INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

AXD PRESS CIIJTIC[SM. 137
frequently happens that there is a deficiency of
rainfall one year, which is succeeded by one or
more similarly bad years, and these culminate
in a season with a still scantier supply of the
needful moisture. This, however, is not always
the case; one year's decided failure of" the rains"
is quite suffiment to cause the most disastrous
effects. In the former case, with the warning
of preceding bad years, people no doubt are on
the alert; but there is always the hope against
hope that some future fall will compensate for
all deficiencies, and there is further a disturbing
element in the prospect that the winter rains
may be beneficial, and that therefore the spring
harvest may effectively help to tide over impending
distress. Our ~ore sudden and therefore
apparently more decidedly bad season, has
often its elements of doubt as well. It should
be remembered that these fertilising rains in
India are of short duration, and are not distributed
as in Britain, in driblets throughout the
year. It follows, therefore, that the rainfall of
a few days will make a vast difference in a crop;
nay, in critical periods, the few days determine
a year of scarcity or of plenty. Again, the rains