380 AGRICULTURE. 



prevent the trees from being exhausted by bearing, before they 

 had acquired sufficient strength and establishment in the soil. 



Agriculture of the Greeks. What we know of the agri- 

 culture of Greece is chiefly derived from the poem of Hesiod, 

 entitled "Works and Days." Some incidental remarks on the 

 subject may be found in the writings of Herodotus, Xenophon, 

 Theophrastus, and others. Varro, a Roman, writing in the 

 century preceding the commencement of our era, informs us 

 that there were more than fifty authors at that time, who might 

 be consulted on the subject of agriculture, all of whom were 

 'ancient Greeks, except Mago, the Carthaginian. Among them 

 he includes Democritus, Xenophon, Aristotle, Theophrastus, 

 and Hesiod. - The works of the other writers he enumerates 

 have been lost. 



The writings of Hesiod are the chief resource for details as to 

 Grecian agriculture. This author flourished in the tenth century 

 B.C., and was therefore contemporary with Homer. He lived at 

 Askra, a village at the foot of Mt. Helicon, in Boeotia. There 

 he kept a flock, and cultivated soil which he describes as "bad 

 in winter, hard in summer, and never good," - probably a stiff 

 clay. "The Works," which constitute the first part of his poem, 

 are not merely details of agricultural labors, but comprise direc- 

 tions for the whole business of family economy in the country. 

 The poem sets out by describing the state of the world, past 

 and present, for the purpose of exemplifying the condition of 

 human nature. This condition entails on man the necessity of 

 exertion to preserve the goods of life, and leaves him no alter- 

 native but honest industry or unjust violence ; of which the 

 good and evil consequences are respectively illustrated. Dis- 

 sension and emulation are represented as two principles, actively 

 at work ; much is said of the corruption of judges, and the evils 

 of litigation ; contentment is apostrophized as the true secret of 

 happiness ; virtue and industry strongly recommended. The 

 poet now proceeds to describe the prognostics of the seasons of 

 agricultural labor, and gives directions for providing a house, 

 wife, slaves, and two steers ; how and when to cut down timber, 

 to construct carts and plows, and make clothes and shoes ; when 

 to sow, reap, and dress the vine, and make wine. He then treats 

 of navigation, and gives caution against risking everything in 





