224 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCLETY. 



Government. The growth of the plants in them is so poor that one 

 might imagine them to have been only recently planted. Yet these are the 

 gardens that sent out the famous grapes which were in such great request 

 at the palaces of kings and noblemen in distant lands. 



The subjoined statements show the numbers and condition of the 

 gardens still in existence. But they are not altogether discouraging. 

 There is still some life left -in most of the gardens, and with a little 

 attention on the part of the high ofiQcials the flourishing industry of 

 former days might be revived. 



Three causes have brought about the decline of these gardens, viz. want 

 of demand for the fruit, reduced facilities for irrigation, and want of capital. 



The first depends upon many things, and needs to be dealt with at 

 length, especially as it is intimately connected with the question of the 

 improvement of agriculture and the prosperity of trade. It is a common- 

 place of economics that demand determines the supply. But the word 

 " demand" is not to be taken in a narrow sense. When travelling was 

 difficult and means of communication scanty, the export as well as the 

 import of perishable articles was impossible. So the producer had to 

 find a market for his goods in the place where he lived ; and when, from 

 some reason or other, the population of the place diminished, or the 

 well-to-do classes left it, he suffered. Either he could not sell all the 

 produce he had on hand, or he had to keep down his supply to the 

 extent of the demand. Either way he was a loser. All this was 

 changed by the introduction of the railway and the telegraph. Now, 

 demand means, not demand in one or two places only, but a demand all 

 over the area connected by the railway and the telegraph. The enter- 

 prising producer has a market open to him almost everywhere. Unfortu- 

 nately, however, his Highness's subjects could not profit by the altered 

 conditions of trade, and what Aurangabad lost other places gained. 

 It is well known that the prosperity of the gardens of Nasik, Poona, and 

 Bangalore is due in a large measure to the reduction in the fruit supply 

 from Daulatabad. The planters of Nasik and Poona took lessons in 

 their art from their brethren there. Daulatabad gardeners worked for 

 them, and their plants also were raised from Daulatabad cuttings. 

 But the fruit industry has ceased to bring any profit to the local 

 people. The price list of the great Indian markets clearly indicates the 

 reason. The Bombay list alone mentions Aurangabad, and there it 

 stands first in the first class. Since the opening of the Hyderabad- 

 Godavery Valley Railway line the demand has certainly risen for our 

 fruit ; but fruit is scarce. 



Looking at the present condition of the fruit trade at Poona and 

 Nasik, one realises what treasure lies buried in Aurangabad and its 

 vicinity. These two places send fruit to the value of many lakhs of 

 rupees to the Bombay market. The writer has personally seen the 

 thousands of acres of lands under vine cultivation round Nasik. One 

 merchant alone — a Bohra — exports as much as ^^33,000 worth of fruit. 

 Why should not Aurangabad compete with the other cities on equal 

 terms ? The soil is excellent, as proved by the experience of centuries. 



The second reason for the decline of the Daulatabad gardens is, as 

 stated above, reduced facilities for irrigation. There are as many as forty-two 



