ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, V. iii. 3-5 



j)act, and among others that of the elder fig apple 

 and bay. The hardest woods are those of the oak 

 zygia and aria (holm-oak) ; in fact men wet ^ these 

 to soften them for boring holes. In general, woods 

 which are of open jx)rous texture are soft, and of 

 those of fleshy texture the softest is the lime. The 

 last-named seems also to be the hottest ; the proof 

 of which is that it blunts iron tools more than any 

 other ; for they lose their edge - by reason of its 

 heat. 



Ivy and bay are also hot woods, and so in general 

 are those used for making fire-sticks ; and Menestor ^ 

 adds the wood of the mulberry. ' The coldest woods 

 are those which grow in water and are of succulent 

 character. The wood again of willow and vine is 

 tough ; wherefore men make their shields of these 

 woods ; for they close up again after a blow ; but 

 that of the willow is lighter, since it is of less com- 

 pact texture ; wherefore they use this for choice. 

 The wood of the plane is fairly tough, but it is 

 moister in character, as also is that of the elm. A 

 proof of this is that, if it is set upright ^ after being 

 cut, it discharges much water.^ The wood of the 

 mulberry is at once of close grain and tough. 



" The wood of the elm is the least likely to warp ; 

 wherefore they make the ' hinges ' ^ of doors out of 

 elm wood ; for, if these hold, the doors also keep in 

 place ; otherwise they get wrenched out of place, 

 rhey make the ' hinges ' by putting wood from the 

 -oot above ^ and wood ' from the foliage ' below,^ thus 



=* c/. 1. 2. 3 n. * PUn. 16. 209. 



* opOhv orav conj. W. : SO G ; opOhi orav MV; orav ooOa Aid. 

 « cf. 5. 1. 6. ^ Plin. 16. 210. 



^ Sc. an arrangement of cylindrical pivot and socket. 



• i.e. as socket and pivot respectively ; cf. 5. 5. 4. 



435 



