ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, IX. n. 6-m. i 



removed 1 and burnt when the discharge of pitch takes 

 place. So much for this account. 



2 The people of Mount Ida however say that, when 

 they bark the stem, and they bark the side towards 

 the sun to a height of two or three cubits from the 

 ground, the flow of pitch takes place in that part, 3 

 and in about a year the wood becomes full of pitch ; 

 and that, when they have hewn this part out, pitch 

 forms again in the next year, and in the third year 

 in like manner ; after which 4 that the tree, because 

 it has been cut away underneath, is rotted by the 

 winds and falls ; and that then 5 they take out its 

 heart, for that is especially full of pitch, and that 

 they also extract pitch from ti the roots ; for that these 

 too, as we said, 7 are full of pitch in all firs. 



Now it is plainly to be expected that they should, 

 as was said, repeatedly thus treat a good tree, but an 

 inferior one at longer intervals, and that, if the tree 

 is husbanded, the supply should hold out longer, 

 while, if they remove all the pitch, it will not hold 

 out so long ; it appears as a matter of fact that the 

 tree will stand about three such removals of its 

 substance. 8 However firs do not produce both fruit 

 and pitch at once ; they begin to bear fruit when 

 they are quite young, but they only produce pitch 

 much later, when they are older. 



Of the making of pitch in Macedonia and in Syria. 



III. This is the manner in which they make pitch 

 by fire : having prepared a level piece of ground, 



4 fj.era Se TOVTO conj. Sch.; TO. Se ravra UM ; TO. 5e rotavra 

 AH 



6 T<*T6 conj. Sch. from G; rovs Aid. 



6 eV Aid.; K al conj.W. 



7 9. 2. 3. 8 cf. O.P. 5. 16. 2. 



229 



