At this point in the conversation I remarked: Tell me, Ischomachus, if the details of the art of husbandry are thus easy to learn, and all alike know what needs to be done, how does it happen that all farmers do not fare like, but some live in affluence1 owning more than they can possibly enjoy, while others of them fail to obtain the barest necessities and actually run into debt?
I will tell you, Socrates (Ischomachus replied). It is neither knowledge nor lack of knowledge in these husbandmen which causes some to be well off, while others are in difficulties; nor will you ever hear such tales afloat as that this or that estate has gone to ruin because the sower failed to sow evenly, or that the planter failed to plant straight rows of plants, or that such an one,411 being ignorant what soil was best suited to bear vines, had set his plants in sterile2 ground, or that another412 was in ignorance that fallow must be broken up for purposes of sowing, or that a third413 was not aware that it is good to mix manure3 in with the soil. No, you are much more likely to hear said of So-and-so: No wonder the man gets in no wheat from his farm, when he takes no pains to have it sown or properly manured. Or of some other that he grows no wine: Of course not, when he takes no pains either to plant new vines or to make those he has bear fruit. A third has neither figs4 nor olives; and again the self-same reason: He too is careless, and takes no steps whatever to succeed in growing either one or other. These are the distinctions which make all the difference to prosperity in farming, far more than the reputed discovery of any clever agricultural method or machine.414
You will find the principle applies elsewhere. There are points of strategic conduct in which generals differ from each other for the better or the worse, not because they differ in respect of wit or judgment5, but of carefulness undoubtedly6. I speak of things within the cognisance of every general, and indeed of almost every private soldier, which some commanders are careful to perform and others not. Who does not know, for instance, that in marching through a hostile territory an army ought to march in the order best adapted to deliver battle with effect should need arise?415 — a golden rule which, punctually obeyed by some, is disobeyed by others. Again, as all the world knows, it is better to place day and night pickets416 in front of an encampment. Yet even that is a procedure which, carefully observed at times, is at times as carelessly neglected. Once more: not one man in ten thousand,417 I suppose, but knows that when a force is marching through a narrow defile7, the safer method is to occupy beforehand certain points of vantage.418 Yet this precaution also has been known to be neglected.
Similarly, every one will tell you that manure is the best thing in the world for agriculture, and every one can see how naturally it is produced. Still, though the method of production is accurately8 known, though there is every facility to get it in abundance, the fact remains9 that, while one man takes pains to have manure collected, another is entirely10 neglectful. And yet God sends us rain from heaven, and every hollow place becomes a standing11 pool, while earth supplies materials of every kind; the sower, too, about to sow must cleanse12 the soil, and what he takes as refuse from it needs only to be thrown into water and time itself will do the rest, shaping all to gladden earth.419 For matter in every shape, nay13 earth itself,420 in stagnant14 water turns to fine manure.
So, again, as touching15 the various ways in which the earth itself needs treatment, either as being too moist for sowing, or too salt421 for planting, these and the processes of cure are known to all men: how in one case the superfluous16 water is drawn17 off by trenches18, and in the other the salt corrected by being mixed with various non-salt bodies, moist or dry. Yet here again, in spite of knowledge, some are careful of these matters, others negligent19.
salsa autem tellus, et quae perhibetur amara frugibus infelix.
But even if a man were altogether ignorant what earth can yield, were he debarred from seeing any fruit or plant, prevented hearing from the lips of any one the truth about this earth: even so, I put it to you, it would be easier far for any living soul to make experiments on a piece of land,422 than on a horse, for instance, or on his fellow-man. For there is nought20 which earth displays with intent to deceive, but in clear and simple language stamped with the seal of truth she informs us what she can and cannot do.423 Thus it has ever seemed to me that earth is the best discoverer of true honesty,424 in that she offers all her stores of knowledge in a shape accessible to the learner, so that he who runs may read. Here it is not open to the sluggard21, as in other arts, to put forward the plea of ignorance or lack of knowledge, for all men know that earth, if kindly22 treated, will repay in kind. No! there is no witness425 against a coward soul so clear as that of husbandry;426 since no man ever yet persuaded himself that he could live without the staff of life. He therefore that is unskilled in other money-making arts and will not dig, shows plainly he is minded to make his living by picking and stealing, or by begging alms, or else he writes himself down a very fool.427
Presently, Ischomachus proceeded: Now it is of prime importance,428 in reference to the profitableness or unprofitableness of agriculture, even on a large estate where there are numerous429 workfolk,430 whether a man takes any pains at all to see that his labourers are devoted23 to the work on hand during the appointed time,431 or whether he neglects that duty. Since one man will fairly distance ten432 simply by working at the time, and another may as easily fall short by leaving off before the hour.433 In fact, to let the fellows take things easily the whole day through will make a difference easily of half in the whole work.434
As, on a walking-expedition, it may happen, of two wayfarers24, the one will gain in pace upon the other half the distance say in every five-and-twenty miles,435 though both alike are young and hale of body. The one, in fact, is bent25 on compassing the work on which he started, he steps out gaily26 and unflinchingly; the other, more slack in spirit, stops to recruit himself and contemplate27 the view by fountain side and shady nook, as though his object were to court each gentle zephyr28. So in farm work; there is a vast difference as regards performance between those who do it not, but seek excuse for idleness and are suffered to be listless. Thus, between good honest work and base neglect there is as great a difference as there is between — what shall I say?— why, work and idleness.436 The gardeners, look, are hoeing vines to keep them clean and free of weeds; but they hoe so sorrily that the loose stuff grows ranker and more plentiful29. Can you call that437 anything but idleness?
Such, Socrates, are the ills which cause a house to crumble30 far more than lack of scientific knowledge, however rude it be.438 For if you will consider; on the one hand, there is a steady outflow439 of expenses from the house, and, on the other, a lack of profitable works outside to meet expenses; need you longer wonder if the field-works create a deficit31 and not a surplus? In proof, however, that the man who can give the requisite32 heed33, while straining every nerve in the pursuit of agriculture, has speedy440 and effective means of making money, I may cite the instance of my father, who had practised what he preached.441
Now, my father would never suffer me to purchase an estate already under cultivation34, but if he chanced upon a plot of land which, owing to the neglect or incapacity of the owner, was neither tilled nor planted,442 nothing would satisfy him but I must purchase it. He had a saying that estates already under cultivation cost a deal of money and allowed of no improvement; and where there is no prospect35 of improvement, more than half the pleasure to be got from the possession vanishes. The height of happiness was, he maintained, to see your purchase, be it dead chattel36 or live animal,443 go on improving daily under your own eyes.444 Now, nothing shows a larger increase445 than a piece of land reclaimed37 from barren waste and bearing fruit a hundredfold. I can assure you, Socrates, many is the farm which my father and I made worth I do not know how many times more than its original value. And then, Socrates, this valuable invention446 is so easy to learn that you who have but heard it know and understand it as well as I myself do, and can go away and teach it to another if you choose. Yet my father did not learn it of another, nor did he discover it by a painful mental process;447 but, as he has often told me, through pure love of husbandry and fondness of toil38, he would become enamoured of such a spot as I describe,448 and then nothing would content him but he must own it, in order to have something to do, and at the same time, to derive39 pleasure along with profit from the purchase. For you must know, Socrates, of all Athenians I have ever heard of, my father, as it seems to me, had the greatest love for agricultural pursuits.
When I heard this, I could not resist asking a question; Ischomachus (I said), did your father retain possession of all the farms he put under cultivation, or did he part with them whenever he was offered a good price?
He parted with them, without a doubt (replied Ischomachus), but then at once he bought another in the place of what he sold, and in every case an untilled farm, in order to gratify his love for owrk.
As you describe him (I proceeded), your father must truly have been formed by nature with a passion for husbandry, not unlike that corn-hunger which merchants suffer from. You know their habits: by reason of this craving40 after corn,449 whenever they hear that corn is to be got, they go sailing off to find it, even if they must cross the Aegean, or the Euxine, or the Sicilian seas. And when they have got as much as ever they can get, they will not let it out of their sight, but store it in the vessel41 on which they sail themselves, and off they go across the seas again.450 Whenever they stand in need of money, they will not discharge their precious cargo,451 at least not in haphazard42 fashion, wherever they may chance to be; but first they find out where corn is at the highest value, and where the inhabitants will set the greatest store by it, and there they take and deliver the dear article. Your father’s fondness for agriculture seems to bear a certain family resemblance to this passion.
To these remarks Ischomachus replied: You jest, Socrates; but still I hold to my belief: that man is fond of bricks and mortar43 who no sooner has built one house than he must needs sell it and proceed to build another.
To be sure, Ischomachus (I answered), and for my part I assure you, upon oath, I, Socrates, do verily and indeed believe452 you that all men by nature love (or hold they ought to love) those things wherebysoever they believe they will be benefited.
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affluence
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| n.充裕，富足 | |
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sterile
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| adj.不毛的，不孕的，无菌的，枯燥的，贫瘠的 | |
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manure
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| n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥 | |
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figs
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| figures 数字，图形，外形 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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defile
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| v.弄污，弄脏；n.(山间)小道 | |
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accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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cleanse
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| vt.使清洁，使纯洁，清洗 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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stagnant
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| adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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superfluous
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| adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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negligent
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| adj.疏忽的；玩忽的；粗心大意的 | |
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nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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sluggard
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| n.懒人；adj.懒惰的 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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wayfarers
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| n.旅人，（尤指）徒步旅行者( wayfarer的名词复数 ) | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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zephyr
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| n.和风，微风 | |
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plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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crumble
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| vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁 | |
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deficit
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| n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差 | |
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requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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34
cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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chattel
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| n.动产；奴隶 | |
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reclaimed
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| adj.再生的；翻造的；收复的；回收的v.开拓( reclaim的过去式和过去分词 )；要求收回；从废料中回收（有用的材料）；挽救 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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derive
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| v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自 | |
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craving
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| n.渴望,热望 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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haphazard
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| adj.无计划的，随意的，杂乱无章的 | |
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43
mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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