PARTERRES AND FRUIT TREES 71 



said, " had bloomed well, it was pleasant to see 

 so many there owing to their scarcity in India." 

 " The anemone bed, too, was not bad, and the 

 figs had ripened." In yet another garden at 

 Ahmedabad he particularises " orange, lemon, 

 peach, pomegranate, and apple trees, and among 

 flowering shrubs every kind of rose." 



Flowering shrubs and some roses still adorn 

 the Taj gardens ; but where are the fruit trees ? 

 The orange, pomegranate, and lemon ? Groves 

 of these should certainly be again planted here, 

 for quite apart from their great decorative value, 

 they formed a special feature of the original 

 design and pious intentions of the founder of this 

 Paradise Orchard. Undoubtedly the different 

 squares of the garden were largely planted with 

 fruit trees, while, to relieve the monotony, the 

 corners marked A B C D on the plan were most 

 probably treated as parterres. 



For a month, every sunrise and sunset found 

 me in these gardens ; and among all the sunny 

 days one grey day stands out alone. 



It had been raining, a sudden sharp burst of 

 the early winter rains. The water stood in great 

 pools along the worn stone pathways, extending 

 the reflections of the wide canal and brimming 



