FLOATING GARDENS OF KASHMIR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 95, 25 April 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

FLOATING GARDENS OF KASHMIR.

In tho formation of the floating gardens of Kashmir, their owners avail themselves of the thick growth of graeses and aquatic plants which spring up from the bottom of the lakes, a3 water lilies, conferee, sedges, roeds, etc., all intertwined and entangled one with another. Avenues are cub amongsS these by the boats, separating them into angular sections of varying lengths and breadths. The plants and grasses are then cufc away froiTi their roots at a depth of about two feet under the water. When so detached thoy retain their solidity, and are pressed somewhat more closely together. Sedges, twigs, reeds, and roots are next placed over the patch lengthways, and over these mud is spread, fished up from the bottom of the river. This gradually permeatei and binds together the matted mass of twigs, reeds, and rushes, and when the surface is thus made, willow stakes are driven through it and down in bo the bed of the lake, so that the floating garden will rise or fall with tho rising or sinking water, bub will not escape from its place. By means of a long pole thrust amongst the weeds at the bottom of the Doland twisted round several times in one direction, a quantity of plants are brought up and carried in the boat to the prepared platform, or raft, where they are twisted into conical hillocks about two feet in circumference at the base and the same high. A horrow place is made on the top of each, and this is filled with the soft river mud, to which is sometimes, but not often, added wood - ashes. These are for the reception of melon and cucumber plants, which are raised, for them under mats, and are thus used when they have four leaves. Three of them are planted on khe top of each of the hillocks, which run in double rows along the sides and ends of the bed, separated with a distance of about two feet bebween each. Tracts of these beds covering from 50 to 60 acres are thus kept afloat. The depths of the mat of weeds and the soil range trom bwo to three feet, and they are capable of bearing a man's weight To prevent robbery, the gardens are guarded through the nighb by watchmen in boats, with the common mat-covering*, under which they sleep by turns. The floating gardens are generally shub in by a belt of floating reeds, which also serve to protect the cones from wind. The boatways through the fences are closed by twisted withes of willow twigs passing from one bed to another. . . . Floating gardens and fields, called Chinampas, also exist in Mexico, where they were originally constructed to afford the inhabitants protection against invadore. They are raised with reeds, bushes, turf, and mud, and were sometimes big end strong enough to support a small dwelling-house.—From 'The World of Wondere.'