Quadrifidasque sudes et acuto robore vallos,
Silvarumque aliae pressos propaginis arcus
Exspectant, et viva sua plantaria terra;
Nil radicis egent aliae, summumque putator
Haud dubitat terrae referens mandare cacumen.
Quin et caudicibus sectis-mirabile dictu!-
Truditur e sicco radix oleagina ligno.
Et saepe alterius ramos impune videmus
Vertere in alterius, mutatamque insita mala
Ferre pirum, et prunis lapidosa rubescere corna.
Quare agite, o, proprios generatim discite cultus,
Agricolae, fructusque feros mollite colendo.
Neu segnes jaceant terrae: juvat Ismara Baccho
Conserere, atque olea magnum vestire Taburnum.
Tuque ades, inceptumque una decurre laborem,
O decus, o famae merito pars maxima nostrae,
Maecenas, pelagoque volans da vela patenti.
Non ego cuncta meis amplecti versibus opto,
Non, mihi si linguae centum sint oraque centum,
Ferrea vox; ades, et primi lege litoris oram;
In manibus terrae; non hic te carmine ficto
Atque per ambages et longa exorsa tenebo.
Sponte sua quae se tollunt in luminis oras,
Infecunda quidem, sed laeta et fortia surgunt;
Quippe solo natura subest. Tamen haec quoque, si quis
Inserat, aut scrobibus mandet mutata subactis,
Exuerint silvestrem animum, cultuque frequenti,
In quascumque voces artis, haud tarda sequentur.
Nec non et sterilis, quae stirpibus exit ab imis,
Hoc faciet, vacuos si sit digesta per agros:
Nunc altae frondes et rami matris opacant,
Crescentique adimunt fetus, uruntque ferentem.
Jam, quae seminibus jactis se sustulit arbos,
Tarda venit, seris factura nepotibus umbram;
Pomaque degenerant, succos oblita priores;
Et turpis avibus praedam fert uva racemos.
26, 27. Some from suckers.-28, 29. Some from cuttings.-30, 31. Some from pieces of the dry trunk.-32-35. Ingrafting transfers to one tree the nature of another.-35-46. Addressing farmers, and asking the countenance of Maecenas, he inculcates industry and attention to the best mode of improving and cultivating trees.-4752. Trees spontaneously produced may be improved by ingrafting transplanting, and culture.-53-56. Trees naturally produced from suckers must be transplanted into the open fields.-57-62. Trees naturally produced from seed must be trenched, and otherwise re claimed.
Scilicet omnibus est labor impendendus, et omnes
Cogendae in sulcum ac multa mercede domandae.
Sed truncis oleae melius, propagine vites
Respondent, solido Paphiae de robore myrtus.
Plantis et durae coryli nascuntur, et ingens
Fraxinus, Herculeaeque arbos umbrosa coronae,
Chaoniique patris glandes; etiam ardua palma
Nascitur, et casus abies visura marinos.
Inseritur vero et nucis arbutus horrida fetu;
Et steriles platani malos gessere valentis;
Castaneae fagus, ornusque incanuit albo
Flore piri, glandemque sues fregere sub ulmis.
Nec modus inserere atque oculos imponere simplex.
Nam, qua se medio trudunt de cortice gemmae,
Et tenuis rumpunt tunicas, angustus in ipso
Fit nodo sinus; huc aliena ex arbore germen
Includunt, udoque docent inolescere libro.
Aut rursum enodes trunci resecantur, et alte
Finditur in solidum cuneis via; deinde feraces
Plantae immittuntur: nec longum tempus, et ingens 80
Exiit ad coelum ramis felicibus arbos,
Miraturque novas frondes et non sua poma.
Praeterea genus haud unum, nec fortibus ulmis,
Nec salici lotoque, neque Idaeis cyparissis;
Nec pingues unam in faciem nascuntur olivae,
Orchades, et radii, et amara pausia bacca;
Pomaque et Alcinöi silvae; nec surculus idem
Crustumiis Syriisque piris gravibusque volemis.
Non eadem arboribus pendet vindemia nostris,
Quam Methymnaeo carpit de palmite Lesbos."
Sunt Thasiae vites, sunt et Mareotides albae-
Pinguibus hae terris habiles, levioribus illae-
Et passo Psithia utilior tenuisque Lageos,
Tentatura pedes olim vincturaque linguam;
Purpureae, preciaeque; et quo te carmine dicam,
Rhaetica? nec cellis ideo contende Falernis.
Sunt et Aminaeae vites, firmissima vina,
Tmolius adsurgit quibus et rex ipse Phanaeus;
Argitisque minor, cui non certaverit ulla
63-68. Of trees to be artificially propagated, certain methods are best adapted for different trees. 69-72. Different fruit-trees are best adapted for ingrafting on certain others. 73-77. Inoculating is described. 78-82. Ingrafting proper is described. 83-88. There are different species of the same kind of tree. - 89-108. Especially there are different species of vine.
Aut tantum fluere, aut totidem durare per annos.
Non ego te, dis et mensis accepta secundis,
Transierim, Rhodia, et tumidis, Bumaste, racemis.
Sed neque, quam multae species, nec, nomina quae sint,
Est numerus; neque enim numero comprendere refert;
Quem qui scire velit, Libyci velit aequoris idem
Discere quam multae Zephyro turbentur arenae;
Aut, ubi navigiis violentior incidit Eurus,
Nosse, quot Ionii veniant ad litora fluctus.
Nec vero terrae ferre omnes omnia possunt.
Fluminibus salices, crassisque paludibus alni
Nascuntur, steriles saxosis montibus orni;
Litora myrtetis laetissima; denique apertos
Bacchus amat collis, Aquilonem et frigora taxi.
Aspice et extremis domitum cultoribus orbem,
Eoasque domos Arabum pictosque Gelonos:
Divisae arboribus patriae: sola India nigrum
Fert ebenum; solis est turea virga Sabaeis.
Quid tibi odorato referam sudantia ligno
Balsamaque et baccas semper frondentis acanthi?
Quid nemora Aethiopum, molli canentia lana,
Velleraque ut foliis depectant tenuia Seres?
Aut quos Oceano propior gerit India lucos,
Extremi sinus orbis, ubi aëra vincere summum
Arboris haud ullae jactu potuere sagittae?
Et gens illa quidem sumptis non tarda pharetris.
Media fert tristes succos tardumque saporem
Felicis mali; quo non praesentius ullum,
Pocula si quando saevae infecere novercae,
Miscueruntque herbas et non innoxia verba,
Auxilium venit, ac membris agit atra venena.
Ipsa ingens arbos faciemque simillima lauro;
Et, si non alium late jactaret odorem,
Laurus erat; folia haud ullis labentia ventis;
Flos ad prima tenax; animas et olentia Medi
Ora fovent illo, et senibus medicantur anhelis.
Sed neque Medorum silvae ditissima terra,
Nec pulcher Ganges atque auro turbidus Hermus
109-113. Trees are adapted to certain situations. This is illustrated by the products of distant climes. - 136-176. This illustration introduces the praises of Italy. He contrasts it (ver. 136) with Media, the most important province of the Persian empire, producing the citron; (ver. 137) the Ganges, on whose banks the Seres procured the down from the leaves of trees (as was believed in Virgil's time), whence silk was fabricated; the Hermus a river of Lydia, with its golden sands; (ver. 138) Bactra, the capi.
Laudibus Italiae certent; non Bactra, neque Indi,
Totaque turiferis Panchaïa pinguis arenis.
Haec loca non tauri spirantes naribus ignem
Invertere satis immanis dentibus hydri,
Nec galeis densisque virum seges horruit hastis;
Sed gravidae fruges et Bacchi Massicus humor
Implevere; tenent oleae armentaque laeta.
Hinc bellator equus campo sese arduus infert;
Hinc albi, Clitumne, greges, et maxima taurus
Victima, saepe tuo perfusi flumine sacro,
Romanos ad templa deum duxere triumphos.
Hic ver assiduum atque alienis mensibus aestas;
Bis gravidae pecudes, bis pomis utilis arbos.
At rabidae tigres absunt et saeva leonum
Semina; nec miseros fallunt aconita legentis;
Nec rapit immensos orbis per humum, neque tanto
Squameus in spiram tractu se colligit anguis.
Adde tot egregias urbes operumque laborem,
Tot congesta manu praeruptis oppida saxis,
Fluminaque antiquos subterlabentia muros.
An mare, quod supra, memorem, quodque adluit infra?
Anne lacus tantos? te, Lari maxime, teque,
Fluctibus et fremitu adsurgens, Benace, marino?
tal of Bactria, a north-eastern province of the Persian empire, and India, and (139) Panchaia, an island off the coast of Arabia, probably fabled by Euemerus, a logographer of Messana.-140-142. He contrasts Italy favourably with Colchis, alluding to the story of Jason, and the bulls (others have horses) snorting fire, and the dragon's teeth, which, when sown, produced a crop of armed men. Dentibus, the dat. for, to receive. -143. Massicus, a hill famous for its vines; it was in Campania, which produced the most celebrated wines of ancient Italy.. 146. The Clitumnus was a river of Umbria, still a famous pasture country. It was believed that the cattle that drank its waters became white. And white bulls were the proper sacrifice in the Roman triumphs, where they were led before the victor's car. 149. Alienis. Even the months not belonging to summer seem to be under her genial influence. Bis per singulos annos.-151, &c. With these advantages, Italy is free from wild beasts, poisonous plants, and large serpents.-153. Tanto, quanto in aliis terris.- 155, &c. Italy abounds in proud and ancient cities, in noble rivers, seas, lakes, harbours, mountains full of metallic veins. The cities are either beautiful by art, or are piled on rugged rocks, or adorn the banks of rivers. 158. Supra, the Adriatic; infra, the Tuscan sea.-159. Lari. Larius lacus, a magnificent lake in Gallia Cisalpina, filling a hollow at the south of the Alps; the modern lake of Como, in Austrian Lombardy. -160. Benace. Benacus, the modern Garda, a large and noble lake enclosed by mountains, except at the south. Hence the gusts that lash it into sea-like fury (fremitu marino).
An memorem portus Lucrinoque addita claustra,
Atque indignatum magnis stridoribus aequor,
Julia qua ponto longe sonat unda refuso,
Tyrrhenusque fretis immittitur aestus Avernis?
Haec eadem argenti rivos aerisque metalla
Ostendit venis, atque auro plurima fluxit.
Haec genus acre virum Marsos pubemque Sabellam,
Adsuetumque malo Ligurem Volscosque verutos
Extulit; haec Decios, Marios magnosque Camillos,
Scipiadas duros bello, et te, maxime Caesar,
Qui nunc, extremis Asiae jam victor in oris,
Imbellem avertis Romanis arcibus Indum.
Salve, magna parens frugum, Saturnia tellus,
Magna virum; tibi res antiquae laudis et artis
Ingredior, sanctos ausus recludere fontis,
Ascraeumque cano Romana per oppida carmen.
Nunc locus arvorum ingeniis: quae robora cuique,
Quis color, et quae sit rebus natura ferendis.
Difficiles primum terrae collesque maligni,
Tenuis ubi argilla et dumosis calculus arvis,
Palladia gaudent silva vivacis olivae.
Indicio est tractu surgens oleaster eodem
Plurimus, et strati baccis silvestribus agri.
At quae pinguis humus dulcique uligine laeta,
161-164. An allusion is here made to a harbour of refuge formed in the bay of Baia by Octavianus Caesar, called the Portus Julius. Two small lakes, the Avernus and the Lucrinus, both close on the bay, were united with it by excavation, the Lucrinus forming the middle basin. It shrank into a shallow pool, from an earthquake and volcanic eruption, A. D. 1538; on which occasion Avernus, the northern basin, assumed its present banks, now covered with vineyards.167. Marsos. The Marsi lived among the Apennines, on the north-east of Latium. Sabellam. The Sabines occupied the Apennines to the north of Latium.-168. Ligurem. The Ligurians occupied that portion of Gallia Cisalpina which was overlooked by the maritime Alps. The soil was poor and rocky; hence adsuetum malo. Volscos, a Latin people who fought with a light spear-veru, hence verutos. See Aen. vii. 665.-169, &c. Decios, &c. Men famous in Roman history.-171. In the year B. c. 30, Octavianus Caesar, having conquered Antony in the previous year, was on the banks of the Euphrates, by poetic exaggeration, extremis Asiae in oris, pacifying the Asiatics, Indum. 173. Saturnia. See Aen. viii. 319.174. Tibi. See Ecl. viii, 6.— 176. Ascraeum. See Ecl. vi. 70. For a celebrated imitation of this fine passage, see Thom son's Seasons, Summer, the lines beginning,
'Happy Britannia, when the Queen of Arts.' 177-183. Different soils have different capabilities; one is best suited for the olive.- 184-194. Another soil is best suited for the vine.
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