Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

AGRICULTURA. AGRICULTURA. 46
struction of Carthage, it was translated into Latin. a. C
by orders of the senate; a Greek version, with additions and probably omissions, was executed by (Kizozwed!/e of' tlhe Farm). In selecting a farm,
Dionysius of Utica, and published in twenty books the two points which first demanded attention
during the century before the commencement of were, 1. The healthiness of the situation (saluour era; and this, again, was a few years after- britas), a matter of the greatest anxiety ill Italy,
wards condensed into six books by Diophanes of where the ravages of malaria appear to have
Nicaea, and presented to King DeiotarLus. In been not less fatal in ancient than they have
what follows, Cato, Varro, and Colnmella will be proved in modern times; and, 2. The general
our chief supports, although references will be made fertility of the soil. It was essential to be fully
to and illustrations drawn from the other sources satisfied upon both of these particulars; for to
indicated above. (Varr. R. R. i. 1; Col. R. R. i. 1; settle in a pestilential spot was to gamble with
Plin. H. N. xviii. 3; Proleg. ad Geopon. in ed. the lives and property of all concerned (non aliud
Niclas.) est atque alea domini vitae et -sei familiaris), and
Division of tle Suabject. no man in his senses would undertake to till
land which was not likely to yield a fair return
Rural Economy may be treated of under two for his outlay of money and labour (fractas pro
distinct heads - inmpensa ac labore). The next object of solicitude
A. Agriculture proper (Agriczltura), or the art was a good aspect. The property was, if possible,
of tilling the soil. to have a southerly exposure, to be sheltered by a
B. The management of stock (Pastio). wooded hill from the sweep of boisterous and cutA. AGRI CULT URA. ting winds, and not to be liable to sudden misfortunes (se calamitoszin siet), such as inundations
Agriculture proper teaches the art of raising the or violent hail storms. It was highly important
various crops necessary for the sustenance and corm- that it should be in the viciIlity of a populous town
fort of man and of the domestic animals, in such a (oppidum validuan), or if not, that it should be
manner that the productive energies of the soil readily accessible either by sea, or by a navigable
may be fully developed but not exhausted nor stream (asnis qua slcves amlbulant), or by a good
enfeebled, and teaches, farther, how this may be well frequented road (via bona celebrisque); that
accomplished with the least possible expenditure there should be an abundant supply of water (boof capital. The crops to which the Greeks and naun aquarium); that it should be so situated that
Romans chiefly directed their attention were - the proprietor, if he did not live upon the estate,
1. Different kinds of grain, such as wheat and might be able to give active and constant personal
barley; leguminous vegetables cultivated for their superintendence; and, finally, that it should be
seeds, such as beans, peas, and lupines; herbs cut moderate in size, so that every portion might be
green for forage, such as grass, tares, and lucerne; brought into full cultivation (laudato ingentia rura
and plants which furnished the raw material for - Exiguama colito).
the textile fabrics, such as hemp and flax. 2. Fruit These preliminary matters being ascertained,
trees, especially the vine, the olive, and the fig. the soil might be considered in reference a. to
3. Garden stuffs. - For the second of these divi- its general external features (fornzt), j3. to its
sions we refer to the articles OLETUMr and VINNEA; internal qualities (qualis sit terra).
and we shall not touch at all upon gardening, since a. In so far as its external features were conthe minute details connected with this topic are of cerned it might be flat (solumn campestre), or upland
little or no service in illustrating the classics rolling ground (collizmn), or high lying (smonta.
generally. canz), or might comprise within its limits all
Agriculture in its restricted sense comprehends three, which was most desirable, or any two of
a knowledge them. These variations would necessarily exerI. Of the subject of our operations, that is, the cise important influence on the climate, on the
farm (fundus, praedium), which mustbe considered. description of crops which might be culti;ated
a. with reference to its situation and soil (quo with advantage, and on the time chosen for perloco et qualis), and b. with reference to the dwell- forming the various operations, the general rule
ing-house and steading (villa et stabZla). being that as we ascend the temperature falls, that
II. Of the instruments (instrnmenta) required corn and sown crops in general (segetes) succeed
to perform the various operations (quac in fundo best on plains, vineyards (vineae) on gentle slopes,
opus siat ae debeant esse culturae caausa), these in- and timber trees (silvae) upon elevated sites, and
struments being twofold, a. men (homines); and b. that the different labours of the rustic may be
the assistants of men (admninicula honzinums), viz. commenced earlier upon low than upon high
domestic animals (boves, equi, canes, &c.) together ground. When flat it was better that it should
with tools (instrumenta), properly so called, such incline gently and uniformly in one direction
as ploughs and harrows. (aequabiliter in sunam partlems vergens) than be a
III. Of the operations themselves, such as dead level (ad libellamn aequum), for in the latter
ploughing, harrowing, and sowing (quae in faundo case the drainage being necessarily imperfect, it
colendi cause sint facienda), and of the time when would have a tendency to become swampy; but
they are to be performed (quo quidquid temnpore the worst form was when there were converging
fieri conveniat). slopes, for there the water collected into pools
IV. Of the object of these operations, viz. the (lacunas).
different plants considered with reference to their AB In so far as its internal qualities were conspecies, varieties, and habits. Under this head we cerned, soil might be classed under six heads formmay also conveniently include what is termed the ing three antagonistic pairs.: -
rotation of crops, that is, the order in which they 1. The deep and fat (pingue), 2. The shallow
ought to succeed each other upon the same ground, and lean (macruum, je;jamcU), 3. The loose (solu