1887.] H. F. Blanford — Influence of Indian Forests on the Bamfall. 5 



rological records. The results gathered from such records are beyond 

 expectation and shew that, with the exception of stations situated in the 

 cultivated valley of the Nerbudda, a steady increase of rainfall has taken 

 place during the last ten years, and, as might be expected, especially 

 during the last period of five years." 



In dealing with the evidence of the rainfall registers, I shall, in tho 

 first place, compare the averages of the 9 or in some cases 10 or 11 years 

 ending with 1875 (the year in which the suppression of the ddhya 

 cultivation is stated to have been taken in hand) with those of the ten 

 subsequent years, 1876 — 1885 ; and this I shall do separately for the 

 stations within the area immediately affected by the forest preservation 

 and for those at a greater or less distance therefrom. These latter are 

 Saugor and Damoh, the forests near which have not been frequented by 

 ddhya cultivators, or which are surrounded by native states in which no 

 change of system has been attempted, Jubbulpore, Narsinghpur, Ho- 

 shangabad, and Khandwa in the fertile and highly cultivated valley of 

 the Nerbudda, and where the tendency of late years has been towards 

 an extension of permanent cultivation, and Raipur in the centre of the 

 great wheat-growing district of Chattisgarh. 



Comparison of the Average Rainfall of 9 to 11 years of Ddhya Gultiva- 

 tion with that of 10 years of Protected Forests. 



A. In affected areas. 





Forests | Forests 

 unprotected. | protected. 



Increase. 



Stations. 











Inches 



i 



Inches 







Period. 



Rain- 



Period. 



Rain- 



Inches. 







fall. 





fall. 





Badnnr 



1867-75 



39-83 



1876-85 



47-83 



+ 8-00 



Chhindwara 



1865-75 



41-43 



1876-85 



48-48 



+ 7-05 



Seoni 



1865-75 



52-07 i 1876-85 



54-76 



-f- 2-69 



Mandla 



1867-75 



53-58 1 1876-85 



56-32 



-t- 2-74 



Burha 



1867-75 



64-51 i 1876-85 



71-65 



+ 7-14 



Bilaspur 



1865-75 



41-85 i 1876-85 



54-81 



-t- 12-96 



Sambalpur 



1867-75 



54-80 1 1876-85 



67-93 



-H 13-13 



Dhamtari 



1867-75 



48-83 '•■ 1876-85 



46-90 



— 1-93 



Bhandara 



1867-75 



49-90 



1876-85 



57-79 



f 7-89 



Nagpur 



1866-75 



41-54 



1876-85 



51-85 



+ 10-31 



Wardha 



1866-75 



36-10 



1876-85 



f 46-63 



+ 10-53 



Brahmapnri 



1867-75 



53-95 



1876-85 



57-48 



+ 3-53 



Chanda 



1866-75 



47-14 



1876-85 



54-29 



+ 7-15 



Sironcha ,,, 



1867-75 



44-17 



1S76-85 



48-38 

 Mean 



-h 4-21 

 f 6-81 



