Most people are aware of the curious Indian dispensation,
by which it becomes possible to have a dali, or basket of fresh
vegetables, every morning, by simply keeping a gardener, and
omitting the apparently more necessary condition of having
a garden. In the same way it becomes possible to have a
garden, and to have that garden stocked with fair English
seeds at almost nominal prices. Mali will produce the seeds
from his bhaibund (brother eraftsmen), who have invariably
some mysterious reason for possessing them. Now those
who have no desire to eneourage social piracy, actively or
passively, will do well to give out the seeds packet by
packet, or, what is better still, to see them sown. If the
order to have so many drills ready for such and such seeds
IS given in the morning, it is no trouble to go round for
five minutes m the evening and see the muli sow them. In
this way it is possible to ensure a regular rotation of veo-e-
tables, and your evil passions will not be roused when, in the
pleasant mornmg saunter round the garden, the points
with piMe to half an acre of French breakfast radishes, say-
ing delightedly that they have all come up, every one, and
Huzoor had better perhaps get some more of that super-
;^«n ln , Half »n ace of radishes! Equamrait^s
naturally gone for the day.
I he climates of India are so variable, that it is impossible
to lay down absolutely what seeds are and are not desirable •
t, unless the garden is something more to you than a mere
duty or provision, it is well to keep steadily to the more
132 The Complete Indian
certain kinds of seeds. In choosing these IVotn a seeds-
man’s list, it is also well not to select new and expensive
varieties, as the older and cheaper kinds will probably serve
your purpose quite as well.
It is also impossible, owing to the variations in climate,
to give decided rules as to when certain seeds should be
sown ; indeed, this varies with almost every station, and
certainly with the facility for, and kind of, irrigation. Canal
water and congenial soil mean a month’s advance over well
water and an unkind soil. 'I'he calendar at the end of this
chapter will, however, be found suitable for most fair garden
soils in Northern India, and the following pages will, it is
hoped, supply enough information to enable the mistress to
prevent the mali from spoiling good seed. General remarks
on the soil, method of sowing, and watering will be given
first, and afterwards the cultivation of the commoner vege-
table will be treated more in detail.
Soils. — Almost every plant requires a different kind of
soil, and it is positively waste of time trying to make a plant
grow when its home does not suit it. Luckily the gardener
can make the soil, to a large extent, to suit all requirements
by adding manure, leaf mould, sand, or clay.
Manure, as has been said before, is best applied fresh to
the land. What the native mali calls black earth or kdhi
mufti — a substance like black snuff — is cilmost inert. V\ hat
is required is good, halt-rotted cow manure. Stable manine
in India does very well to put on to the ground day by day
when fresh, but is no good for the dung-heap.
Page 90
Presented as published in 1898. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Most people are aware of the curious Indian dispensation, by which it becomes possible to have a dali, or basket of fresh vegetables, every morning, by simply keeping a gardener, and omitting the apparently more necessary condition of having a garden. In the same way it becomes possible to have a garden, and to have that garden stocked with fair English seeds at almost nominal prices. Mali will produce the seeds from his bhaibund (brother craftsmen), who have invariably some mysterious reason for possessing them. Now those who have no desire to encourage social piracy, actively or passively, will do well to give out the seeds packet by packet, or, what is better still, to see them sown. If the order to have so many drills ready for such and such seeds is given in the morning, it is no trouble to go round for five minutes in the evening and see the mali sow them. In this way it is possible to ensure a regular rotation of vegetables, and your evil passions will not be roused when, in the pleasant morning saunter round the garden, the mali points with pride to half an acre of French breakfast radishes, saying delightedly that they have all come up, every one, and Huzoor had better perhaps get some more of that superb lot. Half an acre of radishes! Esquimaux's naturally gone for the day..
The climates of India are so variable, that it is impossible to lay down absolutely what seeds are and are not desirable • t, unless the garden is something more to you than a mere duty or provision, it is well to keep steadily to the more
132 The Complete Indian
certain kinds of seeds. In choosing these from a seedsman's list, it is also well not to select new and expensive varieties, as the older and cheaper kinds will probably serve your purpose quite as well.
It is also impossible, owing to the variations in climate, to give decided rules as to when certain seeds should be sown ; indeed, this varies with almost every station, and certainly with the facility for, and kind of, irrigation. Canal water and congenial soil mean a month's advance over well water and an unkind soil. The calendar at the end of this chapter will, however, be found suitable for most fair garden soils in Northern India, and the following pages will, it is hoped, supply enough information to enable the mistress to prevent the mali from spoiling good seed. General remarks on the soil, method of sowing, and watering will be given first, and afterwards the cultivation of the commoner vegetable will be treated more in detail.
Soils. — Almost every plant requires a different kind of soil, and it is positively waste of time trying to make a plant grow when its home does not suit it. Luckily the gardener can make the soil, to a large extent, to suit all requirements by adding manure, leaf mould, sand, or clay.
Manure, as has been said before, is best applied fresh to the land. What the native mali calls black earth or kdhi mufti—a substance like black snuff—is almost inert. What is required is good, half-rotted cow manure. Stable manine in India does very well to put on to the ground day by day when fresh, but is no good for the dung-heap.