72 THE SOIL OF UPPER INDIA. 



vicinity of military cantonments, who have found 

 it to be much to their interest to cultivate a few 

 ultra-Indian vegetables, &c., to supply the demand 

 of the European occupiers of stations. 



The soil is in general rich, when not exhausted by 

 repeated crops, but the dearth of firewood driving 

 the natives to the use of the dung of their cattle as 

 fuel, is an immense detriment in depriving the soil 

 of the manure it actually stands in need of to restore 

 its vigour. The consequence is, that the crops are 

 very stunted, and the European seeds deteriorate 

 excessively after a few years, if committed to the 

 hands of the native. This naturally leads to the 

 consideration of the great necessity of forest trees 

 being planted in vast numbers throughout the 

 country. The mangoe tree is the only one for hun- 

 dreds of miles that may be said to be planted in any 

 quantity, and the fruit is so much esteemed, that it 

 is seldom that the trees are cut down for use until 

 they have done bearing, when they are, for the most 

 part, rotten to the core.* There are many trees that 



* The plantations on the banks of the Doab Canal, for a distance 

 of about 150 miles, form an exception to this rule ; attributable to the in- 

 defatigable exertions for the improvement by Capt. Cautley, Superin- 

 tendent of that noble and most useful undertaking. It may not be amiss 



