CHAP. 76. (33.)—THE THEORY OF THE WINDS.
The theory of the winds
1 is of a somewhat more intricate
nature. After observing the quarter in which the sun rises
on any given day, at the sixth
2 hour of the day take your
position in such a manner as to have the point of the sun's
rising on your left; you will then have the south directly
facing you, and the north at your back: a line drawn through
a field in this direction
3 is called the "cardinal"
4 line. The
observer must then turn round, so as to look upon his shadow,
for it will be behind him. Having thus changed his position,
so as to bring the point of the sun's rising on that day to the
right, and that of his setting to the left, it will be the sixth
hour of the day, at the moment when the shadow straight
before him is the shortest. Through the middle of this
shadow, taken lengthwise, a furrow must be traced in the
ground with a hoe, or else a line drawn with ashes, some
twenty feet in length, say; in the middle of this line, or, in
other words, at the tenth foot in it, a small circle must then
be described: to this circle we may give the name of the
"umbilicus," or "navel." That point in the line which lies
on the side of the head of the shadow will be the point from
which the north wind blows. You who are engaged in pruning trees, be
it your care that the incisions made in the wood
do not face this point; nor should the vine-trees
5 or the vines
have this aspect, except in the climates of Africa,
6 Cyrenæ, or
Egypt. When the wind blows, too, from this point, you must
never plough, nor, in fact, attempt any other of the operations
of which we shall have to make mention.
7
That part of the line which lies between the umbilicus and
the feet of the shadow will look towards the south, and indicate the
point from which the south wind
8 blows, to which,
as already mentioned,
9 the Greeks have given the name of
Notus. When the wind comes from this quarter, you, hasbandman, must
never fell wood or touch the vine. In Italy
this wind is either humid or else of a burning heat, and in
Africa it is accompanied with intense heat
10 and fine clear
weather. In Italy the bearing branches should be trained to
face this quarter, but the incisions made in the trees or vines
when pruned must never face it. Let those be on their guard
against this wind upon the four
11 days at the rising of the
Vergiliæ, who are engaged in planting the olive, as well as
those who are employed in the operations of grafting or inoculating.
It will be as well, too, here to give some advice, in reference
to the climate of Italy, as to certain precautions to be observed
at certain hours of the day. You, woodman, must never lop
the branches in the middle of the day; and you, shepherd,
when you see midday approaching in summer, and the shadow
gradually decreasing, drive your flocks from out of the sun
into some well-shaded spot. When you lead the flocks to pasture in
summer, let them face the west before midday,
12 and
after that time, the east: if this precaution is not adopted,
calamitous results will ensue; the same, too, if the flocks are
led in winter or spring to pastures covered with dew. Nor
must you let them feed with their faces to the north, as already
mentioned;
13 for the wind will either close their eyes or else
make them bleared, and they will (lie of looseness. If you wish
to have females,
14 you should let the dams have their faces towards
the north while being covered.