Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/359

SIT 351 3 > Climate.---The climate is considered very salubrious for Europeans, and the cantonments of Sitapur are fainous for the small mortality of the British stationed there. There are no diseases peculiar to the district. Seasons. --The year may be divided into four seasons as follows :- From 1st February to Ist April, pleasantly warm. 1st April to 15th June, very bot. 15th June to Ist October, raine. 26th October to 31st January, coid weather, Rainfall. The average yearly rainfall for the past five years ending 1871 was 324 inches, the provincial average being 38. This is one of the driest districts of Oudh, the average for the last ten years being thirty five inches ; 1867 and 1870 were years of excessiver rain; 1864, 1866, 1868, and 1873, years of partial drought. This subject will be referred to afterwards under that of famines. Here it may be remarked that as elsewhere the rainfall is most uneven varying almost 300 per cent. in one year, falling from 60 inches in 1867 to 21 inches in 1868. Except in so far that the water level in the wells may probably be slightly raised by the heavy rainfalls of preceding years, there is no store of water from previous abundant seasons to counteract the effects of a drought. No canals of any kind have been made in this district, and it seenus one in which some more enlarged means of storing water will shortly be required. Masonry wells are not used for purposes of irrigation except in rare in stances for garden lands. Average fall of rain. Yeara. inches. Remarks. 26 0 310 25 0 60.5 21:3 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1011 1872 1873 1874 1876 ので 27.6 55.9 20.0 49 2 329 25-0 43.8 323 8 3 35+ Average for twelve years. 4 The following table exhibits the rainfalls for the last two years of drought, 1868 and 1873, each of which was folowed in 1869 and 1874 res- pectively by a considerable scarcity. It will be noted that the entire rainfall was not scanty, but the distribu- tion was capricious and unusual, and there was no rain during individual months in which it is much needed for agricultural purposes. There are four rainfalls each of which must be propitious to secure a good harvest.