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

AG RICULTURA. AGRICULTURA. 63
maost other places, where the stallks were grasped (Avlr-npi'p, ventiltors) who tossed it up from a
in the left hand and cut at half their height from sieve (vannus, capisteri um) or shovel (7rTlov, ventithe ground, the whole of the portion detached labrIum), when the heavy portion fell down in a
being conveyed in baskets to the thrashing-floor, heap, and the chaff floated off through the air.
and the part left standing being cut afterwards. When it was intended to keep the corn for any
The last two methods only are particularly no- length of time, it was common to. repeat the proticed by Columella, who describes the instruments cess (repurgare, repolere), that it might be thoemployed in the second under the names of pectines roughly cleared. (Varr. i. 52; Colum. ii. 9. 20;
and smeegi [ae?] (vetdi ni2es;yis, alii /pectinibus comp. Horn. 11. v. 499; xiii. 588.)
spicam ijssanm lemvZat); and those employed in the
third asfjlces cvericulatae (es/lti./kibi/es vericzlatis, 10. Preservation of Corn (defiementaoservando).
atque ius vet rostratis sel cdnticselatis 7ediZin2 cZ/ulsum After the corn had been thrashed out and winseca/nt); a series of terms which have never been nowed, or at least the ears separated from the stalk,
very satisfactorily explained. In addition to the the next care wa to store up (condere) the grain in
above, Pliny and Palladius describe a reaping- fitting repositories (yranasics, horrecs). The great
machine worked by oxen, which was much used object in view being to preserve it from becoming
ini the extensive level plains of the (Gauls. Virgil mouldy or rotten, and to protect it from the ravages
(Geoqg. i. 316), perhapq, alludes to binding up the of vermin, especially the weevil (curculio), we find
corn in sheafs; but his words are not so clear that very great diversity of opinion existed as to
upon this point as those of Homer in the charm- the means by which those ends might best be ating picture of a harvest-field contained in the tained. By some the store-houses were built with
eighteenth book of the IiMad. (Varr. i. 50; Colunl.brick walls of great thickness, for the purpose, it
ii. 20; Plin. H. N. xviii. 30; Pallad. vii. 2; Geopon. would seem, of securing a uniform temperature,
ii. 25; comp. Hom. 11. xi. 67, xvYii. 550.) and had no window or aperture, except a hole in
the roof, through which they were filled. Others,
again, raised these structunes aloft on wooden
After the crop had been properly dried and columns, and allowed currents of air to pass
hardened (torsreftsca) by exposure to the sun, it through on all sides and even from below; while
was conveyed to the thrashing-floor (lAXws, &Aovj, others admitted particular winds only, such, namely,
or &aXeod, area). This was an open space, on some as were of a drying character. Many plastered
elevated spot over which the wind had free course, the walls with a sort of hard stucco worked up
of a ciroular form, slightly raised in the centre to with amurca, which was believed to act as a safeallow moisture to run off The earth was corm- guard against vermin, while o;thers considered the
pressed by heavy rollers (graci cylindro, molari use of lime under any form as decidedly injurious.
lapice), pounded with rammers (pavicul/is), and These and many different opinions, together with
reduced to a solid consistency with clay and chaff, receipts for various preparations wherewith to
so as to present an even unyielding surface; or, sprinkle the corn, will be found detailed in the
better still, paved with hard stones. Here the corn authorities cited below, among whom Pliny very
was spread out and beaten with flails (6aculis excu- sensibly observes that the pincipal consideration
tereo,f/stibus cudere,perticisflagellare); or more com- ought to be the condition of the grain itself when
monly, except when the ears alone had been brought housed; since, if not perfectly dry, it must of nefrom the field, trodden out (et/erere) by the feet cessity breed mischief. In many countries, as in
of a number of men or horses, who were driven Thrace, Cappadocia, Spain, and Africa, the corn
backwards and forwards within the ring. To pro- was laid up in pits (sc'obibus) sunk in a perfectly
duce the effect more easily and more perfectly, the dry soil and well lined with chaff, a practice now
cattle were frequently yoked to a machine (tribu- extensively adopted in Tuscany. Wheat in the
/1u2), trib/da, tralea, eraEi), consisting of a board ear (cun spicae sua) might, according to Varro, if
made rough by attaching to it stones or pieces of the air was excluded, be preserved in such recep-.
iron, and loaded with some heavy weight; or, what tacles for fifty years, and millet for hn hundred.
was termed a Punic wain (plostellums Poeniceuml) (Cat. 92; Varr. i. 57; Colum. i. 6; Pallad. i. 19:
was employed, being a set of toothed rollers Plin. H. N. xviii. 30; Geopon. ii. 27-31,)
covered with planks, on which sat the driver who
guided the team. IV. CROPs.
Attached to the area was a huge shed or halfenclosed barn (nubilaiqnm), of sufficient dimensions Crops, as already remarked, may be divided
to contain the whole crop. Here the corn was into four classes: —1. Grain or corn crops. 2. Legudried in unfavourable seasons before being thrashed, minous crops, or pulse. 3. Crops cut greenforforage.
and hither it was hurriedly conveyed for shelter 4. Crops which supplied the raw materials for the
when the harvest work was interrupted by any textile fabrics. We might extend the number
sudden storm. (Cat. 91, 129; Varr. i. 13, 51, 52; of classes did we purpose to treat of certain plants,
Colunl. i. 6, ii. 19; Pallad. i. 36, viii. 1; Plin. H. such as poppies (papeavera) and sesamum, raised
N1 xviii. 29, 30; Hom. It. xiii. 588; xx. 495; xxi. to a small extent only, and confined to particular
77; Virg. Georg. i. 178; Geopon. ii. 26.) localities; but our limits do not permit us to embrace so wide a field of inquiry.
9. lTYinnoaving (Ventilizdio). In addition to the above, much attention was
When the grain was mixed with chaff, it was devoted to what may be termed secondary crops;'
laid dowvn in small piles upon the area, in order those, namely, which did not afford directly food:
that the lighter particles might be borne away by or clothing for man or beast, but which were re.:
the passing breeze; but when the wind was not quired in order to facilitate the cultivation and
sufficiently strong it became necessary to winnow collection of the primary craps, Thus, beda. of
(eventi/are) it. This was effected by a labourer willows (salicteta) for baskets and withes, and of
3