What is good tillage? To plough well. What is the second? To plough. What is the third? To manure.
Context: This iconic sequence from Cato the Elder's *De Agri Cultura* provides foundational advice for successful farming. It emphasizes the repetitive and vital nature of proper soil preparation and enrichment as the cornerstones of agricultural profit.
The best manure is the master's eye.
Context: Attributed to Cato, this pithy saying highlights the irreplaceable value of an owner's constant supervision and direct involvement in farm operations. It suggests that a diligent master's presence is more beneficial for productivity than any physical input.
What is the most profitable kind of farm? A vineyard. What is the second? An irrigated garden. What is the third? An olive grove. What is the fourth? A pasture.
Context: Cato directly ranks various agricultural enterprises by their potential for profit, offering clear guidance to aspiring landowners. This showcases his pragmatic and financially-driven perspective on farm management, prioritizing ventures with high returns.
Agriculture is a science or an art which teaches what, where, and how to plant in order that the land may yield the largest crops.
Context: Varro provides a formal definition of agriculture in his *Rerum Rusticarum*, framing it as both a technical skill and a systematic body of knowledge. He emphasizes the deliberate and strategic approach required to maximize yield from the land.
All agriculture is carried on by three classes of instruments: the articulate, the inarticulate, and the mute. The articulate are the slaves, the inarticulate are the cattle, and the mute are the wagons.
Context: Varro systematically categorizes the essential tools for farming, reflecting his analytical and comprehensive approach. This classification highlights the distinct roles of human labor, animal power, and inanimate equipment in the Roman agricultural system.
The bailiff should be more diligent than clever; for a man with a certain natural slowness, if painstaking, is more useful than one who is clever but lazy.
Context: Varro offers practical advice on selecting and managing a farm bailiff, prioritizing diligence and steadfastness over mere intelligence. He argues that consistent hard work is more valuable for agricultural success than sporadic brilliance.
The location of a farm is a matter of great importance. It should be healthful, and the air should be neither too cold nor too hot.
Context: Varro stresses the fundamental importance of site selection for a farm's prosperity and the well-being of its inhabitants. He advises choosing a healthful climate, avoiding temperature extremes to ensure productivity and prevent illness.
Care should also be taken, especially in settling a villa, to see that there are no pestilential marshes in the neighborhood.
Context: Expanding on site selection, Varro provides crucial advice on avoiding unhealthy locations for a farm. He specifically warns against proximity to marshes, reflecting ancient medical understanding that linked stagnant water to disease.
Water must be provided, either from springs, or from rain collecting cisterns, or from a river.
Context: Varro underscores the critical importance of a reliable water supply for any successful farm in his treatise. He lists various potential sources, emphasizing that consistent access to water is fundamental for irrigation, livestock, and the human population.
The knowledge of agriculture must be sought from many sources, from practical men, from books, from experience.
Context: Varro emphasizes the multifaceted nature of acquiring expertise in farming, advocating for learning from various sources. This highlights his academic yet practical approach, recognizing the value of both empirical wisdom and formal study in agricultural management.
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