2 CHAPTER I 



stage was reached without passing through the pastoral stage. 

 Some nomadic tribes continued for many centuries as pasto- 

 rahsts only. 



As populations grew, and for reasons political, economic 

 and otherwise, became more restricted to certain localities, 

 the purely pas toral sta^e gave way to a combmed^ricultural 

 and f;3:sf(5rarpliase, and a nimaTl iusbandry slowly merged with 

 f5^d liQsbandfT:~"The cultivation of c rops wa s necessary to 

 supplement the natural "sTrpplie^,—- particularly during those 

 seasons of the year when the l^ittcr were unobtainable, and 

 also to support the domesticated animals during the periods 

 when the natural pasturage was inadequate. 



Directed by experience, a remarkable choice of animals 

 and crops was effected in the earliest times, since all the 

 domesticated animals and nearly all the important crops of 

 to-day have been employed in farming since the beginning of 

 recorded history. Wheat and barley seed have been found in 

 the remains of the Stone Age ; petrified maize ears have been 

 found in Peru, together with evidences of ancient human 

 activities; and so forth. Considering the vast accumulation 

 of botanical knowledge of the last two centuries, it is astound- 

 ing that of the important cultivated crops of to-day, practi- 

 cally none has been discovered during this period. A few 

 new fodder plants have been found, it is true; but in most 

 cases their superior utility is still to be proved. 



The great civilisations based upon agriculture began in 

 three regions which had no inter-communication — viz., China, 

 where rice, the sweet potato, wheat, sorghum and millet 

 (Setaris italica) were grown ; the south-west of Asia (with 

 Egypt) growing the bean, lucerne, pea and water-melon; 

 and inter-tropical America, where the potato, maize and 

 tobacco were cultivated.^ While some of these and other 

 cro))s were originally grown in other parts, it is generally held 

 that the regions mentioned were really the birthplaces of great 

 civilisations established on the products of cultivation. 



Here it might 'be mentioned that in no case do the pro- 

 genitors of either domesticated animals or crop plants, when 

 measured by their utility for men, compare with the strains 

 employed to-day. This is due, of course, to the selection of 

 superior and permanent variations, and in later years partly 

 to ariificial hybridisation. 



Among the early agricultural writers none excels either 

 Cato or Varro in precision and clear description. A great 



' " Origin of Cultivated Plants." — De Candolle. 



