ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, V. II. 3–III. 1
'centres' which occur in marbles. That[1] vigorous growth covers[2] up the knots is plain from simple observation of the fact and also from other similar instances. [3]For often some part of the tree itself is absorbed by the rest of the tree which has grown into it; and again, if one makes a hole in a tree and puts[4] a stone into it or some other such thing, it becomes buried, being completely enveloped by the wood which grows all round it: this happened with the wild olive in the market-place at Megara; there was an oracle that, if this were cut open, the city would be taken and plundered, which came to pass when Demetrius took it.[5] For, when this tree was split open, there were found greaves and certain other things[6] of Attic workmanship hanging there, the hole[7] in the tree having been made at the place where the things were originally hung on it as offerings. Of this tree a small part still exists, and in many other places further instances have occurred. Moreover, as has been said, such occurrences happen also with various other trees.
Of differences in the texture of different woods.
III. [8]Corresponding to the individual characters of the several trees we have the following kinds of differences in the wood:—it differs in closeness, heaviness, hardness or their opposites, and in other similar ways; and these differences are common to cultivated and wild trees. So that we may speak of all trees without distinction.
- ↑ ὄτι δ᾿ ἡ conj. W.; ὅτι δὴ UMV; ὅτι δὲ Ald.
- ↑ cf. καταπίνεσθαι, above, § 2.
- ↑ Plin. 16. 198 and 199.
- ↑ ἐκγλύψας θῇ conj. W.; ἐκλύψας θῆι U; ἐκλιθασθῇ Ald. H.
- ↑ Text defective.
- ↑ i.e. the bark had grown over these. cf. Plin. l.c.
- ↑ ἐργασίας κρεμαστὰ τοῦ κοτίνου οὗ I conj. from G and Plin. l.c. (certain restoration perhaps impossible); κερμηστι ὅ ἐστιν ἐν κοτίνῳ· οὗ U; Ald. has κερμηστὶ, M κρεμαστὶ, V κερμάστων; St. suggested κρεμαστῶν ὅπλων as words of the original text.
- ↑ Plin. 16. 204–207.
