ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, VII. i. 8-u. 2 



and especially the weaker ones, which require more 

 attention or in some cases more feeding. 



Of the propagation of pot-herbs, and of differences in their 

 roots. 



II. 1 A11 these herbs are propagated from seed, and 

 some also by a piece torn off, a shoot, or a piece of 

 root. Cabbage is propagated by a piece torn off, 2 

 since it is essential 3 in this case to take a piece 

 which has root attached to it. From cuttings 4 are 

 grown rue marjoram basil ; for slips of this too men 

 plant when it has grown to the height of a span 

 or more, cutting off half the plant. 5 By root 6 are 

 planted garlic onion purse-tassels cuckoo-pint and in 

 general such bulbous plants. Such propagation is 

 also possible in cases where the roots persist for 

 more than a year, though the shoots last but for a 

 year. And it is plain that all these herbs can be 

 grown from seed ; for even rue can (which some 

 deny), though the process is slow, and so cuttings 

 are also taken. 



Of those which are propagated by a piece of root 

 the root is long-lived, though the plant itself may be 

 annual ; wherefore the roots of such plants make 

 offsets and so increase ; and this is true not only of 

 plants cultivated in the garden, but also of wild 

 plants, as we have said, for instance of purse-tassels 

 long onion 7 squill and so forth. Some plants even 

 which are not bulbous s but longer-lived make offsets, 

 as celery and beet ; for these send out roots from 

 which grow leaves and stems. Long onion and 



5 cf. C.P. 1. 4. 3. 6 i.e. offsets. 



7 yndvois om. some editors, as not being wild. 



8 i.e. and so annual. 



67 

 r 2 



