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

1.2 AGRICU LTU RA. AGRICULTURA.
less in rainy than in dry weather, maxims which runcatio), which in the case of grain crops took
are fully explained by the authorities quoted be- place immediately before they began to blossom,
low. The average amount of seed used for the or immediately after the flower had passed away.
three principal species of grain -wheat, spelt and The weeds were either pulled up by the roots
barley- -was respectively, five, ten, and six modii (evulsis inutilibus herbis), or cut over with a billperjuger. (Xenoph. Oecon. 17; Theophrast. ii. 6. and hook, which Palladius terms runco. (Cat. 37;
iii. 25; Cat. 34, 35; Varr. i. 29, 34, 40, 52; Co- Varr. i. 30; Colum. ii. 11, xi. 2; Pallad. i. sub.
lum. ii. 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 13, xii. 2; Pallad. i. 6, 34, fin.; Plin. H. N. xviii. 21; Geopon. ii. 24.)
x. 2; Virg. Georg. i. 193, 219, 225; Plin. H. N. But after the farmer had laboured wiLh unrexiv. 211 xvi 27, xviii. 24, 73; Geopon. ii. 15-20.) mitting zeal in cleaning and pulverising the soil, in
selecting and medicating the seed, in hoeing the
4. Harrowing (occatio) young blades, and in extirpating the common
Miight be performed at two different periods: noxious weeds (loliumn, tribuli, lappae, cardui,
after the first or seond ploughing, in order to rsbi, ca7ean), the safety of the crop was threatened
powder the soil completely; and after sowing, in by a vast number of assailants (tunaz variae ilhdant
order to cover up the seed. When the land was pestes); such as worms of various kinds (verlniculi)
encumbered with roots and deep-seated weeds, a attacking both root and ear, caterpillars (uricae),
grubber (iTpex, Cat. 10. Varr. L. L. iv. 31) formed spiders (pialangia), snails (linzaces, cochleae), mice
of a strong plank set with iron spikes was em- (s2ures), moles (talpae), and the whole race of
ployed, but in ordinary oases wicker hurdles (vi- birds, besides which, each kind of plant was bemineae crates), sometimes fitted with teeth (den- lieved to have its own special vegetable enemyl,
tatae), were dragged over the ground; or the clods which, if not carefully watched, would spring up,
were broken with hand-rakes (raostra). The seed, choke, and destroy it. The most formidable of
as we have seen above, being for the most part these pests are enumerated by Pliny (II. N. xviii.
-ploughed in, and the operation for that reason placed 17), who proposes sundry precautions and remedies,
under the patronage of a god Obarator, the second of which many are ridiculous superstitions. But
harrowing (iteratio) was omitted, except where the the foe dreaded above all others in the vineyard
surface still rose in lumps (Virg. Georg. i. 104); but and the cornfield was a peculiar blight or mildew
since it was the duty of a god farmer to have his termed robigo, which wrought such havoc in damp
fields in the best order before he began to sow, the low-lying situations that it was regarded as a mnaolder Roman writers considered harrowing after nifestation of wrath on the part of a malignant
sowing as a proof of bad husbandry.- " Veteres spirit, whose favour the rustic sought to propitiate
Rominani dixerunt male subactum agreim, qui satis by the annual festival of the Rtobigalia. [RouBfrugibus occandus sit." (Colum. ii. 4, 13, xi. 2; GALIA.]
Plin. H. N. xviii. 20; Virg. Geoyg. i. 94, 104.) Another danger of an opposite description arose
from the grain shooting up so rapidly that the stalk.. Hoeing (sarritio). was likely to become immoderately long and weak.
The next care, after covering up the seed, was The danger in this case was averted by pasturto loosen the earth round the roots of the young ing down the too luxuriant herbage with sheep
blades, in order that air and moisture might gain (Izturiemz segetua tenera depascit in hlerba), or by
free access and enable them to send forth more dragging over it an iron-toothed harrow (cratis et
numerous and more vigorous shoots and fibres hoc genus dentatae stilis fJrreis), by which it was
(ut fruticare possint). This process was termed said to be combed (pectinari). (Plin. H. N. xviii.
CKaseia, sar'itio, or sarculatio, and was carried 17. 21; Virg. Geory. i. 151.)
on by hand with an instrument called seacubm m,
the form of which is not known. Corn was usu- 7. Reaping (Onessio).
ally, hoed twice, for the first time in winter, as The corn was reaped as soon as it had acquired
soon as it fairly covered the ground (cuae sata a uniform yellow tint, without waiting until it
sulcos contemrint), provided there was no frost; had become dead ripe, in order to avoid the loss
and for the second time in spring, before the stalk sustained by shaking, and by the ravages of
became jointed (antequoan seges in articulum eat); animals. The necessity of pursuing this course
great care being taken at all times not to injure with regard to barley, is especially insisted upon;
the root. On the first occasion, and then only, but is quite at variance with modern practice.
where the ground was dry and the situation warm, (Colum. ii. 9.)
the plants, in addition to a simple hoeing (plane Varro describes three distinct methods of reapsarritio), were earthed up (adobruere). Columella ing (tria genera nmessionis).
recommends sarritio for almost all crops, ex- 1. That followed in Umbria, where the stalk
cept lupines; but authorities differed much as to was shorn close to the ground with a hook (fa/x);
the necessity or propriety of performing the opera- each handful was laid down; and when a numtion in any case, and those who advocated its ex- ber of these had accumulated, the ears were cut
pediency most warmly, agreed that the periods at off, thrown into baskets (corbes), and sent to the
which it ought to be executed, and the number of thrashing-floor, the straw (stcramenztuz) being left
times that it ought to be repeated, must depend upon the field, and afterwards gathered into a
upon the soil, climate, and a variety of special heap.
circumstances. (Cat. 37; Varr. i. 18, 29, 36; 2. That followed in Picenum, where they used
Column. ii. 11, xi. 2; Plin. HI. N. xviii. 21, 26; a small iron saw (serrulafbrrea) fixed to the exGeopon. ii. 24; comp. Plaut. Capt. iii. 5. 3; tremity of a crooked wooden handle (ligneum inVirg. Geomg. i. 155.) cuevzrm bartillUm); with this they laid hold of a
6. Weeding (rcncatio). bundle of ears which were cut off, the straw being
left standing to be mown subsequently.
Hoeing was followed by weeding (3oorataods, 3. That followed in the vicinity of Rome any