78. Hazel-nuts: three observations upon them. Pistachio-nuts: eight observations upon them. Chesnuts: five observations upon them 515 79. Carobs: five observations upon them. The cornel: one remedy. The fruit of the arbutus 516 80. The laurel: sixty-nine observations upon it _ib._ 81. Myrtle: sixty observations upon it 519 82. Myrtidanum: thirteen remedies 521 83. The wild myrtle, otherwise called oxymyrsine, or chamæmyrsine, and the ruscus: six remedies _ib._ NATURAL HISTORY OF PLINY. BOOK XVIII. THE NATURAL HISTORY OF GRAIN. CHAP. 1. (1.)—TASTE OF THE ANCIENTS FOR AGRICULTURE. We now pass on to the Natural History of the various grains, of the garden plants and flowers, and indeed of all the other productions, with the exception of the trees and shrubs, which the Earth, in her bounteousness, affords us—a boundless field for contemplation, if even we regard the herbs alone, when we take into consideration the varieties of them, their numbers, the flowers they produce, their odours, their colours, their juices, and the numerous properties they possess—all of which have been engendered by her with a view to either the preservation or the gratification of the human race. On entering, however, upon this branch of my subject, it is my wish in the first place to plead the cause of the Earth, and to act as the advocate of her who is the common parent of all, although in the earlier[1] part of this work I have already had occasion to speak in her defence. For my subject matter, as I proceed in the fulfilment of my task, will now lead me to consider her in the light of being the producer of various noxious substances as well; in consequence of which it is that we are in the habit of charging her with our crimes, and imputing to her a guilt that is our own. She has produced poisons, it is true; but who is it but man that has found them out? For the birds of the air and the beasts of the field, it is sufficient to be on their guard against them, and to keep at a distance from them. The elephant, we find, and the urus, know how to sharpen[2] and renovate their teeth against the trunks of trees, and the rhinoceros against rocks; wild boars, again, point their tusks like so many poniards by the aid of both rocks and trees; and all animals, in fact, are aware how to prepare themselves for the infliction of injury upon others; but still, which is there among them all, with the exception of man, that dips his weapons in poison? As for ourselves, we envenom the point of the arrow,[3] and we contrive to add to the destructive powers of iron itself; by the aid of poisons we taint the waters of the stream, and we infect the various elements of Nature; indeed, the very air even, which is the main support of life, we turn into a medium for the destruction of life.