BOOK XVIII. VI. 28-vii. 32 



human being — it may make large profits, yet if it 

 also involves large expenses, not much balance is 

 left over. In Cato's opinion the most profitable 1.7. 

 part of a farm is a vineyard — and not without reason, 

 since above everything he has been cautious as to 

 the matter of outlay of money — and next he ]iuts 

 kitchen-gardens well suppHed with water; and tliis is 

 true, if they are near a town — and the old word for 

 ' meadows ' means ' land ready to hand '. Cato more- 

 over when asked what was the most reliable source 

 of profit said, ' Good pasture ', and when asked what 

 was the next best, said, ' Fairly good pasture ' : 

 thc most important point in considering profit being 

 that the crop that was going to cost the smallest out- 

 lav in expenses was the crop most to be recommended. 

 This is a question decided differently in different 

 places, in accordance with the suitability of the 

 various localities ; and the same applies to Cato's 

 dictum that a farmer ought to be a good seller ; and 

 that he should begin to plant his farm without delay, 

 in his youth, but only build when the land is fully 

 under cultivation, and even then go slowly (and the 

 best course is, as the common saying was, to profit 

 by the folly of other people," provided however that 

 keeping up houses is not allowed to be a burden on 

 your estate) ; but that the owner who is well housed 

 should nevertheless keep visiting his farm rather 

 frequently — and it is a true saying that ' the master's 

 face does more good than the back of his head '. 



VII. The satisfactory plan is that the house shall Thefarm- 

 not be inadequate to the farm nor the farm to the a"^*' *"* 

 house, not as was done on adjacent estates by sUuation. 

 Lucius Lucullus and Quintus Scaevola, acting 011 

 opposite principles though at the same period, when 



209 



