ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, IV. xv. 2-4 



rapid or complete. Some in fact, as fig lime and oak, 

 survive for some time ; indeed some say that these 

 recover, and also the elm and date-palm, and 

 that the bark even of the lime almost entirely 

 closes up again, while in other trees it forms as it 

 were a callus and 1 acquires a peculiar new character. 

 Men try to help the tree by plastering it with mud 

 and tying pieces of bark reeds or something of the 

 kind about it, so that it may not take cold nor 

 become dried up. And they say that the bark has 

 been known to grow again ; - for instance that that 

 of the fig-trees at the Trachinian Heraclea did so. 

 However this does not only depend on the quality of 

 the soil and on the climate ; the other circumstances 

 which ensue must also be favourable ; for, if great 

 cold or heat ensues, the tree perishes at once. The 

 season also makes a difference. For if one strips the 

 bark of a silver-fir or fir at the time when the buds 

 are shooting during Thargelion or Skirrophorion, 3 at 

 which season it is separable, the tree dies at once. 

 If it is done however in winter, the tree holds out 

 longer ; and this is especially true of the strongest 

 trees, such as kermes-oak and oak ; these it takes 

 longer to kill. However the piece stripped off must 

 be of a certain breadth to cause the death of the 

 tree, especially in the case of the strongest trees ; for, 

 if one does it only a little, it is not surprising that 

 the tree should not be killed ; though some indeed 

 say that, if it is done at all, 4 the tree certainly dies ; 

 this however is probably true only of the weaker 

 kinds. For some, they say, if they are in bad barren 



2 avatyvvcu conj. Seal, from G ; <f>vi>at Aid. H. 



3 May-June. 



4 biroaovovv conj. Sch. from G ; o-jriaaovy Aid. 



407 



