I] AIM AND SCOPE OF AGRICULTURE 17 



vince of agriculture save those which can help the 

 soil to greater fertility by their labour, as for ex- 

 ample those which yoked together can plough 

 21 the land. If what you say is true, said Agrasius, 

 how are you to disconnect cattle from the land, 

 seeing that dung, which is of the greatest use to 

 it, is furnished by herds of cattle? Then, replied 

 Agrius, we must say that a troop of slaves belongs 

 to agriculture, if we decide to keep one for that 

 purpose. No, the mistake arises from the fact that 

 cattle may be on the land and be productive of 

 revenue on that land ; but you must not make this 

 fact an argument [for connecting them with agricul- 

 ture] ; for if you do, other things as well which have 

 I nothing to do with land will have to be admitted — 

 as when a farmer has several weavers on a farm 

 with buildings set apart for weaving, and so on for 

 other craftsmen. 

 M Well, said Scrofa, let us separate stock-raising 

 from farming, and all the other things to which 

 objection may be taken on this ground. Or, said 

 I, am I to follow the books of the Sasernae, 

 father and son, in thinking that the proper work- 

 ing of potteries has more to do with agriculture 

 ■than the working of silver and other mines which 

 are doubtless to be met with on some land? Pot- 

 Steries however have nothing to do with farming, 

 my more than stone or sand quarries, though 

 AC need not on that account. neglect to work them 

 i^ind reap profit from them on land where they can 

 IHbe conveniently worked. Just as, to take another 



I 



