BOOK VI. II. 6-9 



ticks, which generally fasten on the thighs, may be 

 removed. In doing this the trainer ought to stand 

 at the side, so that the animal may not reach him 

 with its hoof. After this you should pull the jaws 7 

 apart and draw out the tongue and rub the whole 

 mouth and palate with salt and put down the animal's 

 throat cakes of a pound's weight of meal moistened 

 with well-salted drippings of fat, and pour into their 

 jaws a sextarius of wine at a time by means of a 

 horn ; for by blandishments of this kind they 

 generally become tame in three days and allow 

 themselves to be yoked on the fourth day. This 

 yoke has the bough of a tree tied to it instead of 

 a pole ; " sometimes too a weight is attached, so that 

 the capacity of the animal for enduring toil may be 

 tested by the greater effort M^hich is involved. 

 After experiments of this kind the bullocks should fi 

 be yoked to an empty wagon and gradually be 

 made to go longer journeys with loads. Soon after 

 they have been thus broken in, they should be set to 

 draw the plough, but over land already tilled, so that 

 they may not be frightened at first by the difficulty 

 of their task and that their still tender necks may 

 not be bruised by the tough first breaking of the 

 ground. I have already in my first book * given 

 instructions how the ploughman is to train the ox in 

 ploughing. Care must be taken that the ox does not 

 strike anyone with his hoof or his horn while he is being 

 trained ; for, unless precautions are taken against this, 

 it will never be possible to get rid of faults of this 

 kind, though the animal has been broken in. 



The method which we are prescribing should be 9 

 followed only if no ox is available which has already 

 done service ; otherwise the system of training which 



131 



