May, 1848. NATIVE AND CULTIVATED FRUITS. 159 



grows well at from 3000 to 7000 feet elevation, and flowers 

 abundantly ; the fruit making the nearest approach to 

 maturity (according to the elevation) from July to October. 

 At Dorjiling it follows the English seasons, flowering in 

 March and fruiting in September, when the scarce reddened 

 and still hard fruit falls from the tree. In the plains of 

 India, both this and the plum ripen in May, but the fruits 

 are very acid. 



It is curious that throughout this temperate region, there 

 is hardly an eatable fruit except the native walnut, and 

 some brambles, of which the " yellow " and " ground 

 raspberry " are the best, some insipid figs, and a very 

 austere crab-apple. The European apple will scarcely 

 ripen,* and the pear not at all. Currants and gooseberries 

 show no disposition to thrive, and strawberries are the only 

 fruits that ripen at all, which they do in the greatest 

 abundance. Vines, figs, pomegranates, plums, apricots, &c, 

 will not succeed even as trees. European vegetables again 

 grow, and thrive remarkably well throughout the summer 

 of Dorjiling, and the produce is very fair, sweet and good, 

 but inferior in flavour to the English. 



Of tropical fruits cultivated below 4000 feet, oranges 

 and indifferent bananas alone are frequent, with lemons 

 of various kinds. The season for these is, however, very 

 short ; though that of the plantain might with care be 

 prolonged ; oranges abound in winter, and are excellent, 

 but neither so large nor free of white pulp as those of the 

 Khasia hills, the West Indies, or the west coast of Africa. 

 Mangos are brought from the plains, for though wild 

 in Sikkim, the cultivated kinds do not thrive ; I have 



* This fruit, and several others, ripen at Katmandoo, in Nepal (alt. 4000 

 feet), which place enjoys more sunshine than Sikkim. I have, however, received 

 very different accounts of the produce, which, on the whole, appears to be 

 inferior. 



