27 



DROUGHT RESISTING PLANTS IN THE DECCAN. 



By B. K. Bhide. 



Assistant Economic Botanist, Bombay. 



The drought of 1918-19 in the Bombay Deccan was one of the 

 most long-continued and severe on record. While the normal rainfall 

 over most of the area lies between 20 and 30 inches per annum — though 

 it is much higher than this in the west — the actual rainfall for 1918 

 was in most cases between one third and one half of this amount, 

 and of the quantity received a very considerable proportion was 

 received in one or two fitful storms in May and August or September 

 J 918. The actual condition of things in five typical centres, given in 

 order from west to east is shown in the following table : — 



Average Annual Rainfall 



Rainfall in 1918 



Rainfall in January, 1918 

 February, 1918 

 March, 1918 

 April, 1918 

 May, 1918 ... 

 June, 1918... 

 July, 1918 ... 

 August, 1918 

 September, 1918 

 October, 1918 

 November, 1918 

 December, 1918 

 January, 1919 

 February, 1919 

 March, 1919 

 April, 1919 

 May, 1919 ... 



... : ! o-32 



1-97,; 3-89 



ins. 



25-77 

 9-31 

 0'04 



2-45 

 0-37 

 047 

 1-35 

 3-31 



6 V 21 



1-11 



10-01 



0-47 



25 



The result of this long-continued drought was that in 1918 the 

 usual wild monsoon plants did not grow well, or if they grew at all 

 most of them died before seeding or seeded before they were half grown. 

 The country never looked green, and, except for the trees which 

 remained green, was a desert-like waste in the latter part of 1918 and 

 the earlier part of 1919. Even the most resistant plants suffered. In 



