986 Report oTt subjects connected with Afghanistan. [No. 120. 



Cabul, and about Khujjah, below which I do not remember having 

 seen it. By the Afghans it is not so much esteemed as lucerne. 



Of the number of seeds despatched by me, by order of his Lordship 

 the Governor General in Council to the Superintendent of the Seharun- 

 pore garden, for transmission to Europe, these two would appear to 

 be by far the most valuable, indeed perhaps the only ones worthy of 

 introduction into Europe. The accounts that have appeared of their 

 success, especially that of the lucerne in Ireland, are particularly interest- 

 ing, and very gratifying to me. 



Vegetables, — In vegetables Afghanistan is very poor, although Mr. 

 Vigne has published a list of the Cabul vegetables, worthy of a Covent 

 Garden market ; the whole may I think be summed up in the following 

 list : cabbages, cauliflowers, beet-root, spinages^ radishes, carrots, ban- 

 guns, lettuces, cucumbers, onions, and garlic. 



Of these only the beet root and cabbage are worthy of notice. The 

 extensive introduction of good European vegetables would confer a 

 real boon on the country. Sir A. Burnes several years ago introduced 

 the potatoe, but on his return to Cabool with the army, he found they 

 had all been lost. 



Flowers. — The Afghans do not appear to be skilful florists ; no one 

 of their cultivated flowers is worthy of notice. I remarked at Candahar 

 and Cabul, roses, jessamines, marigolds, pinks, sweet-williams, poppies, 

 larkspurs, stocks, wallflowers, narcissuses, flags and China asters, 

 which last are the handsomest, and of the most varied colours.* 



Fruits. — In fruits the country is remarkably rich, and although the 

 Afghans are acquainted with grafting, the perfection to which several 

 of the finer fruits has reached, appears to me remarkable; it certainly 

 is more attributable to the climate, than to any skill on the part 

 of the Afghans ; there is every reason for believing, that from the 

 improvements they will become acquainted with from their intercourse 

 with us, Afghanistan will become one of the finest fruit countries in 

 excellence, and variety of product. Should success ultimately attend 

 the praise-worthy efforts of Drs. Royle and Falconer to introduce 

 cuttings, &c. overland, Afghanistan should not be omitted in the dis- 

 tribution. Fruits in this country are of a more important nature than 



♦ Hawthorn trees, and the famous Arghawan, occur in Baber's garden at Cabul. 

 This last is, I believe, Cercis Siliquastrum of Botanists. 



