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-building.
For house-building a much greater variety is used, silver-fir fir and prickly cedar; also cypress oak and Phoenician cedar.[1] In fact, to speak generally,[2] 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 serviceable 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[3] made: then, when it has become firmly united,[4] it is dragged down to the water, and then it closes up and becomes watertight,—unless[5] 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 uses of the wood of particular trees.
But we must consider for what purposes[6] each several wood is serviceable. Silver-fir and fir, as has been said, are suitable both for ship-building house-
- ↑ ἐλάτη … ἄρκευθος conj. W.; ἐλάτη τε καὶ πεύκη καὶ κέδρος ἔτι κυπάριττος δρῦς πεύκη καὶ κέδρος ἄρκευθος U; ἐλάτη τε καὶ πεύκη καὶ κέδρος καὶ ἄρκευθος Ald. H.; so also MV, omitting καὶ before ἀρκ.
- ↑ ὡς δ᾿ ἁπλῶς conj. Sch.; ἁπλῶς δ᾿ ὡς Ald.
- ↑ καινὰ conj. Sch.; καὶ νῦν Ald.
- ↑ συμπαγῇ conj. W., which he renders 'when it has been glued together'; συμπίῃ Ald. G's reading was evidently different.
- ↑ πλὴν ἐὰν μὴ conj. W.; π. ἐὰν τε M; π. ἐὰν γε Ald.
- ↑ i.e. apart from ship-building and house-building, in which several woods are used.
