The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1914-01-31
SATURDAY. JANUARY 81. 1914.
TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO.

VIC pride ourselves on our progress,
Ipur modern knowledge, and our bet
hcr understanding of the common
Ihinss of life than the ancicnts had.
Undoubtedly VIC lave learned many
things of which they We're ignorant,
Fbut occasionally we run across things
sfn ancient literature which force us
to admit that in many things our fore
fathers q some pretty good ideas.
l'ftcr all.
In tho current issue of Farm, stock
Rind Home there are reproduced ou
passages from Roman works which
Indicate that some twenty centuries
aag" there were people living in Italy
dWlno had a very fair understanding Of
Some OF the basic principles of asri~
Couture, and, while knowledge of the
tlninutae of agricultural science did
tlnot compare with ours. they were
Fable, from observation. and from the
application of the facts which they
tfhad, to reach some conclusion as
esound as those of the mcdcrns.
III quotations which follow are
sfrom a book called Roman Farm
management translated from the
Latin of Cato and Narro. Some of
tthe advice which these men civc APP
iipears as sound today as it did to them
tcn buying a farm:
When you have decided To pur-
chase a farm. be careful not to buy
rashly; do not spare our visits and
kbe not content with a single tour of
Inspection. The more YOU GO, the
more the place will please you. if it
the worth your attention. Give heed
sto the appearance OF the n%eigh.or-
SShood.-a fourishing country should
tshow its prosperity. When YOU so
gin. look about, so that, when needs
Sbe. you can find your way out
I Take care that you choose n good
Iclimate, not subject to destructive
storms. and a soil that is naturally
strong. II possible, your farm should
be at the foot Of a mountain, looking
to the south. in n healthy situation.
Vwhere labor and cattle can be had,
we'll watered. G a good sized town.
band either on the sea OF IL n%avisable
yrivcr. or else on n good and much
l~frequented road. Choose a place
(which has not often changed owner
sship, n which is sold unwillingly,
fthat has buildings in good repair
Again Cato is speaking about the
Jproper location for a building site.
lie says:
"'Try you hest to locate the stead
the pastures are rich, and turn il so
Ias to catch the healtf7icst prevailing
sbreeze. The best situation is facing
1.-The east. 80 to secure shade in sim
lmer and in winter. But il You
tmust build on the bank Of a river.
Stake Ear that you do not let the
~1steadinS face the river. for it will he
tvery cold in winter and unhealthy in
ssurnner. Like precautions must be
taken against swampy places for the
1same reasons and particularly as they
,iare dry, swamps breed certain ami
malculae which cannot be seen with
1.-The eyes End which breathe through
gttHe JlOS6 auH IIOutIl LllO Tue HpQH
iiwhere they cause grave maladies.'
But said F%undanfus. suppose ]
inherited a farm like that. what
should I do to avoid the malady you
q;describe:'
1.-The nswer to that question is
easy said Agrius. You should sell
1.-THE farm for what you can get for it:
land II you can't Sell it. give it away
1t is questionable whether. either
in scientific knowledge or in morals.
I'VE have advanced far beyond these
Y{etandards. despite our germ theories
Of disease and our theological opin-
,S1ons concerning original sin.
But this interesting account. which