वृक्षायुर्वेद (सुरपाल - प्राचीन भारतीय पादप-विज्ञान, कृषि एवं वृक्ष-चिकित्सा सटीक)

with milk and dried for five days. It is then smoked
with mustard seed mixed with bidanga.
53. Seeds sprinkled with milk, smeared with mustard
and ash of sesame and brhati, rubbed with cow dung,
and smoked with marrow sprout in no time.
54. Seeds sprinkled with milk, rubbed with cow dung,
dried and profusely smeared with maksika (honey) and
bidanga definitely sprout.
55. According to the experts, seeds soaked in milk, dried
well in shade, and rolled into powder of brhati, tila, and
nala (hollow stalk of lotus) mixed with mustard are also
excellent for sowing.
56. The seeds of makanda, jambu, and panasa are excellent
when wet and treated as stated above. The seeds of
ksirika and bakula are good when dried and treated as
stated above and when the tips are cut (or bent).
57. The seeds of urvaru become fit for sowing when
sprinkled with water mixed with plenty of jaggery tied
in a leaf-vessel, put on the ground, heated incessantly
with fire for three days and then taken out.
58. Seeds which are treated and preserved in this
manner are all good for use. Trees grown from such
seeds bear forever abundant flowers and fruits of an
excellent quality.
59. The owner of the farm should wear clean clothes
after bath, worship God, offer salutations to his
preceptors, offer wealth or land to the worthy, offer
salutations to the vastu deity (superintending deity) and
then (he) himself should sow some seeds. The servants
should then follow him.
60. After sowing, the seeds should be covered with
grass and sprinkled with water mixed with milk. Water
should be sprinkled after they sprout. Grass should be
removed and the soil should be allowed to dry.
61. The first day of the bright fortnight, fullmoon day,
the fifth or the thirteenth day (of the bright fortnight)
are good for sowing. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday,
and Friday are good days.
62. Visakha, Mrga, Mula, Citra, Uttara, Uttarasadha and
Uttarabhadrapada, Anuradha, Jyestha, and Krttika are good
stars. Steady Lagna is good.

Method of planting

63. The seedling then should be planted in beautiful,
    even ground, on which sesame or black gram is not
    grown earlier and which is strewn over with heaps of
    flowers.
64. The distance between two plants is fourteen, sixteen,
    or twenty forearm lengths. These distances result in
    inferior, mediocre, and excellent yield of trees
    respectively.
65. Distance between two bushes should be four or five
    forearm lengths. Puga, etc. are planted carefully at a
    distance of two to three forearm lengths.
66. If planted at farther distance there is the danger
    of strong winds. But if planted closer than this (2-3
    forearm lengths) there is no yield. So one should strictly
    adhere to the correct distance for proper yield from the
    trees.
67. The pits should be prepared well in advance.
    The length, breadth, and the depth of the pits should
    be a forearm measure uniformly. They should be
    properly dried, filled with cow bones and cow dung,
    and burnt.

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