he corn over half the floor, will you
proceed at once, with the corn thus strewn in front of you, to winnow
the remainder, [14] or will you first pack the clean grain into the
narrowest space against the central pillar? [15]

[14] Lit. "of the chaff," where we should say "corn," the winnowing
process separating chaff from grain and grain from chaff.

[15] If that is the meaning of {ton polon}. Al. "the outer edge or rim
of the threshing-floor."

Soc. Yes, upon my word! first pack together the clean grain, and
proceed. My chaff will now be carried into the empty portion of the
floor, and I shall escape the need of winnowing twice over. [16]

[16] Or, "the same chaff (i.e. unwinnowed corn, Angl. corn) twice."

Isch. Really, Socrates, you are fully competent yourself, it seems, to
teach an ignorant world [17] the speediest mode of winnowing.

[17] Lit. "After all, Socrates, it seems you could even teach another
how to purge his corn most expeditiously."

Soc. It seems, then, as you say, I must have known about these matters,
though unconsciously; and here I stand and beat my brains, [18]
reflecting whether or not I may not know some other things--how to
refine gold and play the flute and paint pictures--without being
conscious of the fact. Certainly, as far as teaching goes, no one ever
taught me these, no more than husbandry; while, as to using my own eyes,
I have watched men working at the other arts no less than I have watched
them till the soil.

[18] Lit. "all this while, I am thinking whether..."

Isch. Did I not tell you long ago that of all arts husbandry was the
noblest, the most generous, just because it is the easiest to learn?

Soc. That it is without a doubt, Ischomachus. It seems I must have known
the processes of sowing, without being conscious of my knowledge. [19]

[19] Or, "but for all my science, I was ignorant (of knowing my own
knowledge)."

XIX

Soc. (continuing). But may I ask, is the planting of trees [1] a
department in the art of husbandry?

[1] i.e. of fruit trees, the vine, olive, fig, etc.

Isch. Certainly it is.

Soc. How is it, then, that I can know about the processes of sowing and
at the same time have no knowledge about planting?

Isch. Is it so certain that you have no knowledge?

Soc. How can you ask me? when I neither know the sort of soil in which
to plant, nor yet the depth of hole [2] the plant requires, nor the
breadth, or length of g