h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Romans in Britain: Agriculture - A3012355
Author: Elentari - U202814

This is one of a series of entries I'm doing on Roman Britain, which in the long run, I hope to have edited as a series like Atlantic Cable's Sci fi entries (A1132057).

The complete list of my series is:
A Brief history: A2137565
Minerals: A3008666
Pottery: A3012283
Trade and Travel: A3012337
Agriculture: A3012355
Art: A3012364
Towns and Villas: A3012409
Army: A3012481
Forts and Fortresses: A3012517

in case you facy looking at the rest!

I know they may be a bit dry in parts, though I've tried to get rid of the bits that are only of interest to scholars, to make them more readable.

Let me know what you think!

Still on a learning journey
Some more points to ponder...

--Don't need introduction header.
--capitlaise header titles: Roman Agriculture, etc.
--“towns” >> 'towns'
--“Gallic Wars” >> no quotes, use italics
--footnote 2 might be better placed after 'olives'.
--in the Roman Agriculture segment, especially the 3rd, 4th and 5th paragraphs there are quite a few 'also's, any way of rewording some of this?

It's me again!

Marcus Terrentius Varro (116-27 B.C.) wrote that they brought rabbits from Spain to Britain where they were reared in Ceporaria. Hares, however, were native.
They also brought over pheasants, peacocks, guinea fowl and according to some authors, fallow deer.
Your list of imported crops does not contain cabbages, celery, onion, leek, shallots, endive, globe artichokes, cucumber, marrow, asparagus, radish, grapes and pears.

Some searches have found the following:-
Evidence of vine-growing has been found at a villa in Boxmoor, and there may have been a failed attempt in North Thoresby.
Wroxeter - The most important fruit that the Romans brought to Britain was the grape. Britain became the northern most province of the Roman Empire where grapes could be ripened and they were mainly restricted to the south. ( http://db.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/opencountry_20020928.shtml )
It seems to be generally accepted, and archaeologically proven that the Romans grew grapes in southern England. The climate was warmer than it is today.

Whether there could be a section on irregation? The Romans were masters in the manipulation of water - aquaducts, water wheels, wheels for lifting water from wells.


Watermusic

You two really are dedicated readers, aren't you? I must have not read these through properly before I posted them, I'm normally better at grammar and spotting where things don't make sense.

What you say in this entry very much contradicts my information about Celtic farming in Britain, which comes from "A Brief History of the Celts" by Peter Berresford Ellis (2003).

Here are some quotes:

"In fact, Celtic farmers, in whatever part of the ancient Celtic world lived, could have taught the Romans a few lessons on farming...the Celtic plough, fitted with a mobile coulter, was greatly superior to the Roman swing plough of the same period...However, innovative Celtic technology provided the plough with a coulter, a sharp knife attached to the plough beam which made a vertical cut through the soil at the same time that the share made the horizontal cut and thus the soil was turned over upon itself."

That's odd. My info must have come from a book too, but I can't remember what. I'll have another look at the entry and see what I can do. Thansk for bringing it up.

Better?

Second to last paragraph Roman Agriculture:-

grapes apples > grapes, apples

Second to last paragraph:-

they might be granted a peace of land there. >> they might be granted a piece of land there.

Thanks for the mention, but there's really no need!

That's better!

Some more minor changes -

Phrasing:
a process the Britons had previously begun --> a process the Britons had already begun

Typos:
single man cold plough --> single man could plough
but this highly unlikely --> but this is highly unlikely
for this information. --> for this information..
grapes apples --> grapes, apples
by the romans --> by the Romans

Done!

--Gallic WarsJulius Caesar >> Gallic Wars, Julius Caesar (comma may not be necessary, I'm not sure)
--In your lists of things the Romans introduced to Britain, you list cats with the flowers instead of in with the other animals. I assume this is because the cats were domestic and the others were wild. You could tack cats on to the end of the other animals list: "...and possibly fallow deer as well as domesticated cats."

Okay, this should be my last quibble

The final segment on the changes in land holdings doesn't really explain what impact that had on agriculture, other than to say it's possible some of the villa lands were tenant farmed. Unless there were other effects of the changes (did farmsteads fade from the landscape? was privately owned farmland a thing of the past?), most of this information should be covered in the 'Towns and Villas' entry and isn't needed here.

Yes, you're right, it's completely out of place. I've deleted some of it, and moved the rest to the the Town and Villa entry.

A very fine Entry!

Minor comment:

FN2: "To our dismay, it still isn’t."

This is opinion. Leave the Footnote out, or change to: "To some people's dismay, it still isn't". Or just "At date of writing, it still isn't"

Other than that... Great!

HELL

OK, done that!

I know I said it last time, but *this* should be my last quibble (fingers crossed ):

--The climate also made it difficult to store food so this would also have made trade troublesome and also meant that what trade existed was very localised. >> Remove a couple of 'also's: The climate made it difficult to store food so this would also have made trade troublesome and eant that what trade existed was very localised.

If you manage to make this change before close of play on Wednesday, we might be able to accept this before we break for Christmas.

Well spotted, Miloso, and don't worry, I'm grateful someone's here to pick out all these mistakes!

Ok, Jimster, I've done it! Thanks, but don't worry if you can't get it in before the break.

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