10 
Indian Forcst Records. 
£Yol. VII 
common) Acacia leucophloea and Shrubs such as Prosopis spicigera, 
Capparis aphylla, Carissa Carandas , Balanites Roxburghii , Zizyphus 
jujuba , etc., and the commonest grass is Aristida Adscenscionis, a species 
useless for fodder or grazing. 
15. A brief account must be given of the climatic conditions of 
the tract. During the cold weather (middle 
The climate. ... v 
ot October to middle of March), there are 
usually occasional showers (i.e., the winter rains) in January and Feb¬ 
ruary, with an occasional slight frost at night, but bright sunny days. 
In the hot weather (March to June) the ravines become literally fur¬ 
naces with shade temperatures up to 120° F. (and in the ravine desert 
there is no shade) and an intensely hot dry west wind (the Loo) blows 
strongly all day. There is no sign or sound of man or beast, bird or 
insect when the Loo is in full blast in the ravines. 
Most of the rainfall of the year is concentrated into the 3 months 
of the monsoon (middle of June to middle of September). Between 
rain-storms the temperature conditions in the ravines are those of a 
steamy hot-house, and admirably suited for tree growth. The average 
yearly rainfall is about 23 inches but the rainfall is most irregular ; 1917 
was a year of abundant rain with 55 inches, 1918 was a year of drought 
and famine with under 9 inches. These famine-stricken years of mon • 
soon failure appear to recur at 5 or 6 years interval the monsoon 
having failed in 1907, 1913 and 1918. 
This brief description of the tract will suffice to give some idea of 
the extraordinarily adverse and difficult conditions which had to be 
faced in afforesting these ravine areas. How the problem has been 
tackled and with what results is described below. 
SECTION III.—The Method of Treatment and Reclamation. 
Tho basis of successful 
treatment. 
16. In treating this ravine country, the 
two great essentials to be considered, 
are :— 
(1) to check further erosion. 
(2) to improve the soil aeration and moisture content. 
The erosion in the ravine beds is checked (and converted into de¬ 
position) by the formation of bandhs or dams across the ravines in 
suitable places, and the erosion on the sides and at the heads of the 
ravines is checked by creating an adequate clothing of vegetation. But 
the vegetation can only be produced by the improvement of the aera¬ 
tion and moisture content of the soil. 
[ 226 ] 
