ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, IV. xiv. 10-12 



pot-herbs, as also do caterpillars, though the origin 

 of these is of course different. 



Such are in general the diseases, and the plants 

 in which they occur. Moreover 1 there are certain 

 affections due to season or situation 2 which are likely 

 to destroy the plant, but which one would not call 

 diseases : I mean such affections as freezing 3 and 

 what some call ' scorching.' Also 4 there are winds 

 which blow in particular districts that are likely to 

 destroy or scorch ; for instance the ' Olympian ' 

 wind of Chalcis in Euboea, when it blows cold a 

 little before or after the winter solstice ; for this 

 wind scorches up the trees and makes them more 

 dry and withered than they would become from the 

 sun's heat even in a long period ; wherefore its effect 

 is called ' scorching.' In old times it occurred very 

 frequently, and it recurred with great violence in 

 the time of Archippus, after an interval of forty 

 years. 



5 The places which suffer most in this way are 

 hollow places, valleys, the ground near rivers, and, in 

 general, places which are least open to wind ; the 

 tree which suffers most is the fig, and next to that 

 the olive. The wild olive, being stronger, suffered 

 more than the cultivated tree, which was surprising. 

 But the almonds were altogether unscathed, as also 

 were the apples pears and pomegranates; wherefore 

 this too was a surprising fact. The tree gets scorched 

 by this wind right down to the trunk, and in general 

 the upper are caught more and earlier than the lower 

 parts. 6 The effects are seen partly at the actual 



5 cf. C. P. 5. 12. 7 ; Plin. 17. 232 and 233. 

 B Ka.ru UMVP ; &vw W. after Sch.'s conj. : text probably 

 defective ; I have added TO. &vca. cf. G.P. 5. 12. 5. 



401 



