156 AGRICULTURE. 



Pliny says that he must let his land because he does not 

 possess " vinctos." Cato and Columella prescribe that the 

 ploughman should be tall, because he will preside with 

 more power at the stilts ; whereas short and strong-backed 

 men can do stooping work with more ease. A bubulcus 

 should be humane, but have a terrible voice, in order that 

 by it the oxen may be urged to work without being much 

 harassed by the whip or goad. Columella gives the sin- 

 gular direction, that if you have any particularly vicious men 

 among your slaves, you should make them vinedressers, 

 because that work requires clever fellows, " ac plerumque 

 velocior est animus improborum hominum." Tallness and 

 strength are of importance in the bubulcus ; but of none 

 in the overlooker, who ought to be " sedulus ac frugalis- 

 simus." Cato gives a complete dietary for the establish- 

 ment : 



" For the bailiff 100 Ibs. of wheat per month in winter ; 

 one-eighth more in summer. 



" For the female housekeeper and shepherd, 75 Ibs. each 

 per month. 



" For the slaves 4 Ibs. of bread each per day in the 

 winter. 



" From the time they begin to dress the vineyard, 5 Ibs. 

 per day till they have figs, when they revert to 4 Ibs." 



In addition to this bread the slaves had a restricted al- 

 lowance of an article called pulmentarium, which appears 

 to have been a dried compound of olives, apples, pears and 

 figs. Pliny says that the name is derived from puls, which 

 was the food of the ancient Romans "pulte autem, non 

 pane, vixisse longo tempore Romanes manifestum." When 

 the pulmentarium was exhausted, they had in lieu an al- 

 lowance of salt fish and vinegar, with a small portion of oil ; 

 and each person was allowed rather more than a peck of 

 salt in tbe year. For three months after the vintage the 

 beverage of the slaves was a weak wine called lora, in the 

 consumption of which they were unrestricted. Colunxella 

 and Pliny give the particulars of its manufacture, and 



