The inhabitants of the lake-dwellings in Switzerland possessed some
varieties of cereals, which have entirely disappeared. They are
distinguished by Heer under special names. The small barley and the
small wheat of the lake-dwellers are among them. All in all there were
ten well distinguished varieties of cereals, the Panicum and the Setaria
or millet being of the number. Oats were evidently introduced only
toward the very last of the lake-dwelling period, and rye is of far
later introduction into western Europe. Similar results are attained by
the examination of the cereals figured by the Romans of the same period.
All these are archaeologic facts, and give but slight indications
concerning the methods of cultivation or the real condition of the
cultivated races of that time. Virgil has left us some knowledge of the
requirements of methodical [106] culture of cereals of his time. In his
poem _Georgics_ (I. 197) the following lines are found:
_Vidi lecta din, et multo spectata labore
Degenerare tamen, ni vis humana quotannis
Maxima quaeque manu legeret_.
(The chosen seed, through years and labor improved,
Was seen to run back, unless yearly
Man selected by hand the largest and fullest of ears.)
Elsewhere Virgil and also some lines of Columella and Varro go to prove
in the same way that selection was applied by the Romans to their
cereals, and that it was absolutely necessary to keep their races pure.
Pages:
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120