" THE FOUR CAUSES " 245 



and ground lying between the other two styled 

 " samana." These three soils were subdivided 

 into six different colours — black, almond-colour, 

 wheat-colour, red, white, and yellow : the black 

 being sweet in taste, the almond-colour sour, the 

 wheat-colour saline, the red pungent, the white 

 bitter, and the yellow astringent. It would take 

 too long to quote all the different trees and plants 

 considered suitable to each soil. But the old 

 writer closes with a remark, the truth of which 

 all good gardeners who have had to struggle with 

 bad soils will appreciate : "If any lasting and 

 productive tree be found on a different soil from 

 that to which it is adapted, such casual growth 

 is accounted for from the four causes, namely, 

 that underneath the tree there might be a hidden 

 treasure, or the tomb of a sage, or that the ruler 

 of the country is fortunate and auspicious, or 

 by the unwearied exertions and good conduct of 

 the planter," 



Babar, in his Memoirs, gives a long list of 

 Indian fruit trees commencing with the mango, 

 of which he says with his usual observation : 

 " Such mangoes as are good, are excellent. Many 

 are eaten, but few are good of their kind." The 

 plantain he considers of the next importance. 



