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

54 AGRICUJLTURA. AGRICULTURA.
reeds (arundineta) for vine-props, were frequently in years into siligo, and by Pliny (xviii. 8) that siligo,
favourable situations very profitable, just as land in most parts of Gaul, passed, at the end of two
in certain districts of Kent yields a large return years, into triticlz; again, Colunmella, in describing
when planted with young chestnuts for hop-poles. trimestre, admits (although contradicted by Plin.
1H. N. xviii. 7) that it is a variety of siligo, while
Xi. Corn ~Csois (~finr emntcts). ~modern experience teaches us that winter and spring
The word applied in a general sense to denote wheats are convertible by subjecting them to pecuwhat we now call " the cereal grasses" was fi'u- liar modes of cultivation. Hence we. conclude that
m2entar; but of these wheat being by far the most robus and siligo were varieties of what is now
important, it is not wonderiul that the term in termed by botanists li'iticum bz ybermnol, and that
question should be employed frequently to denote triinestre was a variety of our Ti'itiCZm7 aestisv1mn,
wheat specially, and occasionally in such a manner which is itself a variety of the hlybernusz.
as to exclude other kinds of grain, as when Pliny The question with regard to Farr, Ador, Semen
remarks, " calamus altior irumento quam hordeo," adoreum, Semen, AdoreztU, names used indifferently
meaning " in wheat the stalk is longer than in by the Latin writers, does not admit of such an
barley." The only frumenta which it will be easy solution. But after a careful examination'necessary for us to consider particularly in this of the numnerous, vague, perplexing, and contradicplace are - tory statements scattered over the classics, the disa. Triticoun and Far; b. Ilordeunz; c. Panicrn cussio.n of which separately would far exceed our
and Milium. limits, we may with considerable confidence decide
a. Triticumn and Far. No one entertains any that finr was a variety of the Greek Cia or (eia, and
doubt that triticum (mrvpbs in Greek, and by the of the modern Triliczrn spelt, if not absolutely
later writers eiTos) is the generic name for the identical with one or both. Spelt, which is fully
grain which we denominate wileat; but when we recognised by botanists as a distinct species of tiitiproceed to examine the different species or varieties, cum, is much more hardy than common wheat, sucwe are involved in many difficulties, for the ceeding well in high exposed situations where the
botanical descriptions transmitted to us by the latter would not ripen, and its chaff adheres with
ancients are in all cases so imperfect, and in singular firmness to the grain, both of which cirmany instances so directly at variance with each cumstances were prominent characteristics of fbir.
other, that it becomes almost impossible to identify (Colum. ii. 8; Plin. IT. N. xviii. 7, 8, 30.) Inwith certainty the objects to which they refer, with deed, it was found impossible to get rid of the thick
those familiar to ourselves. Columella (ii. 6; comp. double case in which it was enclosed, by the ordiDioscorid. ii. 107; Theophr. H. P. viii. 1. 4), who nary modes of thrashing; therefore it was stored
attempts a systematic classification, assigns the first up with the chaff attached (conychit cun2 palea snun
place among "frumenta" to Triticum and Senzen condi et stipulam tCntZun et aristis liberatur); and
adoreum, each of which contained se oeral species or when used as food it was necessary to pound it in a
varieties. Among many different kinds of triticum mortar, or rub it in a mill of a peculiar construction,
lihe deems the following only deserving of particular in order to separate the tenacious husks —a process
notice: - altogether distinct from grinding, and indicated by
1. Robus, possessing superior weight and bril- the words pinsere, pistur6a, pistores. (Cat. 2; Plin.
liancy (nitor). tI. N. xviii. 10.) The idea entertained by some com2. Sii{go, very white, but deficient in weight. mentators, that the distinction between triticum and
(Colum. ii. 9, ~ 13; Plin. H. N. xviii. 8.) far consisted in the circumstance that the latter was
3. Trimestre ('rpl,-vmai7os s. rpUlios), a sort of awned while the former was beardless, is altosiligo, receiving its name from lying three months gether untenable; for not only does Pliny say exonly in the ground, being spring-sown. We find pressly in one passage (xviii. 10), fal sine arista
this kind sometimes denominated Billw7,os also, est, and in another (xviii. 30), as distinctly that iar
since in very warm situations it came to maturity had aristae, but it is perfectly clear from Varro
in two months after it was sown. (i. 48; compare Plin. H. N. xviii. 7), that ordinary
Among the different kinds of Semen adoreumn, triticum had a beard, and from Pliny that siligo
the following are particularly noticed: — was generally, although not uniformly, without
1. Far Clusinunm, distinguishedby its whiteness one - a series of assertions whose contradictory
2. Far venuculum rutilUmn. Both heavier than nature need occasion no surprise, since it is now
3. Par venuczlunm candidum. J the C lusinm27. well known that this, like colour, is a point which
4. Halicastrum or Seamen triizest're, very heavy does not amount to specific difference, for white,
and of'fine quality. Here w'e must remark that red, awned, and beardless wheats are found to
although robus, sitigo, and trimestre are set down as change and run into each other, according to soil,
particular species or varieties of the more general climate, and mode of culture. Another fact noticed
term triticum, which is used in contradistinction to by Pliny, to which, if correct, botanists seem not
semen adoreun, it is much more usual to find triti- to have given due attention, is, that triticum had
cum used in a restricted sense to denote ordinary four joints in its stalk, ftr six, and barley eight.
winter wheat, in opposition to both siligo and ado- All agree that triticum (we shall use the word
reunM, and hence Pliny declares that the most com- hereafter in the restricted sense of common wintermon kinds of grain were "Far, called adoreurn by wheat) succeeded best in dry, slightly elevated,
the ancients, siligo, and triticum." open ground, where the full influence of the sun's
Now, with regard to the three kinds of triticun rays was not impeded by trees, while siligo and far
enumerated above, we shall have little difficulty in were well adapted for low damp situations and stiff
deciding that they were not distinct species, but clayey soils (Cato 34, 35; Varr. i. 9; Colurm. ii. 6;
merely varieties of the same species; for we are Plin. xviii. 8). The sowing of winter wheat (satio
assured by Columella (ii. 9), that triticum, when cutenmnalis) whether triticum, sihigo, or adorenm,
Uown in wet land, passed in the course of three commenced for the most part, according to the