ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, IV. xiv. 7-8 



^ Moreover the wounds and blows inflicted by men 

 who dig about the vines render them less able to bear 

 the alternations of heat and cold ; for then the tree is 

 weak owing to the wounding and to the strain put 

 upon it, and falls an easy prey - to excess of heat 

 and cold. Indeed, as some think, most diseases 

 may be said to be due to a blow ; for that even 

 the diseases known as ' sun-scorch ' and ' rot ' occur 

 because the roots have suffered in this way.^ In 

 fact they think that there are only these two 

 diseases ; but there is not general agreement on this 

 }X)int. 



The * spring apple ' and especially the sweet 

 form of it, has the weakest constitution.^ 



^ Some mutilations however do not cause destruc- 

 tion of the whole '^ tree, but only produce barrenness ; 

 for instance, if one takes away the top of the Aleppo 

 pine or the date-palm, the tree in both cases appears 

 to become barren, but not to be altogether destroyed. 



There are also diseases of the fruits themselves, 

 ■which occur if the winds and rains do not come 

 in due season. For it comes to pass" that sometimes 

 trees, figs, for example, shed their fruit when rain 

 does or does not come, and ^ sometimes the fruit is 

 spoilt by being rotted and so choked off,^ or again 

 ly being unduly dried up. It is worst of all for 

 some trees, as olive and vine, if rain falls on them as 

 they are dropping their blossom ; '^^ for then the fruit, 

 having no strength, drops also. 



5 Plin. 17. 228 and 229. 



« i\'xv conj. W.; Tivuv PaAld.H. cf. C.P. 5. 17. 3 and 6. 



' cf. C.P. 5. 10. 5. 



8 Si add. Sch. » cf. C.P. I.e. 



'" cnravdovffi conj. Sch. from G and Plin. l.c. ; iraveovai Aid. H. 



397 



