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

AGRICULTURA. AGRICULTURA. 59
Plin. II. N. xviii. 16; Dioscorid. ii. 177; Theophr. ragto ex secreenientis.f2-rris praedensa seritur), but
[I. P. viii. 7.) afterwards rye (secale), oats (avenac), and barley,
b. -Foenusm-Graeceu, variously termed Tr~X's, were employed; the last-mentioned being, in the
BoREPWTc s. oKcepas, IcepatRLs and atiydepwcs, estimation of Columella, the best; and these grains
the Trigonella foenumn Graeczam, or common Fenu- were not always sown alone, but frequently with
greek of botanists, was called Siliq2a by country an admixture of the vetch and various legumina.
people, and succeeded best when totally neglected, Hence fiarroGqo is used by Juvenal to denote a
care being taken in the first place not to bury the confused medley of heterogeneous topics.
seed deep (scarificatione seritur). Six or seven 2. That as jfiaraJo properly denoted corn cut
modii, which was the allowance for a juger, re- green for fodder, so ocysemum was the name given
quired two days for sowing and one for reaping. to plants of the bean kind, when used in the same
(Cat. 35; Colum. ii. 10, xi. 2; Plin. II. N. xviii. manner, before they came to maturity, and formed
16, xxiv. 19; Dioscorid. ii. 124; Theophr. II. P. pods. Manlius Sura gives the proportions of ten
iii. 17, viii. 8.) modii of beans, two of vetches, and two of erviliae
c. Vicia (asvpacovs, the SLKOciV of Galen), some to the juger; and this combination was said to be
one of the varieties of the Jicia sativa, the Vetch improved by the addition of A4vena Graeca, sown
or Summer (or Winter) Tare of botanists. It in autumn; it was the first crop available in the
might be sown on dry land at different periods of early part of the year, and hence, of the three forms
the year, usually about the autumnal equinox when ocisssna, ocism,,721 ocyminum, we can scarcely doubt
intended for green fodder; inJanuary or later, when that the last is the most accurate, and that the
raised for seed. (But see Plin. HI. N. xviii. 15.) name was given on account of the rapidity of its
The quantity required in the former case was seven growth in spring. From the expression of Pliny,
modii to the juger, in the latter six. Particular " Apud antiquos erat pabuli genus quod Cato
care was taken not to cast the seed when there Ocyisum vocat," and the silence of Columella,
was dew or moisture of any sort upon the surface who mentions the garden herb ocyonum (basil)
of the ground; the period of the day selected for only, we infer that this sort of pabulum was little
the operation was therefore some hours after sun- used after the time of Varro. The notion of
rise, and no more was scattered than could be Gesner that ocymum is clover, the cbnb0oov r pL rEcovered up before night. It required little labour- Tr-7Aov of Callimachus, is directly at variance with
ploughing two days, harrowing one, reaping one; the statements of Pliny, who mentions trifolium as
in all, four days' work for six or seven modii. a distinct plant. (Cat. 27, 53, 54; Varr. i. 23,
(Cat. 35; Varr. i. 3]; Virg. Georg. i. 75; Colum. 31; Colum. ii. 10. ~ 31, 35, xi. 3. ~ 29; Plin.
ii. 10. ~ 29, 12. ~ 3; Plin. H.N. xviii. 15; comp. H.. xviii. 16.)
Ov. Fcast. v. 267.) g. Foenumn, Prata. So much importance was atd. Cicera, the iOXpos of Theophrastus, the La- tached to stock, that many considered a good meatl9r2ues Cicera of botanists, was sown after one or dow as the most valuable species of land, requiring
two ploughings (primno vel altero sulco), in the little trouble or outlay, subject to none of the casualmonth of March, the quantity of seed varying, ac- ties to which other crops were exposed, affording a
cording to the richness of soil, from two and a sure return every year, and that twofold, in the
half to four modii for the juger. In southern shape of hay and of pasture. The meadows were of
Spain it was given to the cattle crushed (cicera two kinds, the Dry Meadow (siccanesl2 pratuzn) and
fresa), steeped in water, and then mixed with the Irrigated or Water Meadow (pratuzs riguum).
chaff. Twelve pounds of eravwzm were considered The hay produced from a meadow whose own rich
equivalent to sixteen of cicera, and sufficient for a natural moisture did not require an artificial
yoke of oxen. stimulus was the best. Any land which declined
Cicera was cultivated for its seed also, and formed with a gentle slope, if either naturally rich and
a not unpalatable food for man, differing little if at moist, or capable of irrigation, might be laid down
all in taste from the cicercula, but being of a as a meadow, and the most apprcved method of
darker colour. (Colum. ii. 11, ~ 1, 12; Pallad. iv. procedure was the following: —The land having
6; Plin. H. N. xviii. 12; Theophr. H. P. iv. 2.) been thoroughly ploughed and well laboured in
e. Ervuum, Ervilia, the Uipofos of Dioscorides, are summer, was in autumn sown with rapa, or napi
apparently varieties of the Ersunz Exi-ile, or Wild or beans, the following year with wheat, and in
Tare of botanists. Eeavum succeeded best in poor the third year, all trees, bushes, and rank weeds
dry land; might be sown at any time between the having been extirpated, with the vetch (vicia)
autumnal equinox and the beginning of March, at mixed with grass seeds. The clods were broken
the rate of five modii to the juger, and demanded down with rakes, the surface accurately levelled
little care. The above quantity required six days' by wicker hurdles, so that the scythe of the mower
labour-ploughing and sowing two, harrowing one, (foeniseca) might nowhere encounter any obstacle.
hoeing one, weeding one, reaping one. (Varr. i. 32; The vetches were not cut until they had arrived at
Virg. Ecl. iii. 100; Colum. ii. 10.. 34, 11. ~ 11, maturity and begun to drop their seed; and after
12. ~ 3, 13. ~ 1, vi. 3, xi. 2; Pallad. ii. 8; they had been removed, the grass, when it had atPlin. H. N. xliii. 15; Theophr. H. P. ix. 22; tained to a proper height, was mown and made
Dioscorid. ii. 131; comp Plant. MfosTell. i. 1.) into hay. Then the irrigation commenced, pro-.: Ffarrago, Ocyzuma. On comparing the various vided the soil was stiff, for in loose earth it was
authorities quoted at the end of this paragraphll, al- necessary to allow the grass roots to obtain a firm
though they abound in contradictions, we shall be hold. For the first year no stock were permitted
led to conclude - to graze lest their feet should poach up the soft
1. That f.rrago was the general term employed ground, but the young blades were cut from time
to denote any kind of corn cut green for fodder. to time. In the second year, after the hay-making
The name was derived from fiar, the refuse of that was over, if the ground was moderately dry and
grain being originally sown for this purpose (fIr- hard, the smaller animals were admitted, but no