o the number amongst the curious, who pride themselves on
novelty in this article of general estimation.

The pine-apple requires very little pains to produce, and little demand on
art in bringing it to perfection. The Bengal climate, however, suits it
better than the dry soil of the Upper Provinces. I have frequently heard a
superstitious objection urged by the Natives against this fruit being
planted in their regular gardens; they fancy prosperity is checked by its
introduction, or to use their own words,--'It is unfortunate to the
proprietor of the garden.'

There is a beautiful shrub, called by the Natives, mahdhaar, or
arg,[30]--literally, fire-plant,--met with in the Upper Provinces of India,
inhabiting every wild spot where the soil is sandy, as generally as the
thistle on neglected grounds in England.

The mahdhaar-plant seldom exceeds four feet in height, the branches spread
out widely, the leaves are thick, round, and broad; the blossom resembles
our dark auricula. When the seed is ripe, the pod presents a real treat to
the lover of Nature. The mahdhaar pod may be designated a vegetable bag of
pure white silk, about the size of large walnuts. The skin or bag being
removed, flat seeds are discovered in layers over each other, resembling
scales of fish; to each seed is affixed very fine white silk, about two
inches long; this silk is defended from the air by the seed; the texture
greatly resembles the silky hair of the Cashmire goat. I once had the
mahdhaar silk collected, spun, and wove, merely as an experiment, which
answered my full expectation: the article thus produced might readily be
mistaken for the shawl stuff of Cashmire.[31]

The stalks of mahdhaar, when broken, pour out a milky juice at all seasons
of the year, which falling on the skin produces blisters. The Natives
bring this juice into use both for medicine and alchymy in a variety of
ways.

The mahdhaar, as a remedy for asthma, is in great repute with the Natives;
it is prepared in the following way:--The plants are collected, root,
stalks, and leaves, and well dried by exposure to the sun; they are then
burnt on iron plates, and the ashes thrown into a pan of water, where they
remain for some days, until the water has imbibed the saline particles; it
is then boiled in an iron vessel, until the moisture is entirely absorbed,
and the salt only left at the bottom. The salt is administered in
half-grain doses at the first, and increasing the qua