In his fifth book, he quotes this ancient proverb: “He who ploughs the olive - grove, asks it for fruit; he who manures it, begs for fruit; he who lops it, forces it to yield fruit. ”
وَقَدِ ٱشْتَهَرَ بِمُؤَلَّفَاتِهِ ٱلِٱثْنَيْ عَشَرَ ٱلَّتِي كَتَبَهَا عَنِ ٱلزِّرَاعَةِ وَٱلْحَيَاةِ فِي ٱلرِّيفِ .‏