UPPEE INDIA. 59 



with trees, and thus making the surface of the country more 

 absorptive and radiative, the clouds in passing over it, coming 

 in contact with the chilled air, would part with more of the 

 water with which they are charged, and less would remain 

 to be precipitated over the Teraee and southern slopes of 

 the Himalayas, and the rainfall would be more equally dis- 

 tributed over the whole country. "The moisture, instead of 

 being retained in the clouds until it fell in torrents, would be 

 more frequently precipitated, the showers would be more 

 frequent, and milder in their character. There would be 

 frequent gentle, soaking showers, instead of occasional torrents 

 of rain. 



The action of deeply- cultivated soil in chilling the air and 

 causing precipitation must be the same as that of forests. A 

 solid, firm soil, saturated with water, is a bad absorbent and 

 radiator of heat. Break up the soil deeply, so that rain falling 

 on it may sink quickly to the subsoil, and that the surface- 

 soil may not remain so saturated, and may be more quickly 

 dried by evaporation, and we shall then find that, by its 

 increased powers of absorption and radiation of heat, it will 

 act in the same way as forests in cooling the temperature of 

 the country in the rains and in promoting rainfall. 



The extent of barren lands lands formerly cultivated, but 

 now producing no crop, save, perhaps, some poor grass in the 

 rains, is increasing every year. 



The causes of the increase of these barren lands are nume- 

 rous. On the high land we have the sandhills or dunes, which 

 are yearly extending and spreading over the neighbouring 

 fields ; the oosur plains consisting of a hard soil, with a saline 

 efflorescence which sterilizes them ; the ravines, the results 

 of surface- drainage, by which the land is carried away; and the 

 lands covered with reh by irrigation. Besides the improve- 

 ment to the climate which would accrue from planting these 



