History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c24.s3.t1.12

v1.c24.s3.t1.12

There are six types of soils according to their colour: asita (black), vipāṇḍu (pallid), śyāmala (dark blue), lohita (red), sita (white) and pīta (yellow). Likewise, they are classified into six according to their taste: madhura (sweet), āmla (sour), lavaṇa (saline), tikta (pungent), kaṭuka (acrid) and kaṣāya (astringent). The soil, that is full of poisonous matter, stones or ant-hills or is saline, gravelly and has underground water too deep, is not favourable for trees. That soil is praiseworthy which is of mild colour like saphire (indranīla) and the plumage of a parrot, is white like a conch, jasmine (kunda), water-lily (kumuda) and moon, and vies with molten gold and blossoming Campaka. In a soil which is even (sama), contiguous to water, full of sprouts of green trees and grass, trees of all kinds thrive when planted at proper places. The land which is of moderate humidity (sādhāraṇa) and not dry (jaṅgala) nor wet (anūpa) is good and all kinds of trees grow on it without doubt.