1864] 



On the Vegetation of the Jhelum District. 



309 



of the nullahs already spoken of, where Saccharum spontanetim is fre- 

 quently to be found growing in great luxuriance, vying with Nerium 

 odorum. 



During the hot weather the cattle of the zemindars suffer greatly 

 from the want of good water, and their owners have recourse to build- 

 ing mud tanks for collecting water during the rains : to these, as 

 Memming says, " Men and animals go for drink indiscriminately." 

 Tanks not fed by springs have, apparently for this reason, no vegeta- 

 tion in them, unless it be species of Pistia. 



The uncultivated land of this tract has a vegetation very similar 

 to that described as existing upon the low range of hills ; with this 

 exception, that in the ravines and beds of nullahs, we meet with the 

 " Dhak" Butea frondosa, in much greater quantity, in some spots 

 even constituting a jungle, as at Booroo jungle on the Bukrala nullah. 



The piece of land, however, on which this jungle grew, has been to 

 a great extent, reclaimed. Near Tullagung are hedges of the Cactus 

 Indica growing in great luxuriance. 



The Colocynth, Gucumis Colocynthis, " Indraun," covers the hard 

 sun-baked ground throughout the whole of the hot weather : Limeum 

 Jndicum is very common. 



The Jelampobe Tkact 



Constitutes that portion of the district that lies between the river 

 Jhelum and the Salt range, from where the Surafur hills come down 

 upon the river, to the town of Pind-dadun-Khan. This tract con- 

 sists of an extensive plain, spreading from the base of the salt hills 

 to the river, with but a very slight incline towards the latter. The 

 plain consists of a rich alluvial deposit, except at the base of the hills, 

 where it is made up of a mass of boulders, shingle and debris. 

 Interspersed throughout it are tracts of soil impregnated largely 

 with saline matters : the last increasing in amount as we approach 

 Pind-dadun-Khan. In some places torrents from a higher level than 

 that of the salt, deposit loam upon certain lands close under the salt 

 range, making them the richest in the whole district. To facilitate 

 the deposition of the loam, as well as to prevent its being carried 

 off by rains after its deposit, ridges of earth of about eighteen inches 

 in height are thrown up round the fields. 



Over this tract wells are very plentiful* with a large supply of water 



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