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sexes go to the forest and cut a young Karma…tree； or the branch of one。 Bearing it in triumph they return dancing； singing； and beating drums； and plant it in the middle of the village dancing…ground。 A sacrifice is offered to the tree； and next morning the youth of both sexes； linked arm…in…arm； dance in a great circle round the Karma…tree； which is decked with strips of coloured cloth and sham bracelets and necklets of plaited straw。 As a preparation for the festival； the daughters of the headman of the village cultivate blades of barley in a peculiar way。 The seed is sown in moist； sandy soil； mixed with turmeric； and the blades sprout and unfold of a pale…yellow or primrose colour。 On the day of the festival the girls take up these blades and carry them in baskets to the dancing…ground； where； prostrating themselves reverentially； they place some of the plants before the Karma…tree。 Finally； the Karma…tree is taken away and thrown into a stream or tank。 The meaning of planting these barley blades and then presenting them to the Karma…tree is hardly open to question。 Trees are supposed to exercise a quickening influence upon the growth of crops； and amongst the very people in questionthe Mundas or Mundaris the grove deities are held responsible for the crops。 Therefore； when at the season for planting out the rice the Mundas bring in a tree and treat it with so much respect； their object can only be to foster thereby the growth of the rice which is about to be planted out； and the custom of causing barley blades to sprout rapidly and then presenting them to the tree must be intended to subserve the same purpose； perhaps by reminding the tree…spirit of his duty towards the crops； and stimulating his activity by this visible example of rapid vegetable growth。 The throwing of the Karma…tree into the water is to be interpreted as a rain…charm。 Whether the barley blades are also thrown into the water is not said； but if my interpretation of the custom is right； probably they are so。 A distinction between this Bengal custom and the Greek rites of Adonis is that in the former the tree…spirit appears in his original form as a tree； whereas in the Adonis worship he appears in human form； represented as a dead man； though his vegetable nature is indicated by the gardens of Adonis； which are； so to say； a secondary manifestation of his original power as a tree…spirit。
Gardens of Adonis are cultivated also by the Hindoos； with the intention apparently of ensuring the fertility both of the earth and of mankind。 Thus at Oodeypoor in Rajputana a festival is held in honour of Gouri； or Isani； the goddess of abundance。 The rites begin when the sun enters the sign of the Ram； the opening of the Hindoo year。 An image of the goddess Gouri is made of earth； and a smaller one of her husband Iswara； and the two are placed together。 A small trench is next dug； barley is sown in it； and the ground watered and heated artificially till the grain sprouts； when the women dance round it hand in hand； invoking the blessing of Gouri on their husbands。 After that the young corn is taken up and distributed by the women to the men； who wear it in their turbans。 In these rites the distribution of the barley shoots to the men； and the invocation of a blessing on their husbands by the wives； point clearly to the desire of offspring as one motive for observing the custom。 The same motive probably explains the use of gardens of Adonis at the marriage of Brahmans in the Madras Presidency。 Seeds of five or nine sorts are mixed and sown in earthen pots； which are made specially for the purpose and are filled with earth。 Bride and bridegroom water the seeds both morning and evening for four days； and on the fifth day the seedlings are thrown； like the real gardens of Adonis； into a tank or river。
In Sardinia the gardens of Adonis are still planted in connexion with the great midsummer festival which bears the name of St。 John。 At the end of March or on the first of April a young man of the village presents himself to a girl； and asks her to be his comare （gossip or sweetheart）； offering to be her compare。 The invitation is considered as an honour by the girl's family； and is gladly accepted。 At the end of May the girl makes a pot of the bark of the cork…tree； fills it with earth； and sows a handful of wheat and barley in it。 The pot being placed in the sun and often watered； the corn sprouts rapidly and has a good head by Midsummer Eve （St。 John's Eve； the twenty…third of June）。 The pot is then called Erme or Nenneri。 On St。 John's Day the young man and the girl； dressed in their best； accompanied by a long retinue and preceded by children gambolling and frolicking； move in procession to a church outside the village。 Here they break the pot by throwing it against the door of the church。 Then they sit down in a ring on the grass and eat eggs and herbs to the music of flutes。 Wine is mixed in a cup and passed round； each one drinking as it passes。 Then they join hands and sing Sweethearts of St。 John （Compare e comare di San Giovanni） over and over again； the flutes playing the while。 When they tire of singing they stand up and dance gaily in a ring till evening。 This is the general Sardinian custom。 As practised at Ozieri it has some special features。 In May the pots are made of cork…bark and planted with corn； as already described。 Then on the Eve of St。 John the window…sills are draped with rich cloths； on which the pots are placed； adorned with crimson and blue silk and ribbons of various colours。 On each of the pots they used formerly to place a statuette or cloth doll dressed as a woman； or a Priapus…like figure made of paste； but this custom； rigorously forbidden by the Church； has fallen into disuse。 The village swains go about in a troop to look at the pots and their decorations and to wait for the girls； who assemble on the public square to celebrate the festival。 Here a great bonfire is kindled； round which they dance and make merry。 Those who wish to be Sweethearts of St。 John act as follows。 The young man stands on one side of the bonfire and the girl on the other； and they； in a manner； join hands by each grasping one end of a long stick； which they pass three times backwards and forwards across the fire； thus thrusting their hands thrice rapidly into the flames。 This seals their relationship to each other。 Dancing and music go on till late at night。 The correspondence of these Sardinian pots of grain to the gardens of Adonis seems complete； and the images formerly placed in them answer to the images of Adonis which accompanied his gardens。
Customs of the same sort are observed at the same season in Sicily。 Pairs of boys and girls become gossips of St。 John on St。 John's Day by drawing each a hair from his or her head and performing various ceremonies over them。 Thus they tie the hairs together and throw them up in the air； or exchange them over a potsherd； which they afterwards break in two； preserving each a fragment with pious care。 The tie formed in the latter way is supposed to last for life。 In some parts of Sicily the gossips of St。 John present each other with plates of sprouting corn； lentils； and canary seed； which have been planted forty days before the festival。 The one who receives the plate pulls a stalk of the young plants； binds it with a ribbon； and preserves it among his or her greatest treasures； restoring the platter to the giver。 At Catania the gossips exchange pots of basil and great cucumbers； the girls tend the basil； and the thicker it grows the more it is prized。
In these midsummer customs of Sardinia and Sicily it is possible that； as Mr。 R。 Wünsch supposes； St。 John has replaced Adonis。 We have seen that the rites of Tammuz or Adonis were commonly celebrated about midsummer； according to Jerome； their date was June。
In Sicily gardens of Adonis are still sown in spring as well as in summer； from which we may perhaps infer that Sicily as well as Syria celebrated of old a vernal festival of the dead and risen god。 At the approach of Easter； Sicilian women sow wheat； lentils； and canaryseed in plates； which they keep in the dark and water every two days。 The plants soon shoot up； the stalks are tied together with red ribbons； and the plates containing them are placed on the sepulchres which； with the effigies of the dead Christ； are made up in Catholic and Greek churches on Good Friday； just as the gardens of Adonis were placed on the grave of the dead Adonis。 The practice is not confined to Sicily； for it is observed also at Cosenza in Calabria； and perhaps in other places。 The whole customsepulchres as well as plates of sprouting grainmay be nothing but a continuation； under a different name； of the worship of Adonis。
Nor are these Sicilian and Calabrian customs the only Easter ceremonies which resemble the rites of Adonis。 During the whole of Good Friday a waxen effigy of the dead Christ is exposed to view in the middle of the Greek churches and is covered with fervent kisses by the thronging crowd； while the whole church rings with melancholy； monotonous dirges。 Late in the evening； when it has grown quite dark； this waxen image is carried by the priests into the street on a bier adorned with lemons； roses； jessamine； a