1840.] Lieut. Irwin's Memoir of Afghanistan. 41 



the year, and the rubbee and khureef lands are distinct. In 

 Cabul there is a similar distinction between spring lands 

 and autumn (buharee and teeramahee). A good farmer ploughs 

 his spring lands in autumn, and gives them a red winter 

 fallow; and his autumn lands in spring, giving them a red 

 summer fallow; but where plenty of manure is to be had, 

 he both gives more to his fields and exacts more from them. 

 After cutting his wheat, barley, and other rubbee products, 

 but especially after barley, he ploughs and sows other things 

 which come to their perfection in the autumn. Kungunee and 

 cheena intended to ripen, can scarcely, in Cabul, be raised 

 after wheat, but may be raised after barley, which is about 

 twenty days sooner. In Bulkh considerable quantities of these 

 grains are raised after barley, and sometimes after wheat, for 

 the harvest there is earlier. In Cabul they may be cultivated for 

 fodder even after wheat. The kungunee, when its ear is forming, 

 is eaten down by sheep or other animals ; the cheena is reaped in 

 the same state and given to stack. In Bulkh they sometimes 

 raise maize, mash, melons, and garden vegetables and greens, 

 after wheat and barley ; but chiefly in Cabul, certain only of 



| these can be raised to advantage in this manner, for the land 

 is there scarcer than in Bulkh, and the farmer studies to 

 draw the utmost from it ; the lateness of the harvest and coldness 



I of the autumn often defeat his intention. 



174. The grains and garden vegetables just mentioned are, 

 in general, the same which are cultivated in England — carrots, 

 turnips, radishes, cabbages, lettuce, cauliflower, onions, garlic, 

 &c. ; to these are added some from India. The mothee of India 

 gives but little produce in Cabul. The shukurkund, or sweet 

 potatoe, is not known even in Peshawur. Most garden vegetables 

 are cultivated in spring ground, some in ground lately under 

 rubbee. Melons are commonly raised in spring land. In Bulkh 

 it is customary after cutting barley, to plough, manure, and sow 

 a mixture of mash, musk melons, and water melons, which all 

 ripen in the autumn. In Candahar there is no difficulty in raising 

 the paliz (for that is the name given to a crop of melons or 

 cucumbers) after the rubbee. Great quantities of manure and 

 water must be given to the paliz. In certain places in the 



G 



