Written when Varro was eighty years old, this charming treatise on agriculture in three books covers farming, livestock, and the keeping of smaller animals including bees, fish, and dormice. Cast as dialogues set at different locations, it combines practical instruction with antiquarian learning and gentle humour. It survives complete and is one of the most important sources for Roman agricultural practice.
Agriculture proper: the selection and layout of farms, soil types, crop rotation, sowing, and harvesting. Set as a dialogue in the temple of Tellus during the festival of the Sementivae.
Livestock: the breeding and management of cattle, horses, mules, sheep, goats, pigs, and dogs. Set on the estate of a friend during the Roman Games.
The villa and its smaller enterprises: aviaries, fishponds, beehives, snails, and dormice. The profitable sidelines of a Roman gentleman farmer. Set at the villa of Quintus Axius.