ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, V. v. 5 -vi. i 



in that of the silver-fir, the core is the hardest 

 part, 1 and the part which has the least fibrous 

 texture : it is least fibrous because the fibres are far 

 apart and there is a good deal of fleshy matter 

 between them, while it is the hardest part because 

 the fibres and the fleshy substance are the hardest 

 parts. Wherefore the headcraftsmen specify that 

 the core and the parts next it are to be removed, 

 that they may secure the closest and softest part 

 of the wood. 



Timber is either ' cleft,' ' hewn,' or 'round' : it is 

 called ' cleft,' when in making division they saw it 

 down the middle, ' hewn ' when they hew off 2 the 

 outer parts, while ' round ' clearly signifies wood which 

 has not been touched at all. Of these, ' cleft ' wood 3 

 is not at all liable to split, because the core when 

 exposed dries and dies : but ' hewn ' and ' round ' 

 wood are apt to split, and especially ' round ' wood, 

 because the core is included in it : no kind of timber 

 indeed is altogether incapable of splitting. The 

 wood of the nettle-tree and other kinds which are 

 used for making pivots for doors are smeared 4 

 with cow-dung to prevent their splitting : the object 

 being that the moisture due to the core may be 

 gradually dried up 5 and evaporated. Such are the 

 natural properties of the core. 



Which ivoods can best support weight. 



VI. 6 For bearing weight silver-fir and fir are strong 

 woods, when set slantwise 7 : for they do not give like 



4 TrepiirXaTTovai conj. Sch. from G ; irfpiirdrTovaiv Ald.H. 

 Plin. 16. 222. 6 avar)pai>6fi conj. Sch.; avafrpaivri Ald.H. 



5 Plin. 16. 222-224. 



7 e.g. as a strut. trXa.yia.i conj. Sch. from Pliu. /.c.; oiraAal 

 Ald.H. 



451 



