Soil quality can be read before planting through observable proxies: taste and smell of the earth, the color after wetting, how water drains through it, and which wild plants grow there naturally. The character of spontaneous vegetation indicates what cultivated crops the ground will support.
Successful grafting depends on compatibility between scion and rootstock judged by the likeness of their sap and nature, not merely on belonging to related kinds. Trees of similar moisture and temperament unite; mismatched pairings fail to knit even when physically bound together.
Agricultural operations such as sowing, pruning, and harvesting are prescribed according to the moon's phase and the astronomical season, with specific tasks assigned to waxing or waning periods. The book treats these celestial timings as determinants of yield and preservation alongside soil and water.