240 Captain Gerard on Soobathoo and Kotgurh. 



Immediately after the rains cease, and whilst the soil is yet 

 in a moist state, the zumeendars, or farmers, begin to plough, 

 and to sow wheat, barley, and coua jow, being the principal 

 grains on which the inhabitants at this elevation are depend- 

 ent. These are buried under the snow during the winter 

 months. When much snow falls, the produce of these grams 

 is very considerable ; but when there does not, and the ground 

 is not sufficiently saturated with rain during the latter part of 

 February and the early part of March, the crops are very 

 poor, and not unfrequently scarcity ensues, and sometimes, 

 though seldom, the natives are reduced to a state of extreme 

 wretchedness. In places more elevated than Kotgurh the 

 grain often suffers considerable injury from a severe winter ; 

 while lower down, and on the banks of the river Sutliij, the 

 wheat and barley crops yield but a small return to the hus- 

 bandman even in good seasons. This, however, greatly de- 

 pends on the quantity of rain which falls during the season. 

 The low lands and flats on the banks of the rivers and streams 

 are more adapted to the cultivation of coarse rice, which thrives 

 there remarkably well, and yields a plentiful return. * 



After the different grain crops on the high lands have at- 

 tained the height of two or three inches, the natives in the in- 

 terior make a practice of spreading manure over them, which 

 (they say) is the means of materially increasing their value. 



Bullocks are the only animals used in all stages of agricul- 

 ture in the mountains on the hither side of the Himalayas. 

 All grain is trodden out by them with their mouths muzzled, 

 in the same manner as in the plains of India. The grain 

 after being cut is bound into small sheaves, and allowed to lie 

 and dry in the sun for some time, after which it is stocked ; 

 subsequently it is spread out in circular flats paved with stones, 

 and trodden out as above-mentioned. 



The same sort of rude plough used in the plains is employ- 

 ed also in the hills, and the implements of husbandry are few, 

 and of little worth. 



The fields on the sides of steep mountains are formed into 



* Bamboos and some of the tropical fruits grow on the banks of the 

 Sutliij, the climate of the hills being extremely diversified, according to 

 the elevation above the level of the sea. 



