Mttnu/aelure of Fose-wafer at Ghazeepore. 327 



by high mud-walls and prickly peai- fences, to keep out the 

 cattle. These lands, Avhich belong to Zemindars, are planted 

 ■with rose-trees, and are annually let out at so much per bee- 

 gah for the ground, and so much additional for the rose-plants 

 — generally five rupees" per beegah, and twenty -five rupees 

 for the rose-trees, of which there are 1000 in each begah. 

 The additional expense for cultivation would be about 8s. 8d., 

 so that for rupees 30s. 8d. you have, for the season, one bee- 

 gah of 1000 rose-trees. 



If the season is good, this beegah of 1000 rose-trees should 

 yield one lac of roses. Purchases for roses are always made 

 at so much per lac. The price, of course, varies according to 

 the year, and will average from forty to seventy rupees. Dur- 

 ing the past season the latter was the price given for one lac 

 of roses, towai'ds the conclusion. 



As soon as the roses come into flower, the Zemindars and 

 cultivators of the rose-gardens, as well as intending purchas- 

 ers, meet in the city, and, according to the demand and ex- 

 pected produce, a nerick is established, and purchasers then 

 enter into agreement with the cultivators for so many lacs of 

 roses at such a price. This agreement is considered binding, 

 and the cultivator is obliged to deliver the quantity at the 

 contract rate ; when that is completed, another can be made, 

 but this latter is always at a much higher rate. 



The I'ose-trees come into flower at the beginning of March, 

 and continue so thi-ough April. In the mox'ning early the 

 flowers are plucked by numbers of men, women, and children, 

 and are conveyed in large bags to the several contracting 

 parties for distillation. The cultivators themselves very rarely 

 manufacture. 



The native appai'atus for distilling the rose-water is of the 

 simplest construction. It consists of a large copper or iron 

 boiler, well tinned, capable of holding from eight to twelve 

 gallons, (shaped liliC the earthen hoondahs in which the Gom- 

 astahs send in their opium,) having a Jarge body with a rather 

 narrow neck, and a mouth about eight inches in diameter; on 

 the top of this is fixed the head of the still, which is nothing 



* A rupee is equiil to about tAvo shillings. 



