KASHMIR VALLEYS 213 



australis), with roughly scored bark and spreading 

 foliage capable of sheltering an army ; the walnuts and 

 mulberries, shady and fruitful, ready to aid the hard 

 life of the people by their bountiful stores of food-stuffs ; 

 the dainty birch brightening by its vivid tints the 

 sombre, dim mountain sides, and supplying, through 

 its light bark, a ready-made, efficient wrapping paper. 

 Poplars, slender to attenuation, thick foliaged and quick 

 growing, providing speedily a pleasant shade for hot, 

 dusty tracks, and the Aesculus Indica, with a more deli- 

 cate leaf and daintier outline than our representative 

 horse chestnut, also countless smaller trees, many boast- 

 ing handsome flowers : buckthorns, spindle trees, elders, 

 viburnums, laurels, bays, willows, mountain ashes, haw- 

 thorns, hazels, lording it over the lowlier herbs as 

 the fashion is with lesser lights when their grander 

 companions are absent. 



Wandering about among these trees, I took note of 

 their cranks and quirks, their rough skins and unex- 

 pected excrescences, in the same way as constant com- 

 panionship tends to intimate study of character. Their 

 looks were as readily recognised, and their various 

 qualities appreciated, as are those of people in whom we 

 daily depend. The natives knew a good deal about 

 the properties of the trees and plants, and if one can 

 identify their names, a great deal may be learnt from 

 them. They have a thorough appreciation of their 

 beauty as well as utility, and often their window gar- 

 dens in the towns are as bright as a Londoner's, while 

 the country folk will wear them or take infinite trouble 

 to pick bouquets to present to the passing wayfarer. 



Blessed is the man with a hobby, thrice blessed if 

 the hobby happens to be botany ! What more could be 



