12 H. F. Blanford — Influence of Tndian Forests on the RainfaU. [No. 1, 



The observations at the Rajah's forest extend over a shorter period. 

 The stations are less than a mile distant from the former, and the 

 arrangements are similar ; the surrounding conditions of each of the 

 pair being being strongly contrasted. The outer observatory is 1,750 

 yards from the forest boundary, the inner 1,000 within the forest, which 

 is of the same character as the Ramgarh forest. 





onths. 



Lower Gauges. 



Upper Gauges. 



M 



Outer. 



Inner. 



DiflF. 

 I— 



Outer. 



Inner. 



Diff. 

 I 



March 



1885 



? 



0-27 



? 



0-21 



0-23 



+ 0-02 



April 



... 



0-06 



0-42 



4 0-36 



0-32 



0-36 



+ 0-04 



May 





4-69 



3-99 



— 0-70 



4-36 



4-04 



— 0-32 



June 







10-47 



11-70 



+ 1-23 



10-07 



11-42 



+ 1-35 



July 





9-81 



10-63 



+ 0-82 



9-47 



9-88 



+ 0-41 



August 





47-50 



45-87 



— 1-63 



46-99 



45-87 



— 112 



September 



„ 



2-43 



2-46 



+ 003 



2-40 



2-41 



+ 0-01 



October 



)j ••• •*• 



























November 





























December 



,, ... ... 



Total 



3-40 



3-54 



+ 0-14 

 + 0-25 



343 



3-45 



+ 0-02 





78-36 



78-88 



77-25 



77-66 



+ 0-41 



In this case, while, in most months, the rainfall at the inner station 

 is appreciably higher than at the outer station, as shewn both by the 

 elevated and ground level gauges, this gross excess appears to have 

 been nearly neutralized by falls in May and August, which were in 

 excess at the outer station. The result of the evidence is therefore 

 doubtful. But in the case of the Ramgarh station there does appear to 

 be a decided balance of rainfall in favour of the inner station. 



I do not give the results of the Ajmere observations, because the 

 difference of the conditions within and without the boundary of the 

 forest, as far as I have seen them, depend much more on the form 

 and slope of the ground than on the density of the forest growth, and 

 I do not think the comparative observations have much bearing on 

 the question at issue. 



There remains one case which, although dependant on purely arti- 

 ficial conditions, might yet afford evidence of some weight in connection 

 with the present subject, could we only be sure that the observations 

 had been taken with the care and precaution indispensible to any 

 valid comparison.* In the very heart of the plain between the Ravi 



* For the following information I am indebted to Col. Home, R.E., late 

 Secretary to the Punjab Government in the Irrigation Department of the Public 



