ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, IV. xiv. 5-6 



Scab 1 chiefly occurs when there is not much rain 

 after the rising of the Pleiad ; if rain is abundant, 

 the scab is washed off, and at such times it comes 

 to pass that both the spring and the winter figs drop 

 off. Of the worms found in fig-trees some have their 

 origin in the tree, some are produced in it by the 

 creature called the f horned worm ' ; but they all turn 

 into the ' horned worm ' ; 2 and they make a shrill 

 noise. The fig also becomes diseased if there is 

 heavy rain ; for then the parts towards the root and 

 the root itself 3 become, as it were, sodden, 4 and this 

 they call ' bark-shedding.' 5 The vine suffers from 

 over-luxuriance ; this, as well as sun-scorch, specially 

 happens to it either when the young shoots are cut 

 by winds, or when it has suffered from bad cultivation, 

 or, thirdly, when it has been pruned upwards. 6 



The vine becomes a 'shedder,' T a condition which 

 some call ' casting of the fruit,' if the tree is snowed 

 upon at the time when the blossom falls, or else 

 when it becomes over lusty; 8 what happens is that the 

 unripe grapes drop off, and those that remain on the 

 tree are small. Some trees also contract disease 

 from frost, for instance the vine ; for then the eyes of 

 the vine that was pruned early become abortive ; and 

 this also happens from excessive heat, for the vine 

 seeks regularity in these conditions too, as in its 

 nourishment. And in general anything is dangerous 

 which is contrary to the normal course of things. 



and so there is less fruit : exact sense obscure ; ? ' from 

 below' (i.e. with the blade of the knife pointing upwards). 

 cf. G.P. I.e.', Col. 4. 24. 15 ; Plin. I.e., in supinum cxcisis. 



7 cf. C. P. 5. 9. 13. 



8 KptiTTcaQft : i.e. the growth is over-luxuriant. The word 

 occurs elsewhere only in the parallel passage G.P. I.e., where 

 occurs also the subst. Kpfirrcaffis, evidently a technical term. 



395 



