Afghanistan; Asia, Central -- Description and travel; Eastern question (Central Asia)
In the direction of cereal production there are two harvests. One,
reaped in summer, is the result of an autumn sowing and includes
wheat, barley and certain varieties of peas and beans. The second
harvest is gathered in autumn from a spring sowing, and embraces crops,
rice, Indian corn, millet, arzun and jowari, besides other grains
of less importance. In addition to these cereals, crops of madder,
tobacco, cotton, opium, hemp, clover and lucerne are very generally
cultivated. Clover and lucerne are produced for fodder, hemp for
its intoxicating properties and madder, tobacco, cotton and opium
for export. In relation to the other crops, wheat is the food of the
people, barley and jowari are given to horses, and arzun and Indian
corn are grown for culinary purposes.
In greater detail the distribution of the vegetation is as follows:
On the main range of the Safed Koh there are--
_Cedrus deodara_, the Deodar.
_Abies excelsa_, Norway Spruce.
_Pinus longifolia_, Turpentine Pine.
_P. pinaster_, Cluster Pine.
_P. pinea_, the Edible Pine.
_Larix communis_, Larch.
_Citrus limonum_, Lemon.
Yew, _Taxus baccata_.
Hazel, _Corylus avellana_.
Juniper, _Juniperus communis_.
Walnut, _Juglans regia_.
Wild peach, _Amygdalus persica_.
Almond, _Amygdalus communis_.
Wild vine, _Vitis vinifera_.
Protected by these there flourish several varieties of--
Rose, _Rosa canina_.
Honeysuckle, _Lonicera_ (_caprifolium_).
Currant, _Ribes rubrum_.
Gooseberry, _Ribes grossularia_.
Hawthorn, _Cratægus oxyacantha_.
Rhododendron, _Rhododendron arboreum_.
Between the main crests of the summit and the secondary heights are
found--
Walnut, _Juglans regia_.
Alder, _Alnus glutinosa_.
Ash, _Fraxinus excelsior_.
Khinjak.
Dwarf laburnum, _Cytisus laburnum_.
_Quercus_, Oak.
_Arbor-vitæ_, Thuja.
_Juniperus communis_, Juniper.
_Astragalus_, Gum Tragacanth.
_Indigo feræ_, Commercial Indigo.
At a lower altitude and descending to 3000 ft. there are--
Wild Olive, _Olea europæa_.
Rock-rose, _Cistus_.
Wild privet, _Ligustrum vulgare_.
Acacia, _Acacia_.
Mimosa, _Albizia_.
Barberry, _Berberis vulgaris_.
Edible fruit, _Zizyphus_.
_Chamtærops humilis_, Wild palm.
_Bignonia_, Trumpet flower.
_Dalbergia sissoo_, Sissu.
_Salvadora persica_, Mustard tree of Scripture.
_Verbena_, Lemon plant.
Acanthus.
Ferns and mosses are confined to the higher ranges, while the lowest
terminal ridges are scantily clothed with an almost wholly herbal
vegetation.
The following plants, thorny in character, are to be found scattered
over less elevated valley bottoms:
_Hedysarum Alhagi_, Camel-thorn.
_Astragalus_, Milk Vitch.
_Ononis spinosa mimoseæ_, Spiny rest-harrow.
_Mimosa pudica_, Sensitive mimosa.
_Lipad_ (plant of the Rue family), _Rutaceæ_.
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