1864.] On the Vegetation of the Jhelum District. 299 



from want of care, besides their grea,t durability, more especially during 

 exposure to heat and moisture, are characters which render them of 

 immense value to the zemindar, who uses their wood for ploughs and 

 well- wheels where it is continuously exposed to the extremes of moisture 

 and dry heat ; besides which, he gets a quick return for the labour and 

 trouble expended in rearing'the trees, which are grown on the spot 

 where their wood is required for consumption. Thus he is put to no 

 expense for carriage, while the branches of both trees are of great 

 value to him for fences for his fields, and the leaves, blossom and fruit 

 as fodder for his cattle. 



Characteristic Plants. 



The characteristic plants of the Jhelum tract may be classed as 

 those met with — 



1st, On the Islands and banks of the river, 



2nd. On the moist marshy soil left by the receding of the river, 



3rd. In wells, 



4th. As weeds in gardens, 



5th. As weeds in fields. 



6th. The remainder are met with on roads, waysides, fields aud 

 gardens, in short are not confined to any particular locality. 



1st. The characteristic plants met with on the islands and banks 

 of the river Jhelum are :— 



Tamarix dioica, Eoxb. Called in the vernacular generally " Pilchee," 

 ** Jhao," and frequently " Furas" (the latter name, however, is more 

 generally applied to the tree T, Indiea). This with Saccharim spon- 

 taneim covers the islands (balaa's) during the hot weather, with a 

 dense low jungle. Both are considered of some value for thatching ; 

 the former is also used largely for all kinds of rough basket work. 

 From the great abundance of both, and their cheapness, they are 

 used to consolidate the soil laid upon the Grand Trunk Eoad. By 

 the end of October, the islands are cleared completely of this jungle, 

 and nothing but the roots and stumps of the plants are left, which 

 begin again to send up fresh shoots in March and April. The 

 fresh shoots of the latter are at this time fed on by cattle. Cattle 

 will not, however, feed on the full grown grass, which is too coarse 

 and rough for them. On some of the Balaa's, but chiefly on the banks 

 pf the river on the Goojerat side, the Saccharum Munja " Moonj," is to 

 be met with in large quantities, forming a much higher and thicker 



4B 



