ANCIENT AGRICULTURAL LITERATURE. 143 



African allies, these twenty-eight treatises were considered 

 so valuable, that they were specially excepted, brought to 

 Rome, and by the senate ordered to be translated at the 

 public expense. Pliny says that D. Silanus, belonging to 

 one of the first families, surpassed the other translators. 

 They are treated as of great authority by Varro, Columella, 

 Palladius, and Pliny ; and in the appendix to Heeren will 

 be found thirty-one distinct passages in which the maxims 

 of the Carthaginian author are handed down to us. It is 

 singular enough that no one of these passages has any refer- 

 ence to the cultivation of any species of grain. One pas- 

 sage gives directions for the grinding or pounding of maize, 

 barley, lentils, vetches, and sesame. Another strongly re- 

 commends landed proprietors to be resident " He to whom 

 an abode in the city lies close at heart, has no need of a 

 country estate." The directions for culture apply solely to 

 vines, olives, the nut tribe, poplars, and reeds. We un- 

 fortunately do not learn the structure of his humanity-hives, 

 but it appears that he disapproved of destroying the bees 

 when the honey was taken. Columella vouches, on personal 

 experience, for the excellence of the Punic receipt for 

 making the very best wine, " passum optimum." Farriery 

 (including the symptoms of broken-wind in horses, and a 

 prescription), a critical operation to which male animals are 

 subjected, and the gestation of mares and female mules, are 

 all brought under review ; and we have the astounding 

 statement, that in Africa the latter females were nearly as 

 prolific as the former. This is more surprising, because 

 Cato who died before his " Delenda est Carthago " was ful- 

 filled, and accordingly shows no acquaintance with Mago's 

 writings makes the same assertion. "Upon the health 

 of black cattle," says Varro, " I have borrowed a good deal 

 from the books of Mago, which I made my herdsmen care- 

 fully read." And not only does the Carthaginian treat of 

 the health of cattle, but he gives directions for buying oxen 

 for the plough, so precise that they will perhaps interest 

 our readers. Both Heeren and Dickson have translated 



