam dato. Si populneam habebis, admisceto, ut ulmeae satis siet. Ubi ulmeam non habebis, querneam aut ficulneam dato. Nihil est quod magis expediat, quam boves bene curare. Boves nisi per hiemem, cum non arabunt, pasci non oportet. Nam viride cum edunt, semper id exspectant, et fiscellas habere oportet, ne herbam sectentur, cum arabunt.
[54] 1 Feed for cattle should be prepared and fed as follows: When the sowing is over, gather the acorns and soak them in water. A half-modius of this should be fed each ox per day, though if the oxen are not working it will be better to let them forage; or feed a modius of the grape husks which you have stored in jars. During the day let them forage, and at night feed 25 pounds of hay a head; if you have no hay, feed ilex and ivy leaves. Store wheat and barley straw, husks of beans, of vetch, of lupines, and of all other crops. In storing litter, bring under cover that which has most leaves, sprinkle it with salt, and feed it instead of hay. When you begin feeding in spring, feed a modius of mast, or grape husks, or soaked lupine, and 15 pounds of hay. When clover is in season feed it first; pull it by hand and it will grow again, for if you cut it with the hook it will not. Continue to feed clover until it dries out, after which feed it in limited quantities; then feed vetch, then panic grass, and after this elm leaves. If you have poplar leaves, mix them with the elm to make the latter hold out; and failing elm, feed oak and fig leaves. There is nothing more profitable than to take good care of cattle. They should not be pastured except in winter, when they are not ploughing; for when they once eat green food they are always expecting it; and so they have to be muzzled to keep them from biting at the grass while ploughing.
[55] Ligna domino in tabulato condito, codicillos oleagineos, radices in acervo sub dio metas facito.
[55] 1 Store firewood for the master’s use on flooring, and cut olive sticks and roots and pile them out of doors.
[56] Familiae cibaria. Qui opus facient: per hiemem tritici modios IIII, per aestatem modios IIII S; vilico, vilicae, epistatae, opilioni: modios III; compeditis: per hiemem panis p. IIII, ubi vineam fodere coeperint panis p. V, usque adeo dum ficos esse coeperint; deinde ad p. IIII redito.
[56] 1 Rations for the hands: Four modii of wheat in winter, and in summer four and a half for the field hands. The overseer, the housekeeper, the foreman, and the shepherd should receive three. The chain-gang should have a ration of four pounds of bread through the winter, increasing to five when they begin to work the vines, and dropping back to four when the figs ripen.
[57] Vinum familiae. Ubi vindemia facta erit, loram bibant menses tres; mense quarto: heminas in dies, id est in mense congios II S; mense quinto, sexto, septimo, octavo: in dies sextarios, id est in mense congios quinque; nono, decimo, undecimo, duodecimo: in dies heminas ternas, id est amphoram; hoc amplius Saturnalibus et Compitalibus in singulos homines gongios III S; summa vini in homines singulos inter annum Q. VII. Conpeditis, uti quidquid operis facient, pro portione addito; eos non est nimium in annos singulos vini Q. X ebibere.
[57] 1 Wine ration for the hands: For three months following the vintage let them drink after-wine. In the fourth month issue a hemina a day, that is, 2½ congii a month; in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth months a sextarius a day, that is, 5 congii a month; in the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth months 3 heminae a day, that is, an amphora a month. In addition, issue 3½ congii per person for the Saturnalia and the Compitalia. Total of wine for each person per year, 7 quadrantals; and an additional amount for the chain-gang proportioned to their work. Ten quadrantals of wine per person is not an excessive allowance for the year.
[58] Pulmentarium familiae. Oleae caducae quam plurimum condito; postea oleas tempestivas, unde minimum olei fieri poterit, eas condito: parcito uti quam diutissime durent. Ubi oleae comesae erunt, hallacem et acetum dato. Oleum dato in menses unicuique s. I; salis unicuique in anno modium satis est.
[58] 1 Relish for the hands: Store all the windfall olives you can, and later the mature olives which will yield very little oil. Issue them sparingly and make them last as long as possible. When they are used up, issue fish-pickle and vinegar, and a pint of oil a month per person. A modius of salt a year per person is sufficient.
[59] Vestimenta familiae. Tunicam p. III S, saga alternis annis. Quotiens cuique tunicam aut sagum dabis, prius veterem accipito, unde centones fiant. Sculponias bonas alternis annis dare oportet.
[59] 1 Clothing allowance for the hands: A tunic 3½ feet long and a blanket every other year. When you issue the tunic or the blanket, first take up the old one and have patchwork made of it. A stout pair of wooden shoes should be issued every other year.