ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, V. i. 5-8 



flesh of open texture. Wherefore the timber of the 

 one is heavy, of the other hght, the one^ being 

 resinous, the other without resin ; wherefore also it 

 is whiter. Moreover the fir has more branches, but 

 those of the silver-fir are much tougher, or rather 

 they are tougher than those of any other tree ; - the 

 branches of both however are of close texture, 

 homy,3 and in colour brown and like resin-glutted 

 wood. * When the branches of either tree are cut, 

 sap streams from them for a considerable time, but 

 especially from those of the silver-fir. Moreover the 

 wood of the silver-fir has many layers, like an onion : ^ 

 there is always another beneath that which is visible, 

 and the wood is comjxised of such layers throughout. 

 Wherefore, when men are shaving this wood to make 

 oars,^ they endeavour to take off the several coats one 

 by one evenly : for, if they do this, they get a strong 

 spar, while if they do the work irregularly and do 

 not strip " off the coats evenly, they get a weak one ; 

 for the process in this case is hacking instead of 

 stripping. The silver-fir also gives timber of the 

 greatest lengths and of the straightest growth ; 

 wherefore yard-arms ® and masts are made from it. 

 Also the vessels ^ and fibre are more clearly ^^ seen in 

 it than in any other tree. At first ^^ it grows in 

 height only, until it has reached ^- the sunshine ; and 

 so far there is no branch nor sidegrowth nor density 

 of habit ; but after that the tree proceeds to increase 

 in bulk 13 and density of habit, as i* the outgrowing 

 branches and sidegrowths develop. 



^' ixP' • • • ^<piKTtTcu conj. Sch.; fixP' "^ ^h KtupiiaiTai U; 

 ivDtj ouK oupiicrtTai MV; &XP'^ "" ax^'^T''"* Ald.H. 

 - cf. 4. 1. 4. 



Lit. ' this being the effect of the outgrowth.' -rdx"*' 

 -■xs Aid.; xoxo»> oray conj. W. 



423 



