Varro
was a celebrated writer whose vast and varied
knowledge in many fields earned for him the title of
the "most learned of the Romans." He held a high naval
position in wars against pirates and Mithridates, a
famous Grecian ruler. He served in the legation of
Pampeius in Spain in the Civil Wars but was compelled
to surrender to Caesar. Later after service for the
Pompeian party in Greece he asked forgiveness from
Caesar who employed him in superintending the
collection and arrangement of a great library designed
for public use. He composed "at least 490 books" but
of these only two are extant, namely De Re
Rustica (37 B.C.) and De Lingua Latina. The
first was written in his 80th year and was addressed
to his wife with the professed objective of enabling
her after his death to carry on the estate she had
purchased. The book is in reality a dialogue between
Varro and some of his friends. This book covered
general treatments of crops. He urged rotations and
other good agricultural practices.
Varro, Marcus Terentius. On Agriculture
(De Re Rustica), Harvard Univ. Press,
1934
Read portions concerned with:
Grapes
Crops for various soils
Experiment and inoculation
Fodder crops
Grafting
Manuring
Figs
Soils suited to known crops
Storing of fruit
Theophrastus citations
