THE SIZE OF FARMS 167 



famous sentence of our poet, You may admire a large farm, 

 but cultivate a small one; which ancient precept this most 

 learned man (Virgil), . . . expresses in verse. This, too, 

 is agreeable to an acknowledged maxim of the Carthaginians, 

 a very acute nation, That the land ought to be weaker than the 

 husbandman; for, when they struggle together, should the 

 former prevail, the master must be ruined. And, indeed, there 

 is no doubt, that a small field well cultivated produces more 

 than a large field ill cultivated." " Among the maxims of the 

 ancients, recorded by Palladius," says Dickson, " there is one 

 to the same purpose with that mentioned by Columella, ' A 

 small farm cultivated is more fruitful than a large farm 

 neglected.' " 



