Periodical Literature 111 



jab, the hot weather lasts from April 15 until the middle of 

 October. The hottest month is June, when the average mean 

 temperature for the month is 93° F. Maximum temperatures 

 of 115° to 120° F. are frequent occurrences. Scorching winds 

 blow during May and June and sandstorms are frequent. The 

 rainfall varies from 5 inches to 30 inches, decreasing as you 

 proceed from the hills. The general slope is in a southwest di- 

 rection from the hills to the Indus River, varying from 3,000 

 to 300 feet in elevation. Topographic features are high, newly 

 formed plains, due to erosion of the soil by flood waters ; low- 

 land, subject to river inundation; intermediate land above flood 

 level ; high bar land with deep water level. The soil is quite 

 fertile and with irrigation produces excellent crops, except where 

 there is an excess of sodium salts. 



The Jand (Prosopis sicigera) rarely exceeds 30 to 40 feet in 

 height, or a diameter of 12 to 15 inches. It is intolerant, with 

 scanty foliage. Its most important characteristic is its exceed- 

 ingly long taproot which has been known to penetrate to a ver- 

 tical depth of 64 feet. It forms root suckers and coppices freely. 

 Where goat grazing is allowed, it assumes a bush-like growth 

 due to constant browsing. It makes excellent firewood and char- 

 coal. Associate species are the wan {Salvadora oleoides) and 

 haril {Sapparis aphylla). It is possible to travel through hundreds 

 of miles of these forests "and yet not find a single young seed- 

 ling." The usual explanation for this has been from grazing 

 or a change of climate. There are large areas where Jand forests 

 must have occupied the ground in spite of the low rainfall. That 

 they have been able to do so, is on account of the long taproot 

 which reaches the sub-soil water supply. Attempts to raise Jand 

 artifically without irrigation has failed. With irrigation, planta- 

 tions have been successful. The writer concludes that practically 

 all the plains must have once been covered with these Jand 

 forests, pure and in mixture with other species. With the in- 

 crease of cultivation, the forests were driven to the more arid 

 areas and "the time, in fact, does not seem far distant when pro- 

 bably the whole of the Jand forests in the Punjab will be wiped 

 out of existence by being replaced by cultivation." 



T. S. W., Jr. 



The Indian Forester, September, 1915, pp. 307-315. 



