ROMAN AGRICULTURE. 385 



might have been finished ; and what is done about the wine, 

 corn, and all other things. When he has made himself ac- 

 quainted with all these, he ought to take an account of the 

 workmen and the working days. If a sufficiency of work does 

 not appear, the bailiff will say that he was very diligent, but 

 that the servants were not well ; that there were violent storms ; 

 that the slaves had run away, and that they were employed in 

 some public work. When he has given these and many other 

 excuses, call him again to an account of the work and the work- 

 men. When there have been storms, inquire for how many 

 days, and consider what work might be done in rain. Casks 

 ought to have been washed and mended ; the villa cleaned ; 

 corn carried ; dung carried out ; a dunghill made ; seed cleaned ; 

 old ropes mended ; new ones made ; and the servants' clothes 

 mended. On holidays old ditches may have been scoured ; a 

 highway repaired ; briars cut ; the garden digged ; the meadows 

 cleared from weeds ; twigs bound up ; thorns pulled ; far [bread 

 corn] pounded ; all things made clean. When the servants have 

 been sick, the ordinary quantity of meat ought not to have been 

 given them. When he is fully satisfied in all these things, and 

 has given orders that the work that remains be finished, he 

 should inspect the bailiff's accounts ; his account of money, 

 corn, fodder, wine, oil ; what has been sold, what exacted, what 

 remains; what of this may be sold; whether there is good 

 security for what is owing. He should inspect the things that 

 remain, buy what is wanting for the year, and let out what is 

 necessary to be employed in this manner. He should give 

 orders concerning the works he would have executed, and the 

 things he is inclined to let out, and leave his orders in writing. 

 He should inspect his flocks, make a sale, sell the superfluous 

 oil, wine, and corn. If they are giving a proper price, sell the 

 old oxen, the refuse of the cattle and sheep, wool, hides, old 

 carts, old iron tools, and old diseased slaves. Whatever is 

 superfluous, he ought to sell ; a farmer should be a seller, not 

 a buyer." 



The landlord is thus supposed, by Cato, to be perfectly ac- 

 quainted with every kind of work proper on his farm, and the 

 seasons for performing it ; and also to be a perfect judge of how 

 much work, both within and without doors, ought to be per- 



