floor, in order that the wind may carry away the chaff, but the latter must be separated by winnowing (frumenta vannis crepurgantur), if after some days, this is not found to be done. For there is always a risk, that a long succession of calm days is the prelude to a storm, which may be violent enough to sweep away the fruits of our year's labour altogether, if not properly housed.

Columella closes his second Book with directions, as to what may lawfully be done on holydays, quoting from Virgil,

"Rivos deducere nulla

Religio vetuit, segeti prætendere sæpem,
Insidias avibus moliri, incendere vepres,
Balantumque gregem fluvio mersare salubri."

To this Columella adds, as things permitted, to grind corn, to cut fagots, to make candle-dips, to cultivate a vineyard that has been purchased, to clean out preserves of fish, ponds, or old ditches, to cut aftermath, to spread manure over a field, or to pile it up in heaps, to pick the fruits that have been purchased from an olive plantation, to dry apples, pears, and figs, to carry trees for planting on the back, or on a single beast of burthen, but not on one yoked to a waggon. "Far pinsere, faces incidere, candelas sebare, vineam conductam colere; piscinas, lacus, fossas veteres tergere et purgare, prata sicilire, stercora æquare, foenum in tabulata componere, fructus oliveti

conductos cogere, mala, pira, ficos pandere, caseum facere, arbores serendi causa collo vel mulo clitellario afferre: sed juncto adhibere non permittitur."

Other limitations then follow, which seem to be ingeniously framed, so as to give a convenient loophole to such masters, as were eager to extract from their slaves more labour, than the religious institutions of the country distinctly sanctioned.

Nevertheless, there can be no doubt, that these provisions, much as they were liable to be evaded by severe or grasping masters, must have contributed in the majority of instances greatly to the mitigation of the toils of the slaves; and it is remarkable, that the number of days in the year which Columella calculates for holydays, and for weather too stormy for outdoor-work, comes within seven of the number, which the institution of the Sabbath has secured to the field labourer in all parts of Christendom at the present day.

It is true, that in the Romish church an additional number of idle days is nominally provided; but in the more industrious portions of Europe, these are by no means lost to labour; and, consequently the proportion, which Columella mentions as recognised in ancient times, is not very widely departed from at present.

LECTURE V.

COLUMELLA.

BOOKS III. IV. V.

I HAVE given in the third and fourth Lectures a pretty full account of the contents of the second book of Columella. In the third book, the Author proceeds to speak of the cultivation of trees or shrubs, which furnish food to man, or in other ways minister to some useful purpose. As however these, for the most part, are such, as do not admit of general cultivation in Great Britain, I shall not find it advisable to bestow upon this portion of the Treatise the same extended notice, which has been taken of the earlier parts already treated of.

Our Author begins by considering the culture of vines, which, as it occupies the whole of the 3rd, and the greater part of the 4th book, contains of course many minute directions, both with reference to the preparation of the soil, and the treatment of the plants themselves, which might be of interest to a French or Italian of the present day, but which would have little practical bearing, if addressed to the British farmer.

It may, however, be worth remarking, that inasmuch as Italy is exactly the climate for the vine to flourish in, a much greater latitude is permitted by Columella for its cultivation, than would be recognised in colder countries.

In Germany, for instance, the growth of vineyards is confined, to slopes with a southern exposure, and to soils which from their dry and loose texture are especially fitted to absorb the sun's rays.

Columella, on the contrary, merely says, that the kind of vine is to be selected, which is most suitable for each particular locality, one kind thriving best in an open field, another on a hill; some succeeding in a rich, others in a poor soil. In short, it would appear that vineyards may be had in almost every kind of soil and of situation provided only the ground be not very wet, and possess no positively bad quality which can influence the flavour of the grape.

For as Virgil says:

"Salsa autem tellus, et quæ perhibetur amara,
Frugibus infelix, (ea nec mansuescit arando,

Nec Baccho genus, aut pomis sua nomina servat.”)
GEORG. ii. 238.

That the quality of the soil may injuriously affect the vine, even when atmospheric conditions are most favourable, is seen at the present time from the wine of the Cape, which, except in one particular locality, has an earthy and highly disagreeable flavour, although obtained from

vines derived from some of the most favoured

districts in Europe.

Nevertheless, the extremes of heat, even in Italy, are to be avoided; although of the two, an excess in this respect is less hurtful than of cold, as an excess of dryness is better than an excess of humidity.

Columella lays great stress upon a proper selection of the variety suited for the particular character of the soil and position; and enumerates a variety of kinds of grapes, known in his time by particular names, of which the Aminean, derived from some place in Greece, which is also highly commended by Pliny, deserves the preference over every other, for the quality, if not for the quantity, of its produce.

There were, it appears, two sorts, of which the smaller was well known, as that which covers the celebrated hills of Campania and of Surrentum.

Thus it would appear, that at that period, as at the present, the country about Naples was in high repute for the vines which it afforded; and, so far as this example goes, we might be disposed to set down the excellence of the wine, rather to the soil and climate, than to any superiority in the vine selected to grow there.

From a more general view of the question, however, it will appear probable that both circumstances concurred; for unquestionably one of the most important of the means put into our hands for improving upon Nature, consists in