PEEFACE. 



THE late Professor Sibthorp, in founding a Chair 

 of Uural Economy to be attached to that of 

 Botany already existing in the University of Oxford, 

 directed that the Holder of that Office should deliver 

 each Term a Lecture on some one of the subjects 

 which the Professorship in question might be re- 

 garded as embracing. 



In conformity to this regulation, I have, besides 

 placing before my hearers from time to time the 

 newest views on the theory of Agriculture which 

 modern science had developed, given occasionally 

 such sketches of the Husbandry of the Ancients, as 

 could be gathered from the Scriptores Rei Rusticce 

 whose writings have come down to us. 



The latter have since been embodied in a work 

 published by me in 1857, entitled " Lectures on 

 Roman Husbandry," in which I presented " an ac- 

 count 9f the System of Agriculture, of the Treat- 

 ment of Domestic Animals, and of the Horticulture 

 pursued in Ancient Times," concluding with notices 

 " of the Plants mentioned in Columella and Virgil." 



To this Publication the present Lectures may be 



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