CLIMATE. 



Temperatures of 1055, 108-9, 1098, 112'0, 1131, 1131, 

 110*1, respectively, "were recorded from the 10th to the 16th 

 June at the Meteorological station at Daltonganj during the 

 writer's walking tour in 1905. On the other hand minimum 

 temperatures of 32 F. have frequently been recorded on the 

 grass, or the roof of a tent, in Singbhum during January. 

 On the Khuria plateau hoar-frost is said to be usual in the 

 winter, but below the Pats frost is rare. 



The low temperature of the soil in December and January 

 causes a very general cessation of growth and the fall of the 

 leaf in many deciduous trees. The renewed activity of the 

 root-system, as the soil becomes heated in the hot weather, is 

 the cause of many trees putting out their new foliage at the 

 hottest time of the year, and of many others bursting into 

 flower. Others, of a different constitution, and in consequence 

 of the excessive transpiration in the hot weather not being 

 compensated for by the increased activity of the root- system, 

 remain more or less dormant until the May storms, which are 

 followed by a considerable increase in the relative humidity 

 of the air (see below). 



The following table shows the average means of maximum, 

 minimum and diurnal range of temperatures and the average 

 mean temperatures corrected to true diurnal means in 

 Chaibassa and Ranchi respectively : — 



19 



