in appearance and size, but branching horizontally.  The young mangoes are gathered for preserves and pickles before the stone is formed; the full-grown unripe fruit is peeled, split, and dried, for seasoning curries, &c.  The ripe fruit spoken of in a former Letter requires no further commendation, neither will it admit of comparison with any European fruits.  The kernels, when ripe, are often dried and ground into flour for bread in seasons of scarcity.  The wood is useful as timber for doors, rafters, &c., and the branches and leaves for fuel; in short, there is no part of the whole tree but is made useful in some way to man.

The sherrefah[21] (custard-apple) is produced on a very graceful tree, not, however, of any great size; the blossom nearly resembles that of the orange in colour and shape; the fruit ripens in the hottest months, and is similar in flavour to well-made custards.  The skin is of a dusky pea-green rough surface, in regular compartments; each division or part containing a glossy black seed covered with the custard.  This seed is of some utility amongst the lower order of Natives who have occasion to rid themselves of vermin at the expense of little labour; the seed is pounded fine and when mixed in the hair destroys the living plague almost instantly.  The same article is often used with a hair-pencil to remove a cataract of the eye (they have no idea of surgical operations on the eye).  There is one thing worthy of remark in this tree and its fruit, that flies are never known to settle on either; ants of every description feed on the fruit without injury, so that it cannot be imagined there is anything poisonous to insects, generally, in the quality of the fruit; yet, certain it is, the sherrefah is equally obnoxious to flies as the seed is destructive to vermin.  The leaves and tender twigs are considered detrimental to health, if not actually poisonous to cattle.

The guaver,[23] white and red, are produced in the Upper Provinces; but the fruit is seldom so fine as in the Bengal district.  The strong aromatic smell and flavour of this fruit is not agreeable to all tastes; in size and shape it resembles the quince.

The Damascus fig ripens well, and the fruit is superior to any I have met with in other countries.  The indigenous fig-tree of Hindoostaun is one of the objects of Hindoo veneration.  It has always been described to me by those Natives, as the sacred burbut,[24]—­why? they could not explain.  The fruit is very inferior.

The peach is cultivated in many varieties, and every new introduction repays the careful gardener’s skill by a rich and beautiful produce.  They have a flat peach,[24] with a small round kernel (a native of China), the flavour of which is delicious, and the tree prolific.

I may here remark, that all those trees we are accustomed in Europe to designate wall-fruit, are in India pruned for standards.  The only fruit allowed to trail on frames is the vine, of which they have many choice varieties; one in particular, of late introduction from Persia, has the remarkable peculiarity of being seedless, called ’Ba daanah’[25] (without seeds); the fruit is purple, round, and sweet as honey.