406 A GRICUL TURE. 



bottom narrow, and fit a rope made of twigs to it, pressing the 

 top firmly down and putting some leaves or pine branches over 

 it before throwing in the earth. Pliny says that the ropes may 

 be made of straw, and that flint or gravel may be used to form 

 the waterway, filling the excavations half full, or to within 

 eighteen inches of the top. 



Fencing was performed by the Romans, but only to a limited 

 extent. Varro says that, " the limit of a farm should be fenced 

 by planting trees, that families may not quarrel with their neigh- 

 bors, and that the limits may not want the decision of a judge." 

 Palladius directs to enclose meadows, gardens, and orchards. 

 Columella menti-ons folds for enclosing the cattle in the night 

 time, but the chief fences of his time were the enclosures called 

 parks for preserving wild beasts, and forming agreeable pros- 

 pects from the villas of the wealthy. Pliny mentions these, and 

 says that they were the invention of Fulvius Lapinus. Varro 

 describes fences raised by planting briars or thorns, and training 

 them into a hedge ; and these, he says, have the advantage of 

 not being in danger from the burning torch of the wanton pas- 

 senger. Fences were also made of stalks interwoven with 

 twigs, ditches of earthen dykes, and walls of stone or brick, or 

 rammed earth and gravel. 



Trees were pruned and felled at different times, according to 

 the object in view. The olives were little cut ; the vine had a 

 winter dressing and one or two summer dressings. Green 

 branches or sprays, of which the leaves were used as food for 

 oxen and sheep, were cut at the end of summer ; copse-wood 

 for fuel, in winter ; and timber trees generally at that season. 

 Cato, however, directs that trees which are to be felled for 

 timber should be cut out at different times, according to their 

 natures ; such as ripen seed, when seeds are ripe ; such as do 

 not produce seed, when the leaves drop ; such as produce both 

 flowers and seeds, at the same time also as when the leaves 

 begin to drop ; but if they are evergreens, such as cypress and 

 pine, they may be felled at any time. 



Fruits were gathered by hand. The ripest grapes were cut 

 first. Such as were selected for eating were carried home and 

 hung up, and those for the press were put into baskets and car- 

 ried to the wine-press, to be picked and then pressed. Olives 



