BOOK XVIII. vii. 35-37 



In old times it was thought that to observe modera- ■!>'»«« q/ farm. 

 tion in the size of a farm was of priniary importance, 

 inasmuch as the view was held that it was more 

 satisfactory to sow less land and plough it better ; 

 and I observe that Virgil " was of this opinion, And 

 if the truth be confessed, large estates have been the 

 ruin of Italy, and are now proving the ruin of the 

 provinces too — half of Africa was owned by six land- 

 lords, when the Emperor Nero put them to death ; 

 though Gnaeus Pompeius must not be cheated out 

 of this mark of his greatness also : he never bought 

 land belonffinff to a neiffhbouringf estate. Majro's 

 f)pinion that a landlord after buying a farm ought 

 to sell his town house — that being the opening with 

 which he begins the exposition of his instructions — 

 was too rigorous, and not to the advantage of pubUc 

 affairs, though nevertheless it has the effect of 

 showing that he laid stress on the need for constant 

 oversight. 



The next point requiring attention is the efficiency Qualifica- 

 of bailifFs, and Cato has given * many instructions with baiiiff! '^" 

 regard to these. Let it be enough for us to say that 

 the bailiff ought to be as near as possible to his master 

 in intelligence, and nevertheless not think so himself, 

 Farming done by slave-gangs hired from houses of 

 correction is utterly bad, as is everything else done 

 by desperate men. It may appear rash to quote 

 one dictum of the old writers, and perhaps it may 

 be judged impossible to credit unless its value is 

 closely examined — it is that nothing pays less than 

 really good farming. Lucius Tarius Rufus, who, F.conomk 

 though of extremely hunible birth, by his soldierly ■^""""'s'* 

 efficiency won "^ a consulship, though in other respects 

 a man of old-fashioned economy, spent the whole 



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