Proceedings. 763 



The Society exhibited the indigenous and exotic fruits and vegetables now 

 procurable in Bombay. The rainy season which has just closed has been pecu- 

 liarly rich in the fruits and vegetables commonly used by the natives of Bombay. 

 Lieut. -Colonel K. R. Kirtikar was called upon by the Secretary to make a few 

 observations on the fruits and vegetables profusely laid on the Society's tables. 

 In the course of his remarks Lieut -Colonel Kirtikar said that the Natural 

 Orders Leguminosse and Cuourbitacese formed the chief source of a large num- 

 ber of fruits and vegetables, such as the gourds, cucumbers, melons, and luffas. 

 Among the members of the Leguminosse there were various beans which when 

 properly cooked and reasonably seasoned afford substantial as well as agreeable 

 delicacies for men of all classes. The Graminese or members of the grain order, 

 such as the sugar-cane, the rice, the wheat, the bajri, the jowari,and the nagli, 

 arc all used by the natives as the staff of life. Among the Cryptograms there 

 is the China grass which is made into a jelly, the puff-ball, and the white 

 Agaric. 



The natives of India use various kinds of spinach — for instance, there is the 

 ghol, the metthi, the math and tandulja ; the red and white basella, and the 

 sea-side marsh plants machol and moras. 



The natives of India season their vegetables with various articles which go 

 under the name of masala which is commonly known as the curry-stuff. 

 Most of the ingredients are of the natural order Umbelliferre, as corriander, jira 

 and fennel, cinnamon, cloves, red and black pepper, ginger, and turmeric, which 

 are very largely used, Asafoctida is said to add flavour to many Indian vege- 

 tables. The Parsis never use it. The Hindus use it largely. The orthodox 

 Brahmans never use onions and garlic, but Col. Kirtikar said he believed that a 

 large number of Indian vegetables would be absolutely without taste if no use 

 was made of the several seasoning ingredients mentioned above. 



There was a time, say fifty years ago, when such vegetables as the lady's 

 fingers, gourds and cucumbers could be had only during the rainy season. The 

 unripe mango, tamarind, hog plum, limes, kurmar or kamrak and bilimdi are 

 some of the acid fruits added to the ingredients used in flavouring vegetables. 

 The cocoanut is very largely used in curries and for making sweetmeats. The 

 papaya is eaten raw or cooked, and its juice renders meat tender. 



A vote of thanks to the authors of the papers, which will all appear in full in 

 the Society's Journal, was then passed, and the meeting terminated. 



