attention of other kinds, which cause the wild to become cultivated, or again cause some cultivated kinds to go wild,[1] such as pomegranate and almond. Some say that wheat has been known to be produced from barley, and barley from wheat, or again both growing on the same stool but these accounts should be taken as fabulous. Anyhow those things which do change in this manner do so spontaneously,[2] and the alteration is due to a change of position (as we said[3] happens with pomegranates in Egypt and Cilicia), and not to any particular method of cultivation.
So too is it when fruit-bearing trees become unfruitful, for instance the persion when moved from Egypt, the date-palm when planted in Hellas, or the tree which is called 'poplar' in Crete,[4] if anyone should transplant it. [5]Some again say that the sorb becomes unfruitful if it comes into a very warm position, since it is by nature cold-loving. It is reasonable to suppose that both results follow because the natural circumstances are reversed, seeing that some things entirely refuse to grow when their place is changed. Such are the modifications due to position.
As to those due to method of culture, the changes which occur in things grown from seed are as was said; (for with things so grown also the changes are
of all kinds). Under cultivation the pomegranate and the almond change character,[6] the pomegranate if it receives pig-manure[7] and a great deal of river water, the almond if one inserts a peg and[8] removes for some time the gum which exudes and gives the other
- ↑ ἔνια ἀπαγριοῦται οἷον conj. W.; ἔνια καὶ ἀπορῇ τε ῥόα UV; ἐ. καὶ ἀπορῇ τὰ ῥόα M; ἐ. καὶ ἀπορρεῖ τὰ ῥόα Ald.
- ↑ i.e. cultivation has nothing to do with it.
- ↑ 2. 2. 7.
- ↑ c.f. 3. 3. 4.
- ↑ Plin. 17. 242.
- ↑ i.e. improve. c.f. 2. 2. 6. ad fin.
- ↑ c.. C.P. 2. 14. 2; 3. 9. 3; Plin. 17. 259; Col. 5. 10. 15 and 16.
- ↑ c.f. 2. 7. 6; C.P. 1. 17. 10; 2. 14. 1; Plin. 17. 252.
