TOPOGRAPHY. 29 



reserves of Kumaun and will prove a most important factor in the 

 future of the forestry in the United Provinces. 



As a consequence of the great difference in elevation, the Climate-. 

 climate naturally varies from the intense summer heat of the plains 

 to the everlasting snow of the great peaks which form the bastions 

 of the main ranges separating India from Tibet. The plains have 

 a moderate cold weather : frost is almost unknown in G-orakhpur 

 but elsewhere is a factor of much importance in forest manage- 

 ment. Indeed in many of the plains divisions frost is the most 

 important factor influencing the management of the sal. At low 

 elevations the summer heat is intense during April, May and June 

 and the climate unhealthy. During the rains in July, August 

 and September these forests are intensely malarious, the population 

 leaves the forests and work of any kind is difficult. At medium- 

 elevations in the hills, where the bulk of the pine forests are found, 

 the climate is moderate neither very cold in winter nor very hot 

 in summer and work goes on all the year round. At still higher 

 elevations in the zone of the deodar, the spruce and silver fir, the 

 winter climate is more severe and snow lies on the northern slopes 

 as late as April. The monsoon is heavy on the outer hills decreas- 

 ing towards the inner hills until in the remote valleys of the larger 

 rivers an almost arid climate is found. The maximum rainfall is 

 probably that of Naini Tal which averages 90 inches, Ranikhet 

 records 52 inches and the rainfall of G-orakhpur and Kheri 

 averages 50 inches a year. All the important divisions of the 

 United Provinces may be said to have a rainfall between 50 and 

 100 inches. On the other hand the famine areas of Bundelkhand 

 and Etawah suffer from a chronic failure of the rains every few 

 years. 



The main types of forest found in the United Provinces are : Descrip- 



(1) Scrub forest 3 of Bundelkhand. tion . of 



m\ a mam 



types of 



(3) Chir pine. f rest 



(4) Deodar. 9rowih ' 



