Why Does Sea-Water Not Provide Trees With Nourishment?

That question was posed and speculated on by Plutarch 1900 years ago.

Double click to see it larger and clearer

This is one of 15 volumes called Moralia by Plutarch.  He covers a wide range of topics.  The one above I simply picked at random.  But checking in Wikipedia, I see there are a lot of other interesting topics:

Volume II.

• 6. How to Profit by One's Enemies (Πῶς ἂν τις ὑπ᾿ ἐχθρῶν ὠφελοῖτο - De capienda ex inimicis utilitate)
• 7. On Having Many Friends (Περὶ πολυφιλίας - De amicorum multitudine)
• 8. On Chance (Περὶ τύχης - De fortuna)
• 9. On Virtue and Vice (Περὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ κακίας - De virtute et vitio)
• 10. Letter of Condolence to Apollonius (Παραμυθητικὸς πρὸς Ἀπολλώνιον - Consolatio ad Apollonium)
• 11. Advice about Keeping Well (Ὑγιεινὰ παραγγέλματα - De tuenda sanitate praecepta)
• 12. Advice to Bride and Groom (Γαμικὰ παραγγέλματα - Coniugalia praecepta)
• 13. Dinner of the Seven Wise Men (Ἑπτά σοφῶν συμπόσιον - Septem sapientium convivium)
• 14. On Superstition (Περὶ δεισιδαιμονίας - De superstitione)

Volume XII

• 63. On the Face Which Appears in the Orb of the Moon (Περὶ τοῦ ἐμφαινομένου προσώπου τῷ κύκλῳ τῆς σελήνης - De facie in orbe lunae)
• 64. On the Principle of Cold (Περί του πρώτως ψυχρού - De primo frigido)
• 65. Whether Fire or Water is More Useful (Πότερον ύδωρ ή πυρ χρησιμότερον - Aquane an ignis sit utilior)
• 66. Whether Land or Sea Animals are Cleverer (Πότερα των ζώων φρονιμώτερα, τα χερσαία ή τα ένυδρα - De sollertia animalium)
• 67. Beasts are Rational (Περί του τα άλογα λόγω χρήσθαι - Bruta animalia ratione uti)
• 68. On the Eating of Flesh (Περί σαρκοφαγίας - De esu carnium)

 I was at the Consortium Library at UAA yesterday and saw this shelf full of little green books. 

 Best as I could tell, they are all classic works of Greek and Roman writers.  They were given to the University Library by Duty Free Shoppers quite some time ago.







There are other titles by Plutarch.












And by many, many others. 

And anyone with a UAA or Municipal library card can check them out for free.  And even without a library card  sit in the library and read. 

There's nothing like a library to remind me of how much I don't know.