Roman Farm Management | Page 2

Of planting field crops
XXIV. Of planting olives XXV. } & } Of planting vines XXVI.}
_4° Concerning the agricultural seasons_: XXVII. } & }Of the solar
measure of the year, illustrated by XXVIII.}
A CALENDAR OF AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS throughout the
year, in eight seasons, viz:
XXIX. 1° February 7-March 24 XXX. 2° March 24-May 7 XXXI. 3°
May 7-June 24 XXXII. 4° June 24-July 21 XXXIII. 5° July
21-September 26 XXXIV. 6° September 26-October 28 XXXV. 7°
October 28-December 24 XXXVI. 8° December 24-February 7
XXXVII. Of the influence of the moon on Agriculture to which is
added
ANOTHER CALENDAR OF SIX AGRICULTURAL SEASONS with
a commentary on their several occupations, viz:

CHAPTER _1
° Preparing time_: Of tillage, XXXVIII. Of manuring,
XXXIX. _2° Planting time_: Of the four methods of propagating plants,
viz:
XL. a. Seeding and here of seed selection b. Transplanting c. Cuttage d.
Graftage, and e. A "new" method, inarching XLI. Of when to use these
different methods XLII. Of seeding alfalfa XLIII. Of seeding clover
and cabbage XLIV. Of seeding grain
_3° Cultivating time_: XLV. Of the conditions of plant growth XLVI.
Of the mechanical action of plants XLVII. Of the protection of
nurseries and meadows XLVIII. Of the structure of a wheat plant
XLIX. _4° Harvest time_: Of the hay harvest
L. Of the wheat harvest LI. The threshing floor LII. Threshing and
winnowing LIII. Gleaning LIV. Of the vintage LV. Of the olive harvest
_5° Housing time_: LVI. Of storing hay LVII. Of storing grain LVIII.
Of storing legumes LIX. Of storing pome fruits LX. Of storing olives

LXI. Of storing amurca
LXII. _6° Consuming time_: LXIII. Of cleaning grain LXIV. Of
condensing amurca LXV. Of racking wine LXVL. Of preserved olives
LXVIL. Of nuts, dates and figs LXVIII. Of stored fruits LXIX. Of
marketing grain
Epilogue: the dangers of the streets of Rome
BOOK II
THE HUSBANDRY OF LIVE STOCK
Introduction:--the decay of country life
I. Of the origin, the importance and the economy of live stock
husbandry II. Of sheep III. Of goats IV. Of swine V. Of neat cattle VI.
Of asses VII. Of horses VIII. Of mules IX. Of herd dogs N. Of
shepherds XI. Of milk and cheese and wool
BOOK III
THE HUSBANDRY OF THE STEADING
I. Introduction: the antiquity of country life II. Of the definition of a
Roman villa III. Of the Roman development of the industries of the
steading IV. Of aviaries V. a. for profit b. for pleasure (including here
the description of Varro's own aviary) VI. Of pea-cocks VII. Of
pigeons VIII. Of turtle doves IX. Of poultry X. Of geese XI. Of ducks
XII. Of rabbits XIII. Of game preserves XIV. Of snails XV. Of dormice
XVI. Of bees XVII. Of fish ponds
INDEX.

ROMAN FARM MANAGEMENT

NOTE UPON THE ROMAN AGRONOMISTS
Quaecunque autem propter disciplinam ruris nostrorum temporum cum
priscis discrepant, non deterrere debent a lectione discentem. Nam
multo plura reperiuntur, apud veteres, quae nobis probanda sint, quam
quae repudianda.
COLUMELLA I, I.
The study of the Roman treatises on farm management is profitable to
the modern farmer however practical and scientific he may be. He will
not find in them any thing about bacteria and the "nodular hypothesis"
in respect of legumes, nor any thing about plant metabolism, nor even
any thing about the effects of creatinine on growth and absorption; but,

important and fascinating as are the illuminations of modern science
upon practical agriculture, the intelligent farmer with imagination
(every successful farmer has imagination, whether or not he is
intelligent) will find some thing quite as important to his welfare in the
body of Roman husbandry which has come down to us, namely: a
background for his daily routine, an appreciation that two thousand
years ago men were studying the same problems and solving them by
intelligent reasoning. Columella well says that in reading the ancient
writers we may find in them more to approve than to disapprove,
however much our new science may lead us to differ from them in
practice. The characteristics of the Roman methods of farm
management, viewed in the light of the present state of the art in
America, were thoroughness and patience. The Romans had learned
many things which we are now learning again, such as green manuring
with legumes, soiling, seed selection, the testing of soil for sourness,
intensive cultivation of a fallow as well as of a crop, conservative
rotation, the importance of live stock in a system of general farming,
the preservation of the chemical content of manure and the composting
of the rubbish of a farm, but they brought to their farming operations
some thing more which we have not altogether learned--the character
which made them a people of enduring achievement. Varro quotes one
of their