Nathan's Reviews > Cato and Varro: On Agriculture

Cato and Varro by Marcus Porcius Cato
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it was ok

Two farming manuals, one of the middle Republic, one from the late.

Cato: "quid est agrum bene colere? bene arare. quid secundum? arare. quid tertium? stercorare." Cato is full of such wisdom, and tips on how store pigeon manure and how to water down wine for your workers. He also prescribes a complete inventory of farm implements down to their materials and dimensions and where they can be cheaply procured.

Varro is full of farcically false etymologies but he does provide the legal formulae for acquiring title to different species of livestock. His third book is devoted to hobby farms and their profits, which provides insight into the suburban retreats of the upper classes in the last century BCE.
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Reading Progress

August 8, 2014 – Started Reading
August 8, 2014 – Shelved
October 4, 2014 – Finished Reading

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