The ancient world, from the earliest times to 800 AD . very early timesthat more soil was cultivated, and more wealth produced, anda larger population maintained, than in any modern perioduntil English control was established in the country a shorttime ago. Herodotus (§ 21) says that in his day Egypt hacjtwenty thousand towns (villages). 18. Agriculture. — Wheat and barley had been introduced atan early time from the Euphrates region, and some less im-portant grains (like sesame) were also grown. Besides thegrain, the chief food crops were beans, peas, lettuce, radishes,melons, cucumbers, and
The ancient world, from the earliest times to 800 AD . very early timesthat more soil was cultivated, and more wealth produced, anda larger population maintained, than in any modern perioduntil English control was established in the country a shorttime ago. Herodotus (§ 21) says that in his day Egypt hacjtwenty thousand towns (villages). 18. Agriculture. — Wheat and barley had been introduced atan early time from the Euphrates region, and some less im-portant grains (like sesame) were also grown. Besides thegrain, the chief food crops were beans, peas, lettuce, radishes,melons, cucumbers, and onions. Clover was raised for cattle,and flax for the linen cloth which was the main material forclothing.^ Grapes, too, were grown in great quantities, for themanufacture of a light wine. Herodotus saysthat seed was merely scattered broadcast onthe moist soil as the water receded each November, and thentrampled in by cattle and goats and pigs. But the pictures on 1 There was also some cotton raised, and the abundant flocks of sheepfurnished 28 EGYPT [§ IS the monuments show that, in parts of Egypt anyway, a lightwooden plow was used to stir the ground. This plow wasdrawn by two cows. Even the large farms were treatedalmost like gardens ; and the yield was enormous, — reaching the rate of a hun-dred fold forgrain. Long afterher greatness haddeparted, Egyptremained thegranary of the MediterraneanEgyptian Plow.—After Rawlinson. lands The various crops matured at different seasons, and sokept the farmer busy through most of the year. Besides theplow, his only tools were a short, crooked hoe (the use ofwhich bent him almost double) and the sickle. The grain wascut with this last implement; then carried in baskets to athreshing floor, — and trodden out by cattle, which were drivenround and round, while the drivers sang, — Tread, tread, tread out the for yourselves, for for the master ; measures for yourselves.* An Egyptian barnyard
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjecthistoryancient, booky
