ROMAN AGRICULTURE. 393 



Besides the bread and wine the slaves got what was called 

 pulmentarium, which answers to what, in some parts of the 

 country, is called kitchen drippings or fat. For this purpose, 

 Cato recommends the laying up of as many fallen olives as can 

 be gathered ; afterwards the early olives, from which the small- 

 est quantity of oil is expected at the same time observing that 

 these must be given sparingly, that they may last the longer. 

 When the olives are finished, he desires salt fish and vinegar to 

 be given, and, besides, to each man a sextarius of oil in the 

 month, and a modius of salt in the year. 



Columella, for this purpose, directs apples, pears, and figs 

 to be laid up. He adds : " If there is a great quantity of these, 

 the rustics are secured in no small part of their meat during 

 the winter, for they serve for drippings or fat." 



The laboring cattle used by the Romans, as well as by all 

 other ancient nations, were chiefly the ox, sometimes the ass, 

 the mules for burdens, and but very rarely the horse. The 

 horse, however, was reared, but almost exclusively for the sad- 

 dle, the chase, or for war. The respect for the ox which existed 

 among the Egyptians, Jews, and Greeks, was continued among 

 the Romans ; so much so that Varro, and after him Columella 

 and Pliny, adduce an instance of a man having been indicted 

 and condemned for killing one, to please a boy who longed for 

 a dish of tripe. The breeding, breaking, feeding, and working 

 of the ox, are very particularly treated of by the ancient authors. 

 The cows that Columella " most approves of, are of a tall make, 

 long, with very large belly, very broad forehead, eyes black and 

 open, horns graceful, smooth, and black, hairy ears, straight 

 jaws, very large dewlap and tail, and moderate hoofs and legs." 

 " Bulls," says Palladius, " should be tall, with huge members, of 

 a middle age, rather young than old, of a stern countenance, 

 small horns, a brawny and vast neck, and a confined belly." 



"Breeders, both of horses and cows," Virgil observes, "should 

 attend principally to the make of the female. If any one fond 

 of the prize at the Olympic games breeds horses, or if any one 

 breeds stout bullocks for the plow, he chiefly attends to the 

 make of the mother, who ought to be large in all her parts." 

 The same maxim is enforced scientifically by Cline. For 

 breaking and training cattle to the yoke, Varro and Columella 



