278 GARDEN PLANTS. PART II. 



of a Chestnut. These when roasted, Don states, have somewhat 

 the flavour of Chestnuts, and Europeans have subsisted on 

 them, when roasted, for two or three days without ill effect. 



Young plants have been recently introduced into the Calcutta 

 Botanical Gardens, though the tree seems to have been in exist- 

 ence there in Dr. Voigt's time. 



At Bangalore I was shown a fine tree in the Public Gardens, 

 which, however, I found was more esteemed for its beautiful large 

 crimson blossoms than for the fruit it yields. The fruit, the 

 gardener told me, no one ventured upon eating ; and not even 

 squirrels or birds attacked it. 



Bauhinia racemosa. 



A large scandent shrub of excessive growth, producing, it is 

 said, branches from two to three hundred feet long, with leaves 

 nearly a foot in diameter ; bears festoons of white flowers in 

 March and April. The seeds, Dr. Koxburgh states, eaten raw, 

 when ripe, taste like Cashew-nuts. Large plants are met with 

 in the Calcutta Botanical Gardens, but I cannot find, from the 

 malees employed there, that the seeds are ever eaten. 



DKUPACE^E. 



Amygdalus communis. 



ALMOND. 



Badam. 



Dr. Yoigt states that the Almond has been tried repeatedly in 

 the vicinity of Calcutta, but without success. And Dr. Koxburgh 

 observes, " it does not succeed in India, and requires much 

 nursing to keep it alive." In the North- West Provinces, how- 

 ever, it is found to thrive to a certain extent, and is rather a 

 beautiful acquisition to the garden, as well for its flowers and 

 peculiarity of foliage, as for its fruit. At Ferozepore I have 

 sown the kernels, and two or three years afterwards gathered 

 fruit from the plants raised from them. 



It is the better plan to crack the shells before sowing the seed, 

 in order to remove as much as possible all impediment to the 

 germination of the kernel. Immediately upon germinating, the 



