§20.23Διὰ τί τὰ μύρτα ἐν τῇ χειρὶ θλιβέντα γλυκύτερα ἡμῖν δοκεῖ εἶναι τῶν μὴ τεθλιμμένων;
Why is it that myrtle-berries pressed in the hand seem to us sweeter than those unpressed?
ἢ καθάπερ καὶ αἱ ῥᾶγες τετρυγημέναι τῶν βοτρύων γλυκύτεραί εἰσιν ἢ τῶν ἀτρυγήτων;
Or is it just as harvested grapes are sweeter than those unharvested?
ὑπὸ γὰρ τοῦ γλεύκους ὄντος φύσει ἡδέος αἱ μὲν τετρυγημέναι ῥᾶγες ὥσπερ ἐοίκασιν ἡδυσμέναι (ἀνάπλεῳ γάρ εἰσι καὶ ἔξωθεν), αἱ δ’ ἐπὶ τῶν βοτρύων ἀνήδυστοι.
For owing to the must being sweet by nature, the harvested grapes seem as it were sweetened (for they are full of it even on the outside), while those on the clusters are unsweetened.
ὁμοίως οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν μύρτων φύσει γλυκέων καὶ τὴν γλυκύτητα ἐχόντων ἐντός.
Likewise, then, is it also in the case of myrtle-berries, which are sweet by nature and have sweetness inside.
ὥσπερ αἱ ῥᾶγες οὖν, ὅταν θλιφθῇ, ἀναπίμπλαται ἀπὸ τῆς ἐντὸς γλυκύτητος καὶ ἔξωθεν διαφαίνεται γλυκύτερα ὄντα. §20.24Διὰ τί τῶν τε μύρτων τὰ ἐλάττω ἀπυρηνότερά ἐστι, καὶ ἐν τοῖς φοίνιξι καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν βοτρύων, ἔνθα δ’ αἱ μικραὶ ῥᾶγες οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἢ ἐλάττους πυρῆνας;
Just like grapes, then, when they are pressed, they are filled with the sweetness from within and appear sweeter even on the outside. Why is it that the smaller myrtle-berries are more seedless, as is also the case in dates and on clusters of grapes, where the small grapes have either no seeds or smaller ones?
ἢ διὰ τὸ ἀτελέστερα εἶναι οὐκ ἔχει ἀποκεκριμένον;
Or is it because, being more imperfect, they do not have a separate part?
τέλος γὰρ ὁ πυρὴν ἔχει τὸ σπέρμα.
For the seed has the stone as its completion.
διὰ τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐλάττους εἰσίν, ὡς ὄντα παραφυάδες καὶ ἀτελῆ.
And for this reason they are also smaller, being offshoots and imperfect.
καὶ ἧττον δὲ γλυκέα τῶν ἐχόντων πυρῆνας· ἀπεπτότερα γάρ ἐστιν, ἡ δὲ πέψις τελείωσίς ἐστιν. §20.25Διὰ τί τῶν περικαρπίων τὰ μὲν πικρότερα τὰ πρὸς τὴν ἒχει οἷον σίκυοι τὰ πρὸς τὸ ἂκρον τὸ ἂνω, οἷον αἱ βάλανοι;
They are also less sweet than those having seeds; for they are less concocted, and concoction is completion. Why is it that some fruits are bitterer near the root, as cucumbers, while others are bitterer near the upper tip, as acorns?
ἢ ὃτι τῶν μἐν ταύτῃ ἂπεπτος ἡ τροφὴ διὰ τὸ ἐπιρρεῖν κατὰ τὴν ῥίζαν ἀεί· τὰ δὲ ξηρὰ φύσει ἐστίν, ὥστε ἀπαγομένου τοῦ γλυκέος ἐκ τοῦ ἄκρου καὶ πεπεμμένου ἤδη ξηραίνεται, καὶ λείπεται τὸ πικρὸν ὥσπερ οἱ ἅλες;
Or is it because, in the former, the nourishment there is unconcocted because of its always flowing in along the root; whereas the latter are dry by nature, so that when the sweet part is carried away from the tip and is already concocted, it dries up, and the bitter part is left behind like salts?
ξηραινόμενον δὲ μᾶλλον πικρὸν γίνεται, καθάπερ ἐλαῖαι καὶ βάλανοι παλαιούμεναι πικραὶ γίνονται. §20.26Διὰ τί ἔνια βλαστάνει οὐκ ἐν τῇ γῇ ὄντα, ἀλλ’ ἐκτετμημένα, τὰ δὲ κείμενα, οἷον οἱ τῶν κρίνων καυλοὶ καὶ σκόροδα καὶ κρόμμυα;
And when dried, it becomes bitterer, just as olives and acorns become bitter as they grow old. Why is it that some things sprout when not in the earth, but cut off, and when lying down, such as the stalks of lilies, garlic, and onions?
ἢ ὅτι ἔχουσι τροφὴν ἅπαντα ἐν αὑτοῖς, ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐν ἀφωρισμένῳ τόπῳ οὐθὲν φυτόν; [ἡ περιουσία οὖν ἐστὶ τῆς τροφῆς ἡ ποιοῦσα βλαστάνειν.
Or is it because all plants have nourishment in themselves, and no plant has it in a restricted place? [It is, therefore, the surplus of nourishment that makes them sprout.
δῆλον δέ· καὶ γὰρ καὶ αἱ σκίλλαι καὶ οἱ βολβοὶ ταὐτὸ ποιοῦσιν. ] (αὔξεται δ’ ἕκαστον οὐ τῷ ἔχειν, ἀλλ’ ὅταν πεφθῇ καὶ διανεμηθῇ.
This is clear; for squills and bulbous plants do the same thing.] (And each increases not by having it, but when it is concocted and distributed.
ἔχει μὲν οὖν καὶ ἔμπροσθεν,) αὔξεται δέ, ὅταν ἡ ὥρα ἔλθῃ ἐν ᾖ τοῦτο γίνεται πεττούσης ὥρας, οἷον καὶ τὰ τῶν κροκοδείλων ᾠά.
It has it indeed beforehand,) but it increases when the season comes in which this happens, when the season concocts it, just as the eggs of crocodiles.
συνεχὲς δὲ οὐκέτι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐπιρρεῖ ἄλλη τροφή. §20.27Διὰ τί ποτε τὰ σκόροδα καὶ τὰ κρόμμυα ὅσῳ ἂν ξηρότερα φυτεύηται, τοσούτῳ βελτίω γίνεται, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα χείρω;
But it does not continue further, because no other nourishment flows in. Why is it that garlic and onions, the drier they are when planted, the better they become, whereas other things become worse?
ἢ ὅτι πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα μάλιστα ὑγρασίας ἐστὶ πλήρη;
Or is it because all such things are especially full of moisture?
εὔκρατα οὖν γίνεται τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον φυτευθέντα.
Therefore, they achieve a proper temperament when planted in this way.
καὶ ὅτι ἧττον σήπεται, ὅταν ξηρανθέντα φυτευθῇ. §20.28Διὰ τί ποτε τὰ σκόροδα καὶ τὰ κρόμμυα μόνα τῶν φυτῶν κείμενα βλαστάνει;
And is it also because they decay less when planted after being dried? Why is it that garlic and onions alone of plants sprout when lying down?
ἢ διότι ὑγρασίας ἐστὶ πλήρη καὶ τροφῆς;
Or is it because they are full of moisture and nourishment?
ἡ περιουσία οὖν ἐστὶ τῆς τροφῆς ἡ ποιοῦσα βλαστάνειν.
It is, therefore, the surplus of nourishment that makes them sprout.
δῆλον δέ· καὶ γὰρ αἱ σκίλλαι καὶ οἱ βολβοὶ ταὐτὸ ποιοῦσιν.
This is clear; for squills and bulbous plants do the same thing.
αὔξεται δέ, ὅταν ἡ ὥρα ἔλθῃ ἑκάστῳ. §20.29Διὰ τί τὰ τῷ ψυχρῷ ὕδατι ἀρδόμενα γλυκύτερα ἢ τὰ τῷ θερμῷ;
And they increase when the season comes for each. Why is it that plants watered with cold water are sweeter than those watered with warm water?
πότερον ὅτι ἐγκατακλειόμενον τὸ θερμὸν ἁλμυρώτερον, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ ἁλμυρώτερον θερμότερον, τὸ δὲ γλυκὺ ἐναντίον, ὥσπερ ψυχρόν.
Is it because the warm, when shut in, becomes saltier, just as the saltier is warmer, whereas the sweet is the opposite, like the cold?
τροφὴ δὲ τοῖς λαχάνοις τὸ ὑγρόν, καὶ οἱ χυμοὶ ἐντεῦθεν. §20.30Διὰ τί τὰ σκόροδα ὄζει μᾶλλον ἐγκαυλοῦντα ἢ νέα ὄντα;
And moisture is nourishment for vegetables, and their juices arise from this. Why is it that garlic smells more when growing a stalk than when it is young?
ἢ ὅτι νέων μὲν ὄντων ἔτι πολὺ ὑγρὸν ἀλλότριον ἐνὸν ἀφαιρεῖται τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῶν;
Or is it because when they are young, there is still much foreign moisture inside which takes away their power?
ὅταν δὲ πεπανθῇ, ἐκκεκριμένου ἤδη τούτου, τότε τὴν οἰκείαν ἔχει ὀδμήν.
But when it is ripened, this being already secreted, then it has its own proper smell.
αὕτη δέ ἐστι φύσει δριμεῖα.
And this is by nature pungent.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι καρποὶ οἱ πρόσφατοι ὄντες ὑδαρέστεροι.
Likewise, other fruits are also more watery when they are fresh.
διὸ καὶ τὰ κρόμμυα ἧττον δριμέα τὰ νεώτερα.
Therefore, younger onions are also less pungent.