ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, VII. m. 3-5 



it is ripened, quickly dries and is shed, and the herbs 

 whose seed have an integument are harder still to dry, 

 especially basil. All however, when dried, produce 

 more fruit : wherefore l it is the custom to gather the 

 seed early and dry it. All of them are prolific and 

 produce many seeds, but basil produces most of all. 



Examples of those which produce their fruit at 

 the top of the stem are basil leek onion : of 

 those which produce it rather at the sides, radish 

 turnip and the like ; of those which produce it in 

 both ways, blite and orach ; both of these produce it 

 at the side as well as at the top ; in fact blite 2 has 

 its seed in clusters, closely attached to each branch. 

 Some push up their shoots 3 fairly soon from old 

 seed, but seed from plants in their prime is the most 

 rapid ; for these plants too have a time when they 

 are at their best. The beauty of the plant also 

 corresponds 4 in proportion, provided that equal care 

 in 5 other respects is shewn in cultivation. 



6 It likewise appears that, if a quantity of seed is 

 sown in the same place, the resulting crop comes up 

 and germinates better ; thus they tie up seed of 

 leek and celery in a piece of cloth 7 before sowing, 

 and then there is a large 8 crop. 



The position also contributes to growth ; at least, 

 when celery is transplanted, they suggest that one 

 should hammer 9 in a peg of whatever size one 

 wishes to make the celery ; and also that one should 

 sow the seed in a piece of cloth 10 after hammering 

 in a peg and filling the hole with dung and soil. 



in UMAld. ; text as given by Cam., which however omits 

 TWV ; TUV (TTretpoyLteVcov H.; TWV TOIOVTWV Vo.Vin. 



5 cf. 7. 4. 7. 6 Plin. 19. 120. 7 cf. C.P. 5. 6. 9. 



8 ue-yaAa conj. St.; /j.fyd\cu Ald.H. 



9 Made clearer C.P. 5. 6. 7. 10 cf. C.P. 5. 6. 9. 



79 



