it afterward became with the Romans. The Greeks regarded 

 the cultivation of the soil as the occupation of captives and 

 slaves, while the ruling race builded cities. 



It is held by some writers that the growth and power of the 

 Roman empire was largely due to the great importance attached 

 to land ownership. A tract of land was allotted to each citizen 

 by the state itself, and every man was restricted by law to the 

 seven acres so granted, the object being, as the area of farm 

 land controlled by the state was limited, that no one should own 

 enough to deprive his neighbor of a portion. Later in history, 

 as the size of the empire increased by conquest, fifty acres 

 were allowed, and in the height of the nation's power five hun- 

 dred could be held by law. The ownership of land was made a 

 requisite for citizenship, that the man might learn industry, 

 economy and frugality, the necessity of producing something 

 for his own support and that of others, and also that owning a 

 home and having a personal interest in the land he should be 

 wise in government, brave in repelling invasion, and eager to 

 confer upon others the benefits he enjoyed. 



The planting of trees to protect fields, orchards and buildings 

 from wind and storm was commonly practised. Pliny says that 

 men should plant trees while young and not build houses till the 

 fields were planted. A maxim much like Solomon's "Prepare 

 thy work without and make it fit for thyself in the field and 

 afterward build thy house." Pliny tells of a great grain crop, 

 four hundred stalks of wheat, all grown from a single seed, 

 were sent to the Emperor Augustus. 



The plow, harrow, spade, hoe, rake and perhaps other tools 

 familiar to us, were used by the Romans, though in a ruder 

 form than at present. A day's work plowing was one-third of 

 an a^re. At the time of which we now speak, numerous colo- 

 nies of the empire were established in countries more or less 

 distant from Rome, and the next marked advance in agriculture 

 was caused by the opening of a trade in farm produce sent 

 from the colonies to Italy to supply food to that densely popu- 



