16 



HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE. Part I. 



the rocky coast of Genoa, towards the western shore. Columella and Palladius agree in 

 stating, thai the best situation for lands is, not bo much on a level as to make the water 

 Stagnate, nor so steep as to make it run off "ith violence ; nor so low as to be buried in 

 the bottom of ■ valley, nor so exposed as to feel die violence of storms and heats; for 

 in these a mediocrity u always best: but champaign lands exposed, and whose declivity 

 affords the rain a free passage; or a hill whose sides gently decline; or a valley not too 

 much confined, and into which the air has easy access; or a mountain defended by a 

 higher top, and thereby secured from the winds that are most pernicious, or, if high and 

 rugged, at the same time covered w illi trees and grass. (Cbt, lib. ii. cap. 2. ; 1'allad., 

 lib. i. cap. 5.) The situation of lands which Cato reckons the best, is at the foot of a 

 mountain with a south exposure. Varro and l'liny concur in this opinion, and the latter 

 states that the best lands in Italy are so situated. 



66. The soil of halt) is as varied as the surface. About Genoa a yellow marly clay 

 forms a base to schistous cliffs and hilly slopes ; a blue clay containing sulphur and 

 alum on the west coast between Florence and Venice; volcanic earth about Rome and 

 Naples; sand about Florence, and at the estuaries of most of the rivers; rich black 

 loam in the central parts of Tuscany ; and rich, deep, soft, moist earth, and mild marly 

 clay, in I.onibardv. Columella divides the soils of Italy into six kinds; fat and lean, 

 free and still', wet and dry : these mixed with one another, he says, make great varieties. 

 In common with all the other writers, he prefers a free soil. 



67. The native productions <f Italy, in an agricultural point of view, are, timber on the 

 mountains, pastures on the hill sides, and meadow or very luxuriant grass-lands in the 

 alluvial plains. The rich, low, and yet dry lands do not produce a close pasture, but a 

 rough herbage, unless they are covered with trees ; the sandy soils produce little of any 

 thing; and the fens and marshes reeds and other coarse aquatics. Such were the pro- 

 ductions of Italy antecedent to culture. 



68. The artificial slate of the country, in respect to agriculture, during the time of the 

 Romans, seems to liave differed less from its present state than will be imagined. The 

 cultivated lands were open, and enclosures only to be seen near the villas. These were 

 of small size, and chiefly gardens and orchards, except in the case of parks for game, 

 formed by the wealthy, which never were very numerous. With the exception of part 

 of Tuscany and Lombardy, this is still the case ; and the landscape, as Daniel Malthus 

 has observed (Introd. to Girardins Essay), which Pliny observes as seen from his villas, 

 does not appear to have been different two thousand years ago, from what it is at this 

 day. But the roads, canals, markets, and artificial water-courses for the irrigation both 

 of arable and grass-lands, are undoubtedly greatly increased since the time of the Ro- 

 mans : though they also practised irrigation. 



69. The habits of a people take their rise, in a great degree, from the climate in which 

 they live, and the native or cultivated productions with which the country abounds. As 

 respects agriculture, it may be sufficient to mention, that the great heat of the climate, by 

 relaxing the frame, naturally produces indolence in many, and leads to a life of plunder 

 in some. Hence then, as now, the danger from thieves and robbers in that country ; 

 and hence, also, the custom of performing field labours early in the morning, and in the 

 evening, and resting during the mid-day heat. The general use of oil and wine as 

 food and drink, and also of the fig as an article of nourishment, are habits which arise 

 immediately from the circumstance of these articles being the artificial produce of the 

 country ; but are ultimately, like most other habits, to be referred to the climate. 



70. These hints respecting the natural and agricultural geograpliy of Italy, during the 

 time of the Romans, are confessedly too scanty to be of more use than to recal to the 

 reader's recollection the information on the same subject with which his mind is already 

 stored ; and by this means to enable him to form a due estimate of the nature and merits 

 of the agriculture which we are about to describe. 



Sect. IV. Of the Culture and Farm Management of the Romans. 



71. The Soman authors are much more co]>ious in describing farm culture and economy, 

 than in relating the state of landed property as to extent and proprietorship. Their 

 directions, being founded on experience, are in great part applicable at the present day : 

 they are remarkable for their minuteness ; but we can only give a very brief compen- 

 dium, beginning with some account of the farm and the villa, or farmery, and taking in 

 succession the servants, beasts of labour, implements, operations, crops cultivated, animals 

 reared, and profit produced. 



Subsect. 1. Of the Choice of a Farm, and of the Villa or Farmery. 



72. In the choice of a farm, Cato recommends a situation where there are plenty of 

 artificers and good water ; which has a fortified town in its neighbourhood ; is near the 

 sea or a navigable river, or where the roads arc easy and good. {Cat., cap. 1.) To these 

 requisites Varro adds, a proper market for buying and selling, security from tlueves and 



