Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/315

 LUC 307 09 OP only 0-2 inches fell, and the first heavy shower was in February, on the õth, when a fall of 0:3 inches was registered. The important matter both for health and agriculture is not so much the amount as the distribution of the rain. The regular rains commenced and ended as follows: June, 26th September, 23rd June, 9th September, 8th June, 20th September, 16th June, 6th September, 26th The rains thongb sufficient in quantity were untimely in 1869, for there were no rains till July; in 1870 because the rain commenced so late, delay- ing agricultural operations; in 1873 because they commenced late and ceased early, drying up the late rice. The important months for husbandry are June, September, and December-January. The following are the rain- falls of those months September. December-January 1870 1872 1873 1874 ho 11 hot . BU 1368 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 June. 8.3 1.9 9-8 I17 13.1 17.1 170 1.8 10.8 8.0 1.7 14 1 2 3.2 02 02 0:1 10 0.5 87 Of these years 1873 was perhaps the worst; in two of the critical portions of the year the rain was very scanty; on the 3rd September rain was abundant enough, but it ceased on the 16th. Now, 1874, the rains have apparently ceased, but there is little danger of a bad crop as in 1873, because the previous rains were early, the rice is well grown and can stand drought better, and the tanks are overflowing from a copious and steady rainfall . There is only one month in which apparently there is never any rain, that is November. In the last half of October and first half of December there has been no heavy rain since 1867; during these eight weeks the wheat generally has to be watered twice, so artificial irrigation to a large extent is necessary every year. Temperature.—The mean temperature of Lucknow observatory for the years 1868-73 in the shade is 78-8, the extremes being 80-3 and 78:2. The mean maximum on the grass has been 62, having been 59.7 in 1873. The minimumon the grass in December, 1871, was 287, and 26:7 on 8th January, 1874. On this latter occasion many trees and plants were killed or severely injured by the frost to a height of eight feet from the ground. On June 4th, 1873, the maximum temperature in the sun's rays was 171. The mean temperatures of the hottest months (May and June) are as fol. lows 16 1872. .: 92 1873. 9) 97 6 DO May Jube Iu 1873, the average of the six months (April to September) was 88-8, of those from October to March 67-5. The range of thermometer in one year from 171 to 26 degrees is enormous and doubtless very trying.
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