Marcus Terentius Varro on Agriculture 203and the other the garden; and in her honour the rustic Vinalia has been estab-
lished.^3 And I shall not fail to pray also to Lympha and Bonus Eventus, since
without moisture all tilling of the ground is parched and barren, and without suc-
cess and ‘good issue’ it is not tillage but vexation. Having now duly invoked these
divinities, I shall relate the conversations which we had recently about agriculture,
from which you may learn what you ought to do; and if matters in which you are
interested are not treated, I shall indicate the writers, both Greek and Roman,
from whom you may learn them.
III. ‘Well, then’, said Agrasius, ‘since we have decided the nature of the subjects
which are to be excluded from agriculture, tell us whether the knowledge of those
things used in agriculture is an art or not, and trace its course from starting-point
to goal.’ Glancing at Scrofa, Stolo said: ‘You are our superior in age, in position,
and in knowledge, so you ought to speak.’ And he, nothing loath, began: ‘In the
first place, it is not only an art but an important and noble art. It is, as well, a sci-
ence, which teaches what crops are to be planted in each kind of soil, and what
operations are to be carried on, in order that the land may regularly produce the
largest crops.
IV. ‘Its elements are the same as those which Ennius says are the elements of
the universe – water, earth, air and fire.^4 You should have some knowledge of these
before you cast your seed, which is the first step in all production.^5 Equipped with
this knowledge, the farmer should aim at two goals, profit and pleasure; the object
of the first is material return, and of the second enjoyment. The profitable plays a
more important role than the pleasurable; and yet for the most part the methods
of cultivation which improve the aspect of the land, such as the planting of fruit
and olive trees in rows, make it not only more profitable but also more saleable,
and add to the value of the estate. For any man would rather pay more for a piece
of land which is attractive than for one of the same value which, though profitable,
is unsightly. Further, land which is more wholesome is more valuable, because on
it the profit is certain; while, on the other hand, on land that is unwholesome,
however rich it may be, misfortune does not permit the farmer to reap a profit. For
where the reckoning is with death, not only is the profit uncertain, but also the life
of the farmers; so that, lacking wholesomeness, agriculture becomes nothing else
than a game of chance, in which the life and the property of the owner are at stake.
And yet this risk can be lessened by science; for, granting that healthfulness, being
a product of climate and soil, is not in our power but in that of nature, still it
depends greatly on us, because we can, by care, lessen the evil effects. For if the
farm is unwholesome on account of the nature of the land or the water, from the
miasma which is exhaled in some spots; or if, on account of the climate, the land
is too hot or the wind is not salubrious, these faults can be alleviated by the science
and the outlay of the owner. The situation of the buildings, their size, the exposure
of the galleries, the doors and the windows, are matters of the highest importance.
Did not that famous physician, Hippocrates, during a great pestilence save not one
farm but many cities by his skill?^6 But why do I cite him? Did not our friend Varro
here, when the army and fleet were at Corcyra, and all the houses were crowded