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Pliny on leeks.

Pliny on leeks (Naturalis Historia 19.33):

insigne quod, cum fimo lætoque solo gaudeat, rigua odit. et tamen proprietate quadam soli constant

It is notable that while [the leek] enjoys manure and rich soil, it despises well-watered ground—and yet they endure it, when a certain distinctive property is in the soil.

This one was difficult for some reason; the hardest part was the word constant. I couldn’t really make it fit into the sentence, or find an English equivalent that even made sense. It’s confusing to begin with, it being in the plural while gaudeat “enjoys” and odit “hates” are in the singular. I’m not sure if what I went with is the best way to have put it—I still don’t like that word, ‘endure’—but it expresses the sense that I got from the original.

The leek is still known to prefer a well-drained soil.

[For proprietas.]

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