in the Jamna valley, and in the south of the
district there are parts where wells can be profitably worked. Belts of
uneven sandy land are found especially in the west and south. The dry
cultivation is most precarious, for the rainfall is extremely variable.
In the old district it averages 20 inches. But averages in a tract like
Rohtak mean very little. The chief crops are the two millets and gram.

[Sidenote: Area, 2264 sq.m.
Cultd Area,
1701 sq. m.
Pop. 729,167.
Land Rev.
Rs. 15,98,333
= L106,556.]

~Gurgaon~ contains six _tahsils_, Rewari, Gurgaon, Nuh, Firozpur,
Palwal, and Ballabgarh. The southern part of the district projects into
Rajputana, and in its physical and racial characteristics really belongs
to that region.

Rewari is the only town of any importance. It has a large trade with
Rajputana. Apart from this the interests of the district are
agricultural. In Gurgaon the Jamna valley is for the most part narrow
and very poor. The plain above it in the Palwal _tahsil_ has a fertile
loam soil and is irrigated by the Agra Canal. The Hindu Jats of this
part of the district are good cultivators. The rest of Gurgaon consists
mostly of sand and sandy loam and low bare hills. In Rewari the skill
and industry of the Hindu Ahirs have produced wonderful results
considering that many of the wells are salt and much of the land very
sandy. The lazy and thriftless Meos of the southern part of the district
are a great contrast to the Ahirs. They are Muhammadans.

About a quarter of the area is protected by irrigation from wells, the
Agra Canal, and embankments or "_bands_," which catch and hold up the
hill drainages. Owing to the depth and saltness of many of the wells the
cultivation dependent on them is far from secure, and the "_band_"
irrigation is most precarious. The large dry area is subject to
extensive and complete crop failures. The average rainfall over a series
of years is 24 inches, but its irregularities from year to year are
extreme. The district is a poor one, and for its resources bears the
heaviest assessment in the Panjab. It requires the most careful revenue
management. There are brine wells at Sultanpur, but the demand for the
salt extracted is now very small.

[Illustration: Fig. 87.]

[Sidenote: Area, 3153 sq. m.
Cultd area,
1744 sq. m.
Pop. 799,787;
70 p.c. H.
Land Rev.
Rs. 12,92,620
=L86,175.]

~Karnal~ is midway in size between Rohtak and Hissar. One-third of the
cultivation is no