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

AGRICULT URA. AGRICULTURA. 61
fects of which were believed to endure for eighty pulverised by the plough and harrow, and then
years. (Plin. I. N. xvii. 5, 8; comp. Varro, i. 7, covered up by ribbing the land (tertio cume arant,
In Gallia Transalpina intus ad Rhenum aliquot JACTO SE.MINE, bores lirare dicuntur). (Varr. i.
reqiones accessi... bi agros stercorarent candidac 29; comp. Colum. ii. 13.)
fossicia creta.) b. The land was ribbed, the seed was then
Somewhat analogous to the use of marl was the dropped upon the tops of the lirae or elevated
system strongiy recommended by Theophrastus and ridges, according to our fashion for turnips, LIRAS
Columella, but condemned by Pliny, of combining autena rustici vocant easdemn porcas cum sic araetun
soils in which some quality existed in excess, with est, Zt inter duos latius distantes sulcos, mzedius
those possessing opposite characters - dry gravel cumulus siccam sedenz ftu)iLentis praebeat. (Colum.
with chalky clay, or heavy wet loam with sand, - ii. 4. ~ 8.) This plan was followed on wet land
the object being frequently attained to a certain to secure a dry bed for the seed, which would
extent by subsoil ploughing, which was greatly ap- probably be covered up by hand-rakes (rastris).
proved of as a means of renovating fields exhausted c. The land was ribbed as in the formeri case
by severe cropping. (Theophrast. II. I. A. iii. 25; but the seed, instead of being dropped upon the
Colum. ii. 15; Plin. H. N. xvii. 5.) ridge of the lira, was cast into the depression of the
When ordinary manures could not be procured furrow, and might be covered up either by the harin sufficient quantity, a scheme was resorted to row or by ploughing down the middle of the lira.
which was at one time pursued in this country, This was practised on light, sloping, and therefore
and is still adopted with considerable success in dry, land (neque in lira sed sub sulco talis ager
many parts of Italy and in the sandy tracts of seminandus est, Colum. ii. 4. ~ 11).
southern France. The field was sown about the It will be seen clearly that, whichever of the
middle of September with beans or lupines, which above modes was adopted, the seed would sprilig
were ploughed into the ground the following up in regular rows, as if sown by a drill, and that
spring, in all cases before the pod was fully formed, only one half of the land would be covered with
and at an earlier stage of their growth on light seed. In point of fact, the quantity of seed sown
than on stiff soils. Nay, many crops, such as on a given extent of ground was not above half of
beans, peas, lupines, vetches, lentils (ervilia, ci- what we employ.
cerula), even when allowed to come to maturity, Vetches, fenugreek, and some other crops, as
were supposed to exercise an ameliorating influence, will be noticed below, were frequently thrown
provided their roots were immediately buried by upon land unprepared (crudz terra), and the seeds
the plough, although perhaps in this case the bene- then ploughed in. The seed seems to have been
ficial effect may have resulted from the manure cast out of a three-peck basket (trimzodinas saloapplied before they were sown. On the other rines, sc. corbenz), which from superstitious motives
hand, corn in general, poppies, fentgreek, and all was frequently covered over with the skin of a
crops pulled up by the roots, such as cicer and flax, hyaena. Pliny points out how necessary it was
were supposed to exhaust (zrere) the soil, which that the hand of the sower should keep time with
then required either repose or manure to restore its his stride, in order that he might scatter the
powers. (Theophrast. II. I,. A. viii. 9; Cat. 37; grains with perfect uniformity.
Varr. i. 23; Colum. ii. 13-15, xi. 2; Pallad. i. 3. The points chiefly attended to in the choice
6, vi. 4, x. 9; Plin. H. N. xvii. 9, xviii. 10. 14- of seed corn were, that it should be perfectly fresh
16.) and free from mixture or adulteration- and of an
uniform reddish colour throughout its substance.
3. Sowuing (stioe) When the crop was reaped, the largest and finest
BMay be considered under three heads. 1. The ears were selected by the hand, or, where the
time of sowing. 2. The manner of sowing. 3. produce was so great as to render this impossible,
The choice, preparation, and quantity of the seed. the heaviest grains were separated by a sieve
1. The seed-time (seneentis) scaT' EoX Ov,, com- (quidquid Ceteeatur capisterio expuryandum erit)
menced at the autumnal equinox, and ended fifteen and reserved. In addition to these precautions it
davs before the winter solstice. Few, however, was not unusual to doctor seeds of all sorts (medicare
began before the setting of the Pleiades (23d Oc- sem7inc) by sprinkling them with an alkaline
tober), unless on cold wet ground, or in those lo- liquor (nitrum, i. e. probably carbonate of soda),
calities where bad weather set in soon; indeed, it or with the deposit left by newly expressed oil
was an old proverb that, while a late sowing often (anezurca), or by steeping them in. various preparadisappointed the hopes of the husbandman, an early tions, of which several are enumerated by Coluone never realised them (mzaturcams sationes saepe mella and Pliny; the object being twofold, in the
decipere solere, serame nuzsmquam quzin nale sit); and first place to increase the quantity and quality of
the Virgilian maxim is to the same purpose. Spring the produce, and in the second place to protect it
sowing (trimestris satio) was practised only in very from the ravages of vermin, especially the little
deep stiff land, which would admit of being cropped animal called czurculio, probably the same insect
for several years in succession (restibilis ager), or with our weevil.
where, from peculiar circumstances connected with The quantity of seed sown varied according to the
the situation or climate, such as the great incle- soil, the situation, the season, and the weather, the
mn?:ncy of the winters, it was impossible for the general rule being that less was required for rich
farmer to sow in autumn; and hence, generally and finely pulverised (pinguze et putre), or light
speaking, was resorted to very sparingly, and for the and sharp (gracile), or thin poor soil (7nccruzm, exile)
mlost part from necessity rather than inclination. than for such as was stiff and heavy (crassumn,
2. We can infer from incidental notices in agri- cretosune), or moderately tenacious; less for an
cultural writers, that the seed was committed to open field than for an arbustumn, less at the beginthe ground in at least three different modes. ning of the season than towards the close (although
a. The seed was cast ipeon a flat surface finely this is contradicted by Pliny, I<. N. xviii. 24), and
E 2