IN DINAJPUR. 23 



important purposes, and obviate all apprehensions of 

 the failure of the market where it is purchased, or of 

 the destruction of the forests which have hitherto 

 supplied it. 



Most of the Palms, though useless as timber, de- 

 serve the attention of the agriculturist. The Sago- 

 tree* would grow in all the high parts, and the 

 Date-tree,t planted close, would greatly improve 

 many spots now wholly unproductive. The juice of 

 this tree is manufactured into sugar, in some parts of 

 Bengal, and is highly valuable for that and other 

 purposes. It is common to let a tree of this kind for 

 two annas a year. Two hundred of these trees 

 might be planted on a Bigha, which lets for a rupee 

 and a half; this would be productive of a large in- 

 come, after the first eight or ten years. 



Few attempts have yet been made to improve or- 

 chards, llie Mango, and other fruit trees, are often 

 planted so close as to choke each other, and but little 

 regard is paid by the planter to the quality of the 

 fruit. Scarcely any attempt has been made to na- 

 turalize foreign fruits ; even the Orange tree is al- 

 most a stranger to several parts of Bengal, though 

 some late experiments prove that it might be intro- 

 duced with success. The laudable attempts made 

 by several Europeans excepted, the improving of 

 fruits, by grafting, or by raising improved varieties 

 from seed, has scarcely been attempted. In short, 

 the fruits of Hindostan are not far removed from a 

 state of nature. 



* Saguems Ruiupliii. 

 t Phoenix Silvestris. 



C4 



