Enquiry into Plants/Volume 1/Chapter 70

by Theophrastus

Of the woods best suited for the carpenter's various purposes.

^[1]The wood of the silver-fir may be called the strongest of all. But for the carpenter's purposes fir best takes glue because of its open texture and the straightness of its pores^[2]; for they say that it never by any chance comes apart when it is glued. Alaternus^[3] is the easiest wood for turning, and its whiteness is like that of the holly. Of the rest lime is the easiest, the whole tree, as was said, being easy to work because of the softness of the wood. In general those woods which are tough are easy to bend. The mulberry and the wild fig seem to be specially so; wherefore they make of these theatre-seats,^[4] the hoops of garlands, and, in general, things for ornament.

^[5]Woods which have a fair amount of moisture in them are easier to saw or split than those which are altogether dry: for the latter give,^[6] while the former resist. Wood which is too green closes up again when sawn, and the sawdust catches in the saw's teeth and clogs^[7] them; wherefore the teeth of the saw are set alternate ways, to get rid of the sawdust. Wood which is too green is also harder to bore holes in; for the auger's dust is only brought up slowly, because it is heavy; while, if the wood is dry, the air gets warmed by the boring and brings it up readily and at once. On the other hand, wood which is over dry^[8] is hard to saw because of its hardness: for it is like sawing through earthenware; wherefore they wet the auger when using it.

However green wood is easier to work with the axe the chisel or the plane; for the chisel gets a better hold and does not slip off. Again softer woods are easier for the axe and for smoothing,^[9] and also a better polished surface is obtained. The cornelian cherry is also a very strong wood, and among the rest elm-wood is the strongest; wherefore, as was said,^[10] they make the 'hinges' for doors of elm-wood. Manna-ash and beech have very moist wood, for of these they make elastic bedsteads.

1. Plin. 16. 225.
2. cf. C.P. 5. 17. 3. εὐθυποράτατα: εὐθυπορίαν.
3. cf. 5. 7. 7.
4. Rendering doubtful. ἴκρια has probably here some unknown meaning, on which the sense of κόσμον depends.
5. Plin. 16. 227.
6. παύονται can hardly be right: Plin. l.c. seems to have had a fuller text.
7. ἐμπλάττει: cf. de Sens. 66.
8. τὰ λίαν ξηρὰ conj. St.; λεῖα καὶ ξηρὰ Ald. H.
9. Sc. with the carpenter's axe.
10. 5. 3. 5.

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