Bava Batra

beth se'ah may be ploughed in virtue of them.' What is the total area of the field? — Two thousand five hundred cubits. How much is that for each tree? — Eight hundred and thirty-three and a third. 'Ulla still claims more for his tree!  — [We must suppose that] 'Ulla did not give an exact figure. [Is that so?] We may presume that an authority does not give an exact figure where by so doing he makes the law more stringent. But can I say that he does so where he makes the law less stringent?  — You are assuming that 'Ulla was thinking of a square. In reality he was thinking of a circle. Let us see. The area of a square exceeds that of the [inscribed] circle by a quarter. Hence there remains for [the circle from which 'Ulla's tree sucks] seven hundred and sixty-eight cubits.  But the space allowed [by the Mishnah] is still half a cubit more [in length]?  — That is where 'Ulla was not exact, and he thereby made the law more stringent. Come and hear: 'If a man buys a tree and the soil around, he brings first-fruits from it and makes the declaration.  ['Soil' means any quantity,] does it not, however small?  — No: it must be sixteen cubits. Come and hear: If a man buys two trees in another man's field, he brings first-fruits from them but does not make the declaration. [We infer] from this that if he buys three he does make the declaration. And any quantity of soil is sufficient, is it not?  — No; here too it must be sixteen cubits. Come and hear: R. Akiba says: 'The smallest piece of landed property is subject to the rule of the corner  and first-fruits. and a prosbul