_Vegetables._--Vegetables are everywhere cultivated in garden plots for household use, and also on a larger scale in the neighbourhood of great towns. Among favourite native vegetables, the following may be mentioned:--the egg-plant, called _brinjal_ or _baigan_ (_Solanum Melongena_), potatoes, cabbages, cauliflower, radishes, onions, garlic, turnips, yams, and a great variety of cucurbitaceous plants, including _Cucumis sativus_, _Cucurbita maxima_, _Lagenaria vulgaris_, _Trichosanthes dioica_, and _Benincasa cerifera_. Of these, potatoes, cabbages, and turnips are of comparatively recent introduction. Almost all English vegetables can be raised by a careful gardener. Potatoes thrive best on the higher elevations, such as the Khasi hills, the Nilgiris, the Mysore uplands, the Shan States, and the slopes of the Himalayas; but they are also grown even in lowland districts. _Fruits._--Among cultivated fruits are the following:--Mango (_Mangifera indica_), plantain (_Musa paradisiaca_), pine-apple (_Ananassa sativa_), pomegranate (_Punica Granatum_), guava (_Psidium pomiferum_ and _P. pyriferum_), tamarind (_Tamarindus indica_), jack (_Artocarpus integrifolia_), custard-apple (_Anona squamosa_), papaw (_Carica Papaya_), shaddock (_Citrus decumana_), and several varieties of fig, melon, orange, lime and citron. According to the verdict of Europeans, no native fruits can compare with those of England. But the mangoes of Bombay, of Multan, and of Malda in Bengal, and the oranges of Nagpur and the Khasi hills, enjoy a high reputation; while the guavas of Madras are made into an excellent preserve. _Spices._--Among spices, for the preparation of curry and other hot dishes, turmeric and chillies hold the first place, being very generally cultivated. Next in importance come ginger, coriander, aniseed, black cummin, and fenugreek. Pepper proper is confined to the Malabar coast, from Kanara to Travancore. Cardamoms are a valuable crop in the same locality, and also in the Nepalese Himalayas. _Pan_ or betel-leaf is grown by a special caste in most parts of the country. Its cultivation requires constant care, but is highly remunerative. The betel-nut or areca palm is chiefly grown in certain favoured localities, such as the deltaic districts of Bengal and the highlands of southern India.