CHAPTER—XVIII
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
In the preceding chapters we have made an exhaustive
survey of the social and economic conditions of the village
of Atgam. We may now summarise the main tendencies
and conclusions and the suggestions we have offered in
the different chapters.
SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS
The following are the principal conclusions about the
present economic life of the village of Atgam :
I. REGARDING THE ENVIRONMENT
(1) The rainfall in the village is uncertain both in its
total quantity and as regards its seasonal distribution.
(2) Climatic conditions of this place vary greatly and
exercise a powerful influence for good or bad on the far-
mer and his occupation.
(3) The soils of the village are deficient in plant-foods
and largely poor in character.
(4) The only permanent source of irrigation is wells
which are uncertain as to their output of water and as to
their ready response to steam-boring.
(5) The distribution of land in the village is very defect-
ive in the sense that it is owned in a highly subdivided and
fragmented state.
(6) Though there are some redeeming features e. g.
the tendency to cultivate a holding, larger than the average
owned holding, by consolidating fragments in actual culti-
vation, or the sporadic attempts at consolidating frag-
ments through purchase, and the system of joint-cultiva-