ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, V. vii. 3-5 



and elm ; for these parts must be strong. Such 

 then is the timber used in ship-building. 



Of the woods used in house-huilding. 

 For house-building a much greater variety is 

 used, silver-fir fir and prickly cedar ; also cypress 

 oak and Phoenician cedar.' In fact, to speak 

 generally,^ any wood is here of service, unless it is 

 altogether weak : for there are various purposes for 

 which different woods are serviceable, just as there 

 are in ship-building. While other woods are service- 

 able for special articles belonging to various crafts, 

 such as furniture tools and the like, the wood of 

 silver-fir is of use for almost more purposes than any 

 other wood ; for it is even used for painters' tablets. 

 For carpentry the oldest wood is the best, provided 

 that it has not decayed ; for it is convenient for 

 almost anyone to use. But for ship-building, where 

 bending is necessary, one must use wood which 

 contains more moisture (though, where glue is to be 

 used, drier wood is convenient). For timber-work 

 for ships is set to stand when it is newly ^ made : 

 then, when it has become firmly united,* it is 

 dragged down to the water, and then it closes up 

 and becomes watertight,— unless ^ all the moisture 

 has been dried out of it, in which case it will not 

 take the glue, or will not take it so well. 



Of the nses of the wood of particular trees. 

 But we must consider for what purposes ^ each 

 several wood is serviceable. Silver-fir and fir, as has 

 been said, are suitable both for ship-building house- 



* ir\r)v fav /i^ conj. W. ; T. 4dv re M ; ir. iav ye Aid. 

 *' i.e. apart from ship-building and housebuilding, in 

 which several woods are used. 



459 



