150 



PORANA VOLUBILIS. Convolvulctcece. NAT. BHOWREE. A twin- 

 ing plant, flowers white, in axillary and terminal racemes ; pro- 

 pagated by seed ; requires no particular soil. 



PRICKLY PEAR. Vide Opuntia. 



PRUNUS ARMENIACA. Amygdalinece. NAT. ZARD-ALU. The 

 Apricot. This tree grows to a large size in gardens of the Dec- 

 can. It blossoms at the same season as the peach, from January 

 to March ; the fruit forms and attains the size of a common 

 marble, after which it falls off, and this no care can prevent. 

 Many efforts have been made to get buds to take both on the 

 peach and almond stocks but without success, attempts to graft 

 it by approach has hitherto been unsuccessful : the tree grows 

 well on the first range of the Himaylayas bearing abundance of 

 fruit in the months of May and June. Propagated in the same 

 way as the peach. 



PRUNUS CERASUS. NAT. PADAM. The Cherry. This tree is 

 not found in any part of the Deccan ; but abounds wild in the 

 hills north of Deyrah Dhoon, producing a small common black 

 fruit fit only for preserves, &c. 



PSIDIUM PYRIFERUM. Myrtacece. NAT. JAMB. This tree grows 

 in all parts of the Deccan. The fruit is both red and white, 

 pear-shaped and round : it is esteemed as a dessert fruit, but 

 the scent when too ripe is unpleasantly powerful ; it makes a 

 most excellent jelly, and also is prepared in a similar manner to 

 damson cheese at home. The fruit sometimes is as large as a 

 common baking pear, and I have known one weigh half a pound. 

 They have been brought to great perfection in some gardens, 

 and the fruit of a large size divested almost of seed : this sort 

 generally has a very rough knotty coat, and is more spongy and 

 less firm than the other varieties. As plants continually grown 

 from layers in time cease to produce seed, perhaps this variety 

 has been so procured. It is easily increased by seed, and only 

 requires a good soil to thrive in. The trees should be pruned 

 once a year, otherwise the branches become very straggling. 

 Good gun stocks are made from the old wood. 



PTEROCARPUS MARSUPIUM. Leguminosce, NAT. BEEALA OR PEET- 



