1863. | Memoranda on the Peshawur Valley. 233 
near cantonment, when the trees are in full blossom, and their scent 
is so powerful as to be almost oppressive. Indeed, at that season, 
Peshawur, with its widespread and blooming orchards, its abundant 
verdure, fine climate, and view of the snowy hills towering in masses 
to the north and north-west, is by no means the least pleasant station 
in India, so far as physical circumstances are concerned. 
In one or two gardens there are some small trees of a Diospyros 
(D. Lotus?) which is common in the hills to the west of Kashmir, 
and both wild and in gardens, in Affghanistan. Its fruit amilok, is 
much esteemed by Affghans, (although I presume most Europeans 
would agree with Griffith that as a fruit it is “not worthy of any 
notice’) and is procurable in abundance in the bazars, whither it is 
brought from Swat, &c. but it does not thrive well in the plains. 
In gardens, the ordinary vegetables of the N. W. Provinces suc- 
ceed, as do most of those of Europe that have been introduced into 
other parts of the plains of India. Potatoes have in some years 
thriven, but only exceptionally. 
The field cultivation is much the same as that of the North West 
Provinces, and may be noted as follows. 
Ist. In the cold weather, when the climate and crops (rubbee) 
are much more nearly Kuropean than at other seasons, the grain- 
erops consist of wheat and barley which are sown in October, Novem- 
ber and December, (advantage being generally taken of previous 
showers,) and harvested about May. The young crop is in spring 
frequently cut and given as fodder to horses, under the name of 
Kasil. The rains of the cold season render irrigation unnecessary for 
these, as for Lawsonia and Sinapis ; while most of the following, also 
sown about the same time, have more or less irrigation; Zrigonella 
Fenwn Grecum, Hrowm Lens, Vicia Kaba, Beta Bengalensis, Corian- 
drum sativum, Anethum sowa, Carrot, Radish, and Turnip. Several 
of these are only grown in gardens. 
2nd. Field and garden crops (Khurreef) of the hot and rainy 
seasons, mostly sown in March and April (with one or two exceptions, 
such as Maize and Sorghum which are sown considerably later,) and 
ripening from July, (Cucurbitacee) to November, (Sorghum). The 
crops of this season are the following. Rice, of which several 
varieties are grown ; by far the most esteemed of which is that of 
Bara, produced only at two or three villages near the Béra stream,not 
