The Agricultural and Horticultural Society of India. 145 



rections, shews the low condition of this interesting art in the East. 

 In it we are told that there are trees which bring good luck, and 

 others that bring bad ; how we ought not to sow and plant but 

 on certain days of the week and month ; how we may change 

 the nature of the fruits of Mango, by putting grains into the fat 

 of the rabbit for the space of a month, &c. They moreover re- 

 commend to rub and to prick the roots with different substan- 

 ces, in order that they may carry fruit a longer time. To the 

 memoir is appended a list of names of plants in Hindoo and 

 Persian, corresponding to the botanical names. 



A description of the gardens and the fruit-trees of Kashmeer, 

 by Mr Moorcroft, contains many interesting details. The fruits 

 of this country are those of the south of Europe, such as apples, 

 pears, peaches, quinces, apricots, plums, cherries, walnuts, pome- 

 granates, almonds, &c. ; but there are many varieties of these 

 fruits, and it appears that some are superior to those that have 

 been obtained in Europe. The author thinks that advantage 

 might be taken of the vicinity of this country for introducing 

 many of them into British India. In the kingdom of Kash- 

 meer, whei'e there are many lakes, they construct floating gar- 

 dens, in which they cultivate a great quantity of melons and 

 cucumbers. 



Mr Moorcroft, during his sojourning in Thibet, also inquired 

 as to the culture of the forage named Prang-os*, a forage 

 very much sought after by sheep, and from which important 

 results are anticipated, if it could be naturalized in Europe, or 

 at the Cape of Good Hope. Packets of grains and roots of this 

 umbelliferous plant have been sent to different persons, and, in 

 particular, to Dr Wallich at Calcutta, but we are ignorant of 

 the results of this communication. The President found a new 

 mode of grafting in use in a western district of Bengal, which 

 he thus describes : " In the season of the year when the bark 

 easily separates from the wood, having previously cut off the 

 end of a small branch which was considered unripe, about a 

 quarter of an inch above an eligible bud, he would then make 

 an annular cut round the bark about half an inch below the bud, 



• This plant is the Pmngos pabularia, described by Mr Lindle_v in the 

 .Journal of Science of the Royal Institution of London, 1825. No. 37. p. 7. 

 APRir. JCNK 1831. K 



