The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-26

slew the Sabine champions. or pierced
the close-sct ranks of the charging
Folscians. Even their harvest-home
and something Of the simple military
order and display of well-won tro-
pixies Of their military triumphs. when
the garlanded oxe drew home the
sroaning wains laden with the spoils
OF the summers bounty; while the
reapers n laughing maidens sang in
grateful praises Of Ceres. or broke in
to some fierce, triumphant ballad tell
ing Of stern debate and dearly bought
victory.
Beautiful is Macaulay's closing pic
ture of a winters night in the cot of a
Roman farmer i'll the days Of the
young republic:
When the Oldest sack is opened,
And the largest lamp is lit,
When the chestnuts glow in the chi
bers
And the kid turns on the spit;
When young and old in circle
Around the ircbrands close,
When the girls are weaving baskets,
And the boys arc shaping bows;
When the good man n1ends his arrows,
And trims his helmets plume:
When the Eoodwife's shuttle merrily
Goes flashing through the room,
With weeping and with laughter
Still is the story told,
How we'll Horatius kept the bridge
In the brave days of old.
1t was not until those evil days
when the greed and intrigues Of the
better class of citizens" had stolen the
greater part of the lands of the re-
public and broken the spirit and inde-
%pendence of the plebeian multitude.
whose swords and lives had won them.
men considered it a disgrace for Il Ro-
man citizen to toll as Cincinnatus had
wrought, when the conscript fathers
took him from the pillow to lead the
armies Of Rome.
Cicero in his old age saw the begin
ming of this destructive tendency.
when the wider conquest OF Rome adj
ded enormous territorial acquisitions
to the prizes Of illegal and organized
s%poliation. But he was rather dispos-
cd to teach better ways of farming.
and more economical and satisfactory
methods Of management. than to de-
nounce and attack the beneficiaries Of
fraud and p%eculation: Il policy not
without successful imitators in u
day and generation.
His suggestions seem to have been
prudent and worthy of adoption. He
advised the purchase of a farm of
moderate size, about n hundred
jugera, say siXty-siX and two-thirds
English acres. situated. if possible. in
a healthy and fertile district, at h
foot of a mountain facing toward the
south. where there were a good water
bile. navigablc waters. 1t should o
lie in. a country likely to change mas
tors, or one which men emisrate from
without after regrets; o should 1t
cost too much. either for its purchase
money or the improvements and i'm
plements added to its first cost.
He advised that If the farm produce
good wine. the vineyard Is first In i'm
portance: second, the garden; third.
the osier-bed for willow-work; fourth.
the olive orchard; fifth tho meadow or
grain: seventh. the timber growth;
eighth. the shrubbery, and ninth, tho
oaks, supplying acorns for the pigs.
The inferior importance of good
wheat raising lands to the Vineyards,
garden, olive plantation. osier bed
and pastures, being placed sixth in
the order OF Importance, Is accounted
for by some writer's on the ground
that in case Of war the grain fields
were first to suffer. and most easily
destroyed by the enemy. while wine,
oil, garden stuff and cattle are most
easily conveyed to the fortified cities.
A most vivid picture of the flight Of
the outlying families to Rome. when
Lars Porsenna Of Tusculum invaded
Roman territory. is drawn in Macau-
lays "Horatius."
For aged folk on crutches.
And women great with child.
An dmothers sobbing over babes
That chung to them and smiled,
And sick men borne on litters
High on the necks Of slaves
And troops Of sunburned husbandmen
With reaping-hooks and slaves.
And droves Of mules and asses
Laden with skins Of wine
And mothers sobbing over babes
And endless herds Of kline.
And endless focks Of goats aud sheep,
That creaked beneath the weight
OF cornsacks and OF household goods
Choked every roaring gate.
Another reason assigned L. that CT
cerOHS plan supposed tne
Of slave labor, and slave labor for
some reason has never been profitable
or easily managed in cuitivating
wheat and other cereals. II We except
Indian corn.
Evidently the master raj not sup.
posed to reside on the farm, since
he is advised at his visits to promptly
make inquisition into what has been
done since his previous stay: having
first, of course. made due sacrifices
to the household gods. Having re-
ceived the report Of his bailiff. or ov-
erseer he should compare the work
performed with the number Of days
spent upon It; II bad weather n al
legged az q reason for failure. he
should find out how many days were
unfit for labor. and what indoor tasks
have been performed; IL It IL claimed
that the slaves were sick. II their food
has been duly reduced in quantity
while not at work. The sales Of corn,
the wine and oil laid up or sold. the
purchases Of food. and the cash ac-
count should be closely investigsted.
The cattle and live stock should be
cara&la,lv axaznlnad and aalAa na6i~o1