has lately been given up. Tho Bombay garden was established in 1827, and is in a
prosperous state. The gardens of Penang and Singapore were both establislied in 1822,
and arc, <’omparativcly with other gardens in India, of very limited extent.
7G2. The rose fields, whicli occupy many hundred acres in the neighbourhood of
Ghazcpoor, arc described as being, at the proper season, extremely beautiful. Tho
flowers are cultivated for distillation, and making “ attar.” Rose water is both good
and cheap. Tlic price of a seer, or weight of two pounds (a large quart), of tlio
best, being eight anas, or a shilling. The attar is obtained, after the rose water
is made, by setting it out dm-ing the night, and till sunrise in the morning, in large
open vessels exposed to the air, and then skimming off the essential oil which floats at
the top. The rose water which is thus skimmed bears a lower price than that which is
warranted with its cream en tire ; but Bishop Ilcbcr was told that thcro is very littlo
perceptible ditfci-cncc. To produce one rupee’s weight of attar, 200,000 well grown
roses arc rcqufred. The price, even on tho spot, is extravagant; a rupee’s weight being
sold in the bazaar (where it often is adulterated with sandal wood) for 80 sicca rupees;
and at tlic English warehouse, wlicre it is wai-rantcd genuine, at 100 sicca rupees, or
10/.! Mr. Melville, the English resident, who made some for himself one year, told
Bishop Hcber that he calculated the rent of the land, and price of utensils, really cost
him at the rate of 5/. for tho above trifling q u an tity ; without reckoning the risk, labour
of servants, &c. (N a ir. § t., vol. i. p. 266.)
763. The Agricultural and Horticultural Society o f India, in the first volume of its
Transactions, has given the translation of an Indian hook on horticultm-c, whicb,
although it may contain some useful directions, shoivs the low condition of that art in
tlic East. In it we arc told that there arc trees which bring good luck, and otliers that
bring bad ; how we ought not to sow or plant but on certain days ofthe week or month ;
and how we may cliangc the nature of tlic fruits of mango, by steeping tlic grains in
the fat of a rabbit for the space of a month, &c. It, moreover, recommends to rub
and prick the roots with different substances, in order that tlicy may carry fruit a longer
time. A description of tho gardens and fruit trees of Cashmere, by Mr. Moorcroft,
contains many interesting details. The fruits of that country ai*c the same as those of
the south of Eu ro p e ; such as apples, pears, peaches, quinces, apricots, plums, cherries,
walnuts, pomcgi-anatcs, almonds, & c .; but there ai-c many varieties of these fruits, and
it appears that some arc superior to those that have been obtained in Europe. The
author thinks that advantage might be taken of the vicinity of Cashmere to British
India. In the kingdom of Cashmere, where there are many lakes, they construct floating
gardens, in which they cultivate a great quantity of melons and cucumbers. The president
found a new mode of gvafting in use in a western district of Bengal, which ho
thus describes : — “ In the season of the year when the bark easily separates from the
ivood, liaving previously cut off the end of a small branch which was considered unripe,
about a quai-tcr of an inch above an eligible bud, the operator makes an annular cut
round the bark about half an inch below the bud ; and then, with a cloth in his hand,
forcibly pulls off tho ring of bark, taking cai’c not to injure the bud ; after which, he
proceeds in the same way with the buds below. Having collected a sufficient number,
and kept them fresh in the hollow of a leaf with a little water, he proceeds to liic stocks
to be cngi-aftcd, and, haA-ing cut off the head, where tbe stock appears of a proper size,
he strips the bark iu small shreds allround to a sufficient depth, until a ring o fth e bark
being a])plied fits very exactly. The shreds arc then collected over the ring of bark,
tied above, and bound together by a little moist hay, taking care not to press upon tho
bud. This perhaps combines the advantages of being the most successful, the most
easy, and most simple mode of cngi-afting or budding used in any country.” (Jameson’s
Jour., Oct. 1831.) This mode of budding has long been practised in Germany, with a
very slight variation. I t will be found described and figui-cd in tho proper place, as
flute grafting.
764. Bees arc cultivated in the mountainous districts of Hindostán. A coiTCspondcnt
of the Gardener’s Magazine, writing from the Kossya mountains, 4500 feet above the
level of the sea, says; that he was “ delighted to find bees cultivated by the mountaineers,
wlio, instead of hives, use the hollowed tnm k of a tree, and plug it up at each end, closing
the joints with lime mortar. Tlic box thus made is preserved from the heat of the sun,
by being placed under the caves of the thatcli of tlic cottages (which extend two or three
feet, and come down very low, to exclude the heavy rains which fall in this country for
seven mo n th s); or it is protected at a distance by a few mats. The honey is excellent.”
(Gard. Mag., vol. viii.)
765. Forest trees do not naturally abound in B en g a l; the teak tree (Téctona grándis)
is the oak of the East, and gi-ows in abnndance in the hilly kingdoms of Burma and
Pegu, wlicnce Calcutta is supplied for the pm-poscs of naval architecture. Whether
it will ever be found worth while to cultivate this tree in Bengal appears vciy doubtful.
The bamboo is the timber used in the general economy of the comitry.
7G6. Hedges o f native armed plants are occasionally used i-oimd gardens, orcl.ards
and small cncfosiircs, (See A n Accotmt o f the Trees o f India and their Uses, by Dr!
WMlid?) ^ similai- treatise in the same work, 1832, by Dr.
S u b s e c t . 5. O f Gardening in the Island o f Ceylon.
767. GaTdemng,asanartofdesi<piandtastc,omharA\yhasm^^ to exist on this island
r t ? 1 ™ft- P- ft«® "eroribcd the mansio.;
ot Kajah ia k s e ( fg . 214.) as contammg au architectural verauda, paved, aud agreeaUy
I
t i ; '-
situated with respect to the exterior sceneiy. TIio great objects of interest in this island
arc, tlie cnlturo of the cinnamon and of the different piilms. Tlic country is rich in
botany, and abounds in palm trees and plantains. I f a Cingalese, says Bucke,
possesses a garden, ho wants but little more. Tivo jack trees (Artocai-pus incìsa) a
palm tree or two, and six or oiglit cocoas, furnisli him ivith enongli to make liim
enjoyment is to recline under them shade. (Beauties, §-c. o f
768. Tlie agriculture and gardening of tlie native Cingalese may be considered as one
art ; the objects of culture being edible roots, as the yam ; grains, as the rice : and spices,
as popper, (bee Dr. Davy’s Account, §-c.) All tlie productions of Hindostán arc
said to thrive in Ceylon. General Macdowal,
with the assistance of Dr. Koxburgh of Cal-
cutta, made a valuable collection of exotics,
which he left at Columbo in 1804. He introduced
peaches, grafted and trained on espaliers,
which bore at three years old. Apples and
asparagus succeed well in this climate; and
many other European fruits and vegetables attain
a tolerable degree of perfection, when
shaded by mats dm-ing tlie day, aud well watered
during nights.
769. The cinnamon tree (fig. 215.) grows wild
in diflcrent parts of the island, and is cultivated
by govo-nmcnt in four or five very large g a rdens.
From tho bark of tlie cinnamon tree, tlie
cinnamon of commerce, cinnamon water, and
cinnamon oil, arc iircparcd ; and also a very
fine oil, like the oil of cloves, is made from tlie
X