ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, III. v. 1-3 



first budding as a sort of joint, just as in the case of 

 the first budding. This happens about the end of 

 the month Skirrophorion. 1 



2 (It is only at the time of this second budding that 

 the galls also are produced, both the white and the 

 black ; the liquid forming them is mostly produced in 

 quantity at night, and, after swelling for one day 

 except the part which is of resinous character it 

 hardens if it is caught by t the heat, and so cannot grow 

 any more ; otherwise it would have grown greater in 

 bulk ; wherefore in some trees the formation is not 

 larger than a bean. The black gall is for several 

 days of a pale green 3 colour ; then it swells and some- 

 times attains the size of an apple.) 



Then, after an interval 4 of about fifteen days, the 

 tree for the third time puts on buds in the month 

 Hekatombaion 5 ; but this growth continues for fewer 

 days than on either of the previous occasions, perhaps 

 for six or seven at most. However the formation of 

 the buds is as before and takes place in the same 

 manner. After this period there is no increase in 

 length, but the only increase is in thickness. 



The periods of budding can be seen in all trees, 

 but especially in fir and silver-fir, because the joints 

 of these are in a regular series and have the knots 

 at even distances. It is then the season also for 

 cutting the timber, because the bark is being shed 6 ; 

 for at other times the bark is not easy to strip off, 

 and moreover, if it is stripped off, the wood turns 

 black 7 and is inferior in appearance ; for as to its 

 utility 8 this makes no difference, though the wood 



5 About July. 



6 \oirav conj.Sch.; \onrav UMV; \iirnv Aid. 



7 cf. Plin. 16. 74. 



8 7 conj. Sch.; re Aid, 



187 



