CHAP. II. DESSERT FRUITS. 183 



but, as far as I can ascertain, has never been productive. Dr. 

 Voigt states that for a period of nineteen years plants in the 

 Calcutta Botanical Gardens had never flowered. In other places, 

 too, plants have been raised from seed, and though they have 

 thriven well and become large trees, have shown no disposition 

 to blossom. Whether the attempt has been made to cultivate 

 the Mulberry in the Upper Provinces of India where, no doubt, 

 it would thrive, and where the prospect of its being fruitful 

 would be possibly much greater I am unable to say. 



In reply to my inquiries upon this point, I learnt that " the 

 English Mulberry grows in Kashmir, and has been grown success- 

 fully at Jullunder; only a few small seedlings exist in the 

 Society's garden at Lahore." 



Morus Indica and Morus multicaulis. 



INDIAN MULBERRY. 



TootShahtoot. 



These two trees, so very common in all parts of India, bear a 

 description of Mulberry as unlike as possible, both in quality 

 and form, to that of the European kind. The fruit is of a long 

 cylindrical shape, resembling a pepper-corn, very sweet, but very 

 deficient in flavour. There are two sorts, the black and the white, 

 both much alike as to taste, and, in my opinion, fit for little but 

 to be left to the birds. The fruit, such as it is, ripens in February 

 in Bengal, and a month or so later in the Upper Provinces. No 

 plant strikes more readily from cuttings than the Mulberry. 



Ficus Carica. 

 FIG. 



Unjeer. 



In most parts of India Fig-trees are to be met with, thriving 

 vigorously and bearing fruit abundantly. There are about two 

 or three varieties. In my garden at Ferozepore I had the fol- 

 lowing two kinds : 



1. One which bore fruit of the size of the small Turkey Fig, 

 ripening of an ashy grey colour, exceedingly sweet and luscious. 

 The tree was of very stout growth, having the lower part of its 

 trunk sometimes as thick as a man's body. This appears to be 

 the variety found in the Calcutta Botanical Gardens. 



