Al-Ṭighnarī(11th Century)

Abū ‘Abd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Mālik al-Murrī, Al-Ṭighnarī, was born in Granada some time during the second half of the 11th century.

He was an accomplished agronomist, He wrote a remarkable agricultural treatise entitled Kitāb zuhrat al-bustān wa-nuzhat al-adhhān, ‘Book of the glory of the garden and recreation of the minds’.

He conducted various agricultural experiments in the royal gardens of the Al-Ṣumādiḥīya palace.

Later, having made the pilgrimage to Makkah and travelled through various parts of North Africa and the East, he returned to Al-Andalus,where he became part of Ibn Baṣṣāl’s circle of agronomists and botanists.

Kitāb zuhrat al-bustān wa-nuzhat al-adhhān, 

Though less than half the original work survives, Al Ṭighnarī’s Zuhrat emerges as one of the clearest and most systematic of the Andalusi agronomical treatises.

In general it follows the form and content of its predecessors but includes an astronomical and meteorological calendar, valuable linguistic, toponymic and botanical information, and, at the end of each profile on a particular plant or tree, a section on its properties, both beneficial and harmful, from a therapeutic and dietary perspective.

The Zuhrat, therefore, is very much both a theoretical treatise and a practical manual.It covers following information related to agronomy:

Agricultural calendar of an astronomical and meteorological nature which includes references to local traditions, the experiences of farmers, etc.

Soils: the nature of the ground; ascertaining its fertility by its colour; the types of soils appropriate for each crop. 

Manures and fertilizers: types suited to each plant and soil.

Hydrology: the different kinds of water; methods for assessing its proximity or remoteness.

Brief recommendations, on the factors, both physical and moral, that should be considered when choosing workers and farm managers. 

A series of general practical rules for farmers: land types most suitable for each crop, optimum times for sowing, the treatment of pests, and ways to suppress weeds. 

Grafting and all there is to know about it: selection of shoots for grafting; types of graft;

a description of the tools used in grafting; the sympathy of some trees to others in relation to grafting; detailed instructions on performing the different kinds of graft: the saw graft (našar), notch graft (šiqq), tube graft (qanūṭ), shield graft (tarqī‘), also known as the Roman graft, and finally, the bored graft (barrīna).

a discussion on grafting trees or shrubs onto other species, such as the rose on almond, peach on willow, vines and other soft fruit onto apples, among many others.  The distillation of rose-water, with a description of the entire process, from the construction of stills and pipes (qawādīs) to choosing the best varieties of roses and the most appropriate type of fuelwood, the temperature of the water necessary for distillation, and the storage of the rose-water in suitable containers. Finally, there is a series of instructions on preparing other kinds of flower-waters - from the lily, orange, violet, basil and clove.

Domestic economy: the preparation of vinegar, various types of almorí, cheese, butter, curd, syrup, pickles, and the preservation of various fruits. 

Propagation and Cultivation of various trees and shrubs by cuttings, layers, grafts and seedlings, including the pomegranate, peach, plum, cherry, fig, jujube, olive, rose, palm, banana and sugar cane;

Treatment for the prevention and cure of their diseases and pests, as well as the care and methods needed to cultivate them successfully.

At the end of the section devoted to each plant, the author notes its medicinal and nutritional value, giving the opinions of various authors as well as his own.

Propagation of various trees and shrubs by seed, stone or pit: date palm, myrtle, jasmine, citron, orange, lemon, citrus of Estepona, apple, plum, quince, fig, mountain ash, chestnut, almond, pistachio, peach, azedarach, laurel and carob, among others.

Wheat in its various types – white, red and black wheat or buckwheat – rice, barley and other coarse grains – rye, sorghum and millet, among others – legumes such as beans, chickpeas and lentils, fibrous plants such as hemp, flax and cotton, dye plants such as henna and safflower, and others used as condiments including cumin, caraway, anise and fennel.

It continues with the cultivation of vegetables, both irrigated and rain-fed, including turnips, radishes, onions, leeks and garlic.

There is a digression to discuss the cultivation of saffron and then it continues with carrots, orach, purslane, spinach, cabbage, cucumbers and lettuce.

The summaries, like the complete original text, also end with the growing of vegetables, although some add one or two more. There should be, as in other agronomical treatises, a final section devoted to animal husbandry and veterinary medicine, comprising three more maqālāt.

(Source: Carabaza Bravo & García Sánchez 2001 and 2009)