A History of Agriculture in India v2.c75.s5: Saffron
A History of Agriculture in India v2.c75.s5
- Language
- English
Saffron
v2.c75.s5.1
Saffron was cultivated in Kashmir. The ground was carefully prepared before planting the seed in March or April. At the close of September the plants reached their full growth. The saffron plant was about a quarter of a yard (22.8 cm) in height. The flower is on the top of the stalk, and consists of six petals and six stamens. Three of the six petals have a fresh lilac colour, and stand round about the remaining three petals. The stamens are similarly placed, three of a yellow colour standing round about the other three, which are red. The latter yield the saffron. The plants yielded flowers for six years continuously.
v2.c75.s5.2
Saffron was cultivated in two villages: Pampur in the district of Maharaj, to the south of Srinagar, and Paraspur near Indrakot. The fields at Pampur extended over about 24 miles (39 km²) and those at Paraspur comprised an area of two square miles (5.18 km²). Saffron was used for colouring and flavouring good-quality rice. It was also used for imparting fragrance and agreeable yellow colour to dishes and for dyeing cloth.