( 108 ) 



131. The mango calls for more detailed mention. It is generally plant- 

 ed in groves in regular order, scattered here and there in good patches of 

 waste land, or round ponds ; it is indeed generally sown by preference in 

 lowlands, as it requires much moisture, and is therefore much more rarely 

 grown south of the Sengar, where the makua takes its place. The seed is sown 

 in nursery beds (kydri), and the young tree is planted out when two years old, 

 two or more being included in the same " tbapi" or ball of earth. It must be 

 watered for the first four years ; hence a well is often constructed for the 

 purpose, and a Kdchhi settled in the grove to look after the trees and support 

 himself on what he can grow. The young tree flowers (lor dnd) in its fifth year ; 

 any fruit that forms soon falls off unripe. The fruit that forms in the sixth 

 year and thenceforth ripens, but as long as it is small it is usually made into 

 chatni. 



132. The wood is most commonly in use for boxes, cupboards, and all 

 woodwork. It is, however, an inferior wood, having only its cheapness and 

 eonie degree of lightness to recommend it ; a tree is in its prime when thirty years 

 old. The leaves are hung over doorposts at weddings and festivals, and are 

 also made into plates for the bridegroom, who is expected to put a present 

 on them ; a branch is offered at sacrifice. 



133. Amongst Hindus the fruit takes the place of the English apple ; it is 

 used for numberless forms of sweetmeat, &c. The unripe fruit is cut in two, 

 dried in the sun, and stored as khatdi, or amchur. Fallen fruit (tapaka} is 

 made into pickle or stored dry. Sometimes the fruit when first ripe is plucked 

 with a portion of the branch attached and preserved in honey, in which it 

 remains quite fresh for a year. The stone is eaten like a chestnut by the 

 lower classes. The ripe fruit is sold at about a thousand for the rupee, but the 

 custom is to give ten over the hundred (the baker's dozen), which ten are 

 called " pachotra." 



134. Groves are married, but by proxy ; that is to say, the saligram is 

 married to the tulshi plant (representing the bdgh) with the precise ceremonies, 

 social and religious, as are observed in the ordinary marriage of human beings. 

 All relations are collected, and a relation on the woman's side of the fartfily 

 (said) sasur, &c.) represents the bride, the owner of the grove representing 

 the bridegroom. Gifts are given to Brahmans, and the guests are feasted in 

 the bagh itself. It is not necessary to celebrate the marriage of a grove, but 

 a man will not spend less than Ks. 15 or Us. 20 in doing so. 



135. In conclusion, I am well aware of how incomplete the foregoing 

 memo, is, but I claim for it at least this merit, that, as far as possible, every 

 statement or figure has been verified by experiment, or where there has not 

 been opportonity for this, by constant and searching enquiry for the last four 



