19. He that plants a piece of land, the trees of which produce fruits
before the fourth year, is not to bring thence any first-fruits to God,
nor is he to make use of that fruit himself, for it is not produced in
its proper season; for when nature has a force put upon her at an
unseasonable time, the fruit is not proper for God, nor for the master's
use; but let the owner gather all that is grown on the fourth year, for
then it is in its proper season. And let him that has gathered it carry
it to the holy city, and spend that, together with the tithe of his
other fruits, in feasting with his friends, with the orphans, and the
widows. But on the fifth year the fruit is his own, and he may use it as
he pleases.
20. You are not to sow with seed a piece of land which is planted with
vines, for it is enough that it supply nourishment to that plant, and be
not harassed by ploughing also. You are to plough your land with oxen,
and not to oblige other animals to come under the same yoke with them;
but to till your land with those beasts that are of the same kind with
each other. The seeds are also to be pure, and without mixture, and not
to be compounded of two or three sorts, since nature does not rejoice in
the union of things that are not in their own nature alike; nor are you
to permit beasts of different kinds to gender together, for there is
reason to fear that this unnatural abuse may extend from beasts of
different kinds to men, though it takes its first rise from evil
practices about such smaller things. Nor is any thing to be allowed, by
imitation whereof any degree of subversion may creep into the
constitution. Nor do the laws neglect small matters, but provide that
even those may be managed after an unblamable manner.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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