We
used to help ‘Ammachi’ with her lawn,
vegetable garden and flower garden. I knew that a grain stored in a wooden granary
stays as such for a longer period and when it is placed under water for eight
hours in water and then aerated for a day and then placed in humus and little
water is sprinkled it starts to germinate, grow and yield a lot of other such
grains depending on the land surface, fertility of the soil, care and attention
it receives. I have seen Appachan
layering mango and guava plants which yield the same variety of fruits within a
short span of time. Budding was another advanced method to obtain better
variety of mangoes. This was suitable for roses as well. A lot of plants can be
cultivated by planting a portion of the stem of garden plants and other shrub
plants and hedge trees or placing a portion of the underground stem like small
and big Yam or the leaf into the soil like the ‘Elamulachi,’ the airplant.
We
were surprised to see how fast these plants grew. We observed one to two feet
of growth in the trailing vegetables on some days. As usual our curiosity was
aroused and we asked Ammachi, “At
what time of the day does the growing activity takes place and how much growth
is seen at that time?” She replied, “They grew mostly during the wee hours of
the morning.” She even promised to show it to us. One Christmas day when we
came from church; our grandfather clock
chimed; I looked at it, it was half past one in the morning. So we reminded her
about her promise. She took us to the newly laid lawn - Mexican grass, which
started to spread out after two weeks of planting. We brought a few lamps and
torches to observe the grass spread. After some time we could find the fast
moving pace at which the grass was growing and spreading out. It took only
fifteen to thirty seconds for a blade of grass to grow a half foot. It not only
grows forward but also to the sides. A bamboo shoot grows two feet to five feet
on certain days. Only when it reaches twenty feet or more do bamboos begin to
spread out to the sides. Earth, light, air, water and sky or space or time are
all factors that influence the plant life as well. This could be the reason why
plants in their own way fight or help each other for their survival. For
example, some trees slant in order to get direct light from the sun, which is
called phototropism; some of the wild creepers like Mileaminute (Mikeania miclantha) climb on to a plant,
go around it this way and that, spread on top of crown and finally strangles
it. Some of the climbers like Pepper plant use another big tree like Jack tree as
a prop up to climb on and give shade to the trunk of the former. Some of the
plants are dependent on other plants and live as parasites like ‘Ethikanni’ ‘Loranthus coriacens or longiflorus’. I have observed the coconut
trees standing near the backwater are hydrophilic or having affinity to water
and therefore slant towards .water. Some of the trees like Teak and Badam would
go totally bare in the autumn and winter seasons and clothed in summer. Although we do not experience autumn and
winter so distinctly in our part of the world one definitely notices this distinct
change. The flowering plants too bloom with varied and attractive hues after
their brief repose for a few months. These are wonderful experiences of nature.
Living
organisms on the earth are mutually interdependent for their sustenance, growth
and development. Therefore, it is significant for human beings to live in
harmony with nature and to focus our attention to the urgent need for
conservation of our flora and fauna and for the preservation of the
environment. We should cultivate plants to make the land lush green and serene.
The government should not neglect agriculture since it is vital for our
existence and if they do so, they would have to pay a heavy price for
that.
Excerpts from
MEMOIRS
An autobiography
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com
josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com
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