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9The holm oak (esculus), whose elements are in very equal proportions, is of great use in buildings; it will not however stand the damp which quickly penetrates its pores, and its air and fire being driven off, it soon rots. The green oak (cerrus), the cork tree, and the beech soon rot, because they contain equal quantities of water, fire, and earth, which are by no means capable of balancing the great quantity of air they contain. The white and black poplar, the willow, the lime tree (tilia), the withy (vitex), are of great service in particular works on account of their hardness. They contain but a small portion of earth, a moderate proportion of water, but abound with fire and air. Though not hard on account of the earth in them, they are very white, and excellently adapted for carving.
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