of Wesiern Afghanistan and North-Eastern Persia. 165 



oil, rogJmn-i-zard-dlu. This tree, with the Mulberry Plum 

 and Elffiagnus, is one of the commonest to be met with in all 

 gardens and orchards, usually self-sown, rarely raised by 

 grafts. The fruit is small and very poor in quality ; it is 

 eaten in a dried state, and the dried fruit is often cooked 

 along with other food. It is generally collected when ripe, 

 the stone removed, and the flesh dried in the sun ; some- 

 times the almonds are made to replace the stones, or sweet 

 almonds put in their place. An immense export trade is 

 done towards India and to Southern Persia in the dried flesh 

 of the apricot, which in Persia is usually called haslita, and 

 ashtal; in India I'hubam ; by the latter word in Persia is 

 understood a cooked apricot. Sometimes they are collected 

 in an unripe state ; these are also eaten, but usually these 

 are exported for the use of silversmiths, who clean silver 

 by boiling it amongst a decoction of the unripe fruit. The 

 tree yields a gum in some quantity ; this is collected, and 

 along with that of the plum and almond is employed in the 

 arts. The wood is considered hard, and when procurable 

 is employed in the manufacture of farm implements. 



It is not an Apricot that has a sweet kernel, as stated 

 in error by me in Linn. Soc. Trans., vol. iii. part i. p. 61, 

 but a Nectarine. 



Prunus avium, see variety a of Prunus Cerasus, Linn. 



Prunus brahuicus, Aitch. et Hemsley. Eosace/e, and 

 Prunus eburnea, Aitch. et Hemsley. EosACE^. 

 These two shrubs, dol, did, dwal, are very similar in 

 appearance and habit ; they grow from 4 to 1 2 feet in height, 

 forming copses ; over the dry, arid, stony districts, at an 

 altitude abave 2000 feet, are recognized for the excellent 

 quality of their wood for fuel, and for its manufacture into 

 charcoal. The name dol, means a spine, or spinous, and is 

 well applied to these shrubs. 



Prunus calyCOSUS, Aitch. et Hemsley. Eosace^e. 



Sla-ling, Tcarnidk. A shrub, or small tree, common in the 

 Badghis at an elevation of 3000 feet altitude. The bark is 

 very like that of a cherry, but naturally much darker in 

 colour, hence the name sla-ling [black-limb]. Owing to this 

 deep colouring of the bark the stems are much sought after 



