et has e perside regibus translatas indicio sunt graeca nomina: optimum quippe genus earum persicum atque basilicon vocant, et haec fuere prima nomina; caryon a capitis gravedine propter odoris gravitatem convenit dictum. tinguntur cortice earum lanae et rufatur capillus primum prodeuntibus nuculis; id conpertum infectis tractatu manibus. pinguescunt vetustate. sola differentia generum in putamine duro fragilive et tenui aut crasso, loculoso aut simplici. solum hoc pomum natura conpactili operimento clausit. namque sunt bifidae putaminum carinae nucleorumque alia quadripertita distinctio, lignea intercursante membrana. ceteris quidquid est solidum est, ut in abellanis, et ipso nucum genere, quas antea abellinas patriae nomine appellabant. in asiam graeciamque e ponto venere eae ideoque et ponticae nuces vocantur. has quoque mollis protegit barba, sed putamini nucleisque solida rotunditas inest. hae et torrentur. umbilicus illis intus in ventre medio. tertia in his natura amygdalis tenuiore, sed simili iuglandium, summo operimento, item secundo putaminis; nucleus dissimilis latitudine et acriore callo. haec arbor an fuerit in italia catonis aetate dubitatur, quoniam graecas nominat, quas quidam et in iuglandium genere servant. adicit praeterea abellanas et galbas, praenestinas, quas maxime laudat et conditas ollis in terra servari virides tradit. nunc thasiae et albenses celebrantur et tarentinarum duo genera, fragili putamine ac duro, quae sunt et amplissimae ac minime rotundae; praeterea molluscae putamen rumpentes. sunt qui honori nomen interpretentur et iovis glandem esse dicant. nuper consularem virum audivi biferas et iuglandes nuces habere se profitentem. de pistaciis, et ipso nucum genere, in suo loco retulimus. et haec autem idem vitellius in italiam primus intulit eodem tempore, simulque in hispaniam flaccus pompeius eques romanus, qui cum eo militabat.
The Greek names that have been given to this fruit fully prove that it, like many others, has been originally introduced from Persis; the best kinds being known in that language by the names of “Persicum,” and “basilicon;” these, in fact, being the names by which they were first known to us. It is generally agreed, too, that one peculiar variety has derived its name of “caryon,” from the headache which it is apt to produce by the pungency of its smell. [¶] The green shell of the walnut is used for dyeing wool, and the nuts, while still small and just developing themselves, are employed for giving a red hue to the hair: a discovery owing to the stains which they leave upon the hands. When old, the nut becomes more oleaginous. The only difference in the several varieties consists in the relative hardness or brittleness of the shell, it being thin or thick, full of compartments or smooth and uniform. This is the only fruit that Nature has enclosed in a covering formed of pieces soldered together; the shell, in fact, forming a couple of boats, while the kernel is divided into four separate compartments by the intervention of a ligneous membrane. [¶] In all the other kinds, the fruit and the shell respectively are of one solid piece, as we find the case with the hazel-nut, and another variety of the nut formerly known as “Abellina,” from the name of the district in which it was first produced: it was first introduced into Asia and Greece from Pontus, whence the name that is sometimes given to it — the “Pontic nut.” This nut, too, is protected by a soft beard, but both the shell and the kernel are round, and formed of a single piece: these nuts are sometimes roasted. In the middle of the kernel we find a germen or navel. [¶] A third class of nuts is the almond, which has an outer covering, similar to that of the walnut, but thinner, with a second coat in the shape of a shell. The kernel, however, is unlike that of the walnut, in respect of its broad, flat shape, its firmness, and the superior tastiness of its flavour. It is a matter of doubt whether this tree was in existence in Italy in the time of Cato; we find him speaking of Greek nuts, but there are some persons who think that these belong to the walnut class. He makes mention, also, of the hazel-nut, the calva, and the Prænestine nut, which last he praises beyond all others, and says that, put in pots, they may be kept fresh and green by burying them in the earth. [¶] At the present day, the almonds of Thasos and those of Alba are held in the highest esteem, as also two kinds that are grown at Tarentum, one with a thin, brittle shell, and the other with a harder one: these last are remarkably large, and of an oblong shape. There is the almond known as the “mollusk,” also, which breaks the shell of itself. There are some who would concede a highly honourable interpretation to the name given to the walnut, and say that “juggles” means the “glens,” or “acorn of Jove.” It is only very lately that I heard a man of consular rank declare, that he then had in his possession walnut-trees that bore two crops in the year. [¶] Of the pistachio, which belongs also to the nut class, we have already spoken in its appropriate place: Vitellius introduced this tree into Italy at the same time as the others that we mentioned; and Flaccus Pompeius, a Roman of Equestrian rank, who served with him, introduced it at the same period into Spain.
sequitur arbusti ratio mirum in modum damnata sasernae patri filioque, celebrata scrofae, vetustissimis post catonem peritissimisque, ac ne a scrofa quidem nisi italiae concessa, cum tam longo iudicetur aevo nobilia vina non nisi in arbustis gigni et in his quoque laudatiora summis sicut uberiora imis. adeo excelsitate proficitur. hac ratione et arbores eliguntur. prima omnium ulmus, excepta propter nimiam frondem atinia. dein populus nigra, eadem de causa, minus densa folio. non spernunt plerique et fraxinum ficumque, etiam oleam, si non sit umbrosa ramis. harum satus cultusque abunde tractatus est. ante xxxvi mensem attingi falce vetantur. alterna servantur bracchia, alternis putantur annis, sexto anno maritantur. transpadana italia praeter supra dictas cornu, opulo, tilia, acere, orno carpino, quercu arbustat agros, venetia salice propter uliginem soli. et ulmus detruncata media in tria ramorum scamna digeritur, nulla fere xx pedum altiore arbore. tabulata earum ab octavo pede altitudinis dilatantur in collibus siccisque agris, a duodecumo in campestribus et umidis. meridianum solem spectare palmae debent, rami a proiectu digitorum modo subrigi, tonsili in his tenuium quoque virgultorum barba, ne obumbrent. intervallum iustum arborum, si aretur solum, quadrageni pedes in terga frontemque, in latera viceni; si non aretur, hoc in omnes partes. singulis denas saepe adnutriunt vites, damnato agricola minus ternis. maritare nisi validas inimicum, enecante veloci vitium incremento. serere tripedaneo scrobe necessarium distantes inter sese arboremque singulis pedibus. nihil ibi malleoli atque pastinationis, nulla fodiendi inpendia, utpote cum arbusti ratio hac peculiari dote praestet, quod ab eodem solo ferri fruges et vitibus prodest, superque quod vindicans se altitudo non, ut in vinea, ad arcendas animalium iniurias pariete vel saepe vel fossarum utique inpendio muniri se cogit.
We come now to speak of the method of growing vines upon trees, a mode that has been condemned in the strongest terms by the Saserna’s, both father and son, and upheld by Scrofa, these being our most ancient writers on agriculture next to Cato, and men of remarkable skill. Indeed, Scrofa himself will not admit that it is beneficial anywhere except in Italy. The experience of ages, however, has sufficiently proved that the wines of the highest quality are only grown upon vines attached to trees, and that even then the choicest wines are produced by the upper part of the tree, the produce of the lower part being more abundant; such being the beneficial results of elevating the vine. It is with a view to this that the trees employed for this purpose are selected. In the first rank of all stands the elm, with the exception of the Atinian variety, which is covered with too many leaves; and next comes the black poplar, which is valued for a similar reason, being not so densely covered with leaves. Most people, too, by no means hold the ash and the fig in disesteem, as also the olive, if it is not overshadowed with branches. We have treated at sufficient length already of the planting and culture of these several trees. [¶] They must not be touched with the knife before the end of three years; and then the branches are preserved, on each side in its turn, the pruning being done in alternate years. In the sixth year the vine is united to the tree. In Italy beyond the Padus, in addition to the trees already mentioned, they plant for their vines the cornel, the opulus, the linden, the maple, the ash, the yoke-elm, and the quercus; while in Venetia they grow willows for the purpose, on account of the humidity of the soil. The top of the elm is lopped away, and the branches of the middle are regularly arranged in stages; no tree in general being allowed to exceed twenty feet in height. The stories begin to spread out in the tree at eight feet from the ground, in the hilly districts and upon dry soils, and at twelve in champaign and moist localities. The hand of the trunk ought to have a southern aspect, and the branches that project from them should be stiff and rigid like so many fingers; at the same time due care should be taken to lop off the thin beardlike twigs, in order to check the growth of all shade. The interval best suited for the trees, if it is the grower’s intention to keep the soil turned up with the plough, is forty feet back and front, and twenty at the side; if it is not to be turned up, then twenty feet every way will do. A single tree is often made to support as many as ten vines, and the grower is greatly censured who attaches less than three. It is worse than useless to attach the vine before the tree has gained its full strength, as in such case its rapidity of growth would only tend to kill the tree. It is necessary to plant the vine in a trench three feet in depth, leaving an interval of one foot between it and the tree. In this case there is no necessity for using mallet shoots, or for going to any expense in spading or digging; for this method of training on trees has this advantage in particular, that it is beneficial even to the vine that corn should be sown in the same soil; in addition to which, from its height, it is quite able to protect itself, and does not call for the necessity, as in the case of an ordinary vineyard, of enclosing it with walls and hedges or ditches, made at a considerable expense, to protect it from injury by animals.
