310 



On the Vegetation of the Jhelum District. 



[No. 3, 



at a little depth, but the water except in close proximity to the river 

 is saline, and decidedly more so the farther west we go. 



Where the well water is not greatly charged with saline matter, it is 

 largely used for irrigation, and where the river presents a high bank 

 its water is also raised for the same purpose. At Baghanwalla a small 

 stream from the hills is nearly used up for irrigation. 



The chief crops irrigated are, — sugar-cane, rape and cotton. 



The crops are the same as those in the Jhelum tract, but the cotton 

 on the whole, is very much finer and the produce much greater. 



Sugar-cane is cultivated as a field product and is of fine quality. 



Rape " Surson." Of this, large quantities are cultivated and ex- 

 ported, as also of Til, Sesamum Indicum. 



Bice is occasionally raised on the islands on the river and on land 

 that is frequently flooded. 



Indigo is occasionally grown and brought into the market. 



Of Trees, the " Kekur;" and in greater numbers, its variety the 

 cypress, grow in much greater luxuriance than elsewhere, as also do 

 the " Bore" and Pipul, Mens Indica and F. religiosa. In this tract 

 we meet for the first time with Salvadora oleoides, " Peru." It is 

 confined, however, in the most easterly part of this tract, to the imme- 

 diate base of the hills. 



Also close to the base of the Hills, growing in its natural state, as 

 well as introduced into some of the fields near Jelallpore, we have 

 Moringa pterggosjperma, Sohounja. 



The barren soil alluded to as occurring amidst the cultivated 

 land, is covered with a low, shrubby jungle consisting of Caroxyhn 

 fosfidum, Mo%, Anabasis multiftora, Moq, Su&da fruticosa, L., the 

 first of which chiefly alone, but not unfrequently with the two latter, 

 is largely burnt to yield Sugee-muttee, a coarse carbonate of soda and 

 potash. In this tract, however, but little is made in proportion to 

 that produced in the tract we shall next speak of, or that of the 

 district of Shapore. Except near the river's bank we have scarcely 

 any of the grasses met with in the Jhelum tract, their place being now 

 occupied by Mluropus repens, and Cressa cretioa. 



At Pind-dadun-khan which may be considered the end of the 

 Jelallpore tract, we have very rich alluvial soil supporting some fine 

 trees of Tamarindm Indica " Imlee Umlai." 



