ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, VIII. ix. 2 -x. i 



zeia, one that is fat and good. These last two, 1 

 zeia and one-seeded wheat, are also those which are 

 likest to wheat, while 2 aigilops and oats are as it 

 were wild and uncultivated things. 



Aigilops also greatly exhausts the land, having 

 many roots and many stems ; while darnel is a 

 plant which has become altogether wild. Of the 

 crops sown at the summer seed-time sesame seems 

 to be most severe on the land and to exhaust it 

 most ; yet 3 millet has more numerous and stouter 

 stems and more roots. Moreover there is a difference 

 between crops which 4 are called ' light ' in relation 

 to the soil and those called ' light' in regard to 

 human use. For some, such as leguminous plants 

 and millet, are light in one sense but not in the 

 other; and, as was said, 5 what 6 is light for men is 

 not necessarily so for the other animals. Now 

 enough of these matters. 



Of the diseases of cereals and pulses, and of hurtful winds. 



X. 7 As to diseases of seeds some are common to 

 all, as rust, some are peculiar to certain kinds ; thus 

 chick-pea is alone subject to rot 8 and to being 

 eaten by caterpillars and by spiders 9 ; and some 

 seeds are eaten 10 by other small creatures. Some 

 again are liable to canker and mildew, 11 as cummin. 

 But creatures which do not come from the plant 

 itself but from without do not do so much harm ; 

 thus the kantharis 1 ^ is a visitor among wheat, the 



7 Plin. 18. 152 and 154. 8 cf. 4. 14. 2. 



9 if/uAAwv: described by Arist. H.A. 9. 39. 1. 



10 Se add. Sch. ; ? KareffQieffBcu- /careo-fl/erai 8e nal virb vj/. W. 



11 \bcapia. teal aA/uS conj. W.; tiwpais Kal aAuais Aid. cf. 7.5.4 n. 



12 plm.' 18. 156.' 



201 



