1888-89.] Country traversed by Afghan Commission. 425 



inlet of laden camels, and the gates are usually made of the 

 wood of the Oriental plane, which gives size along with 

 streno'th and lightness. The wood comes either from Persia 

 or Maimannah, in northern Afghanistan, where the plane is 

 a large and plentiful tree. The beams which made up one 

 gate that I measured were 18 feet long, 18 inches broad, 

 and 4 inches thick ; these were united by cross bars of wood 

 studded all over with great iron bolt heads. Outside the 

 gate, rolled to one side, and fixed in a groove or slot, was a 

 huge millstone 6 feet in height. It is only a very few years 

 ago since all this country was open to the Turkoman raiders. 

 Upon news being received that Turkomans were in the vicinity, 

 the gates were closed, and the millstone rolled in front. 

 Each orchard is surrounded by a wall from 4 to 20 feet 

 in height, built of sun-dried bricks, primarily to protect the 

 orchard from men and animals, and secondarily, from the 

 cold bleak winds of winter and the hot dry blasts of summer. 

 The ordinary orchard consists of a row of mulberry trees 

 round the inner side of the surrounding wall, with a few 

 apricots, plums, an occasional quince, pear, and vine, the rest 

 of the ground being laid in plots of vegetables, one or two 

 shrubs of the damascene rose, and the remainder with lucerne 

 {Medicago sativa). I may here mention that none of these 

 would exist at all were it not for a supply of water from 

 irrigation. Mulberry trees are grown for the sake of the 

 silk-worms, whose produce of silk is still considerable, but 

 not a tenth of what used to be a few years ago, owing to 

 the disease amongst the worms. The fruit is collected, 

 dried, and eaten, after being made into a kind of bread, 

 or is drunk as an infusion, whilst eating bread. Apricots 

 and plums are the common fruits of the country ; they are 

 largely dried, and exported from this locality towards India. 

 Lucerne is grown and used either in a green state, or is 

 given in a dry condition as hay to horses, mixed with, and as 

 an improvement upon the dried crushed straws of wheat and 

 barley. 



In the smallest village there is to be found some one to 

 whom the few roses that grow in each orchard are daily 

 taken, and from these rose-water is distilled. The common 

 vegetables are turnips, carrots, beetroot, and beans ; these are 

 all excellent, and quite equal to their ordinary English 



