§20.13Διὰ τί, ἐάν τις ῥαφανίδων, ὅταν μάλιστα ἀκμάζωσι τοῦ χειμῶνος, ἀποτεμὼν τὰ φύλλα περισάξῃ τὴν γῆν καὶ καταπατήσῃ ὥστε ἀποστέγειν τὸ ὕδωρ, αὗται ἐν τῷ θέρει γίνονται ἄπλετοι τὸ πάχος;
Why is it that, if someone, when radishes are especially in their prime in winter, cuts off their leaves, heaps up the earth around them, and tramps it down so as to keep out the water, these become immense in thickness in the summer?
ἢ ὅτι τοῦ μὲν μὴ φθείρεσθαι τὸ περισεσάχθαι αἴτιον, κωλῦον τὸ ὕδωρ σήπειν;
Or is it because the heaping up of earth is the cause of their not decaying, by preventing the water from rotting them?
ἡ δὲ τροφή, ἢν ἄνω ἀφίει εἰς τὸν βλαστόν, εἰσέρχεται εἰς αὐτήν, ὥστε ἀνάγκη αὐτὴν μείζω γίνεσθαι ἢ ἀφιέναι παραβλαστάνουσαν ἄλλας ῥίζας, ὥσπερ τὰ κρόμμυα;
And the nourishment, which it used to send up into the shoot, enters into the root itself, so that it must either become larger or send out other roots by budding at the side, just like onions?
καὶ γὰρ ταῦτα, ἐὰν μή τις ἐκτίλῃ ἐπέτεια, ἀλλ’ ἐάσῃ τὸν χειμῶνα, πολλαπλάσια γίνεται.
For these too, if one does not pull them up annually but leaves them through the winter, become many times larger.
τὰ μὲν οὖν κρόμμυα τῶν παραβλαστανόντων ἐστίν, ἡ δὲ ῥάφανος οὔ, ὥστε ἀνάγκη αὐτὴν γίνεσθαι παχεῖαν διὰ τὸ πᾶσαν λαμβάνειν τὴν τροφήν.
Onions, then, belong to those that bud at the side, but the radish does not, so that it must of necessity become thick because of its receiving all the nourishment.
§20.14Διὰ τί, ἐάν τις σικύους ἢ κολοκύνθας περὶ φρέαρ φυτεύσας, ὅταν ὡραῖοι ὦσι, καθεὶς εἰς τὸ φρέαρ ἀποστεγάσῃ, γίνονται δι’ ἔτους χλωροί;
Why is it that, if someone has planted cucumbers or pumpkins around a well, and when they are in season, lets them down into the well and covers them over, they remain green throughout the year?
ἢ διότι ἥ τε ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος ἀτμὶς ψύχουσα κωλύει ξηραίνεσθαι καὶ παρέχει θάλλοντα, καὶ τὸ ἀποστέγειν τούτους καὶ τὰ πνεύματα τρέφει τὰ ηὐξημένα;
Or is it because the vapor from the water, by cooling them, prevents them from drying and keeps them flourishing, and the covering of them and the drafts nourish those that are grown?
τοῦ δὲ διαμένειν αἴτιον τὸ ἔχειν τροφὴν ἐωμένων τῶν ῥιζῶν.
And the cause of their remaining is their having nourishment when the roots are left undisturbed.
καὶ γὰρ ἐάν τις ἀφελὼν τὴν βλάστην, ὅταν καρποφορήσωσι, καὶ ἀποτεμὼν περισάξῃ καὶ καταπατήσῃ τὴν γῆν περὶ τὰς ῥίζας, πρωΐμους οἴσει σικύους, ὡς δυναμένων σώζεσθαι τῶν ῥιζῶν· οὐ γὰρ ἔσται σίκυος τῶν προετείων.
For indeed, if someone, having removed the foliage when they have borne fruit, and having cut it off, heaps up earth and tramps down the earth around the roots, the plant will bear early cucumbers, since the roots are able to be preserved; for it will not be a cucumber of last year's crop.
θᾶττον δὲ αὐτοὶ τῶν σπειρομένων οἴσουσι καρπὸν διὰ τὸ πολὺ προϋπάρχειν τοῦ ἔργου τῇ φύσει τὰς ῥίζας, τοῖς δὲ σπειρομένοις δεῖν γίνεσθαι τοῦτο πρῶτον, ἐν ᾗ περισάξεις ἀλέαν ποιεῖν, ὥστε σώζεσθαι καὶ θᾶττον ἐνιέναι βλαστόν.
And they themselves will bear fruit more quickly than those sown, because the roots have much of the work already pre-existing for nature, whereas for those sown, this must happen first, in which heaping up of earth produces warmth, so that they are preserved and send forth a shoot more quickly.
διὸ καὶ ἐάν τις χειμῶνος φυτεύσῃ σπέρμα σικύου ἐν ταλαρίσκοις καὶ ἄρδηται θερμῷ καὶ εἰς τὸν ἥλιον ἐκφέρῃ καὶ παρὰ πυρὶ τιθῇ, πρώϊμοι σφόδρα ἔσονται, ἐὰν ὡς ἔχει ἐν τοῖς ταλάροις εἰς τὴν ἱκνουμένην ὥραν εἰς τὴν γῆν φυτεύσῃ.
Therefore also, if someone plants cucumber seed in winter in small baskets, and it is watered with warm water, carried out into the sun, and placed by the fire, they will be very early, if, just as they are in the baskets, he plants them into the earth at the proper season.
§20.15Διὰ τί ἀρδεύουσιν ἕωθεν ἢ νυκτὸς ἢ δείλης;
Why do they water at dawn, or at night, or in the evening?
πότερον ἵνα μὴ ὁ ἥλιος ἀναλώσῃ;
Is it so that the sun may not consume the water?
ἢ ὅτι, ἐαν ᾖ θερμὸν τὸ ὕδωρ, διαφθείρει τὰ ἀρδόμενα;
Or because, if the water is warm, it destroys the watered plants?
§20.16Διὰ τί τὰ εὐώδη οὐρητικά, καὶ σπέρματα καὶ φυτά;
Why are fragrant things diuretic, both seeds and plants?
ἢ ὅτι θερμὰ καὶ εὔπεπτα, τὰ δὲ τοιαῦτα οὐρητικά·
Or is it because they are warm and easy to digest, and such things are diuretic?
ταχὺ γὰρ λεπτύνει ἡ ἐνοῦσα θερμότης, καὶ ἡ ὀσμὴ οὐ σωματώδης, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ μὴ εὐώδη, οἷον σκόροδα, διὰ τὴν θερμότητα οὐρητικά, μᾶλλον μέντοι συντηκτικά.
For the heat within quickly thins the fluids, and the odor is not bodily; since even non-fragrant things, like garlic, are diuretic because of their warmth, though more indeed wasting.
θερμὰ δὲ τὰ εὐώδη σπέρματα, διότι ὅλως ἡ ὀδμὴ διὰ θερμότητά τινα γίνεται· ἀλλὰ τὰ δυσώδη ἄπεπτά ἐστιν.
And fragrant seeds are warm, because in general odor arises due to a certain heat; but bad-smelling things are unconcocted.
δεῖ δὲ μὴ μόνον εἶναι θερμά, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὔπεπτα, εἰ ἔσται οὐρητικά, ὅπως συγκατιόντα λεπτύνῃ τὰ ὑγρά.
But they must be not only warm, but also easy to digest, if they are to be diuretic, so that going down together they may thin the fluids.
§20.17Διὰ τί θᾶττον ἐκκαυλεῖ τῶν λαχάνων τὰ ἐκ παλαιοτέρου σπέρματος, οἷον τριετοῦς ἢ διετοῦς, ἢ τὰ ἐκ τῶν προσφά των;
Why do those of herbs from older seed, such as three-year-old or two-year-old, run to stalk more quickly than those from fresh seed?
ἢ ὅτι ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν ζῴων θᾶττον σπέρμα φέρει τὸ ἀκμάζον, οὕτω καὶ τῶν σπερμάτων τὰ μὲν λίαν παλαιὰ ἐξίκμασται τὴν δύναμιν, τὰ δὲ ἀσθενέστερα διὰ τὸ ἔτι ἔχειν περίττωμα μὴ οἰκεῖον, τὰ δὲ μέσα τῷ χρόνῳ ἰσχυρότατα ἀπεληλυθότος τοῦ ὑγροῦ θᾶττον οὖν σπέρμα φέρει.
Or is it because, just as in the case of animals, that which is in its prime bears seed more quickly, so also among seeds those that are excessively old have lost their moisture in power, while the weaker ones are so because of still having a residue that is not their own, but those of intermediate age are strongest in time, the superfluous moisture having gone, and therefore bear seed more quickly?
τὸ δὲ ἐκκαυλεῖν τοῦτό ἐστιν· ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ καυλοῦ τὸ σπέρμα.
And "running to stalk" is this: for the seed comes from the stalk.