Vol. XV. No. 362, 



tUe agricultural news 



9:J 



CO-OPERATION BETWEEN AGRICUL- 

 TURAL DEPARTMENTS AND CO- 

 OPERATIVE CREDIT SOCIETIES. 



The question of closer contact between Departments 

 of Agriculture and Co-onerative Credit Societies is receiving 

 attention in India. A resolution passed at tlie seventh 

 meeting of the Board of Agriculture held at Pusa in Novem- 

 ber 1911, ran as follows: — 



'The Board is of opinion that the time has come for 

 considering the question whether the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment should not work in closer touch with the co-operative 

 credit movement, as the object of both is identical, viz., the 

 improvement of rural economy.' The Agricultural Depart- 

 ment therefore after consulting the Registrar, Co-operative 

 Credit Societies, decided the lines on which the Jiegistrar 

 could best co-operate with the Director of Agriculture. The 

 lines of action tentatively agreed upon were as follows: — 



(1) Dissemination of Literature. 



The Registrar, Co-operative Credit Societies, will send 

 the Director of Agricitlture a list of societies to whom he 

 ■wishes copies of agricultural leaflets and other literature to 

 be sent. These societies will assist in making known to 

 the cultivators the contents of the leaflets. 



(2) Financing Agricultural Improvements. 



This will take two forms: — 



(a) Societies will be started to take up special work, 

 such as improved methods of sugar-cane cultivation, e.g., 

 advances will be made to members to meet the co.st of 

 improved methods of cultivation sucli as the cost of manure, 

 etc. The advance will be recovered after harvest. 



(b) Existing societies will finance and encourage in 

 special areas proved improvements such as the introduction of 

 ground nut in Nawada Sub-division, Gaya. 



(3) Co-operative Credit Societies will be recognized by 

 the Agricultural Department as agencies (just as Divisional 

 and District Associations are) for spreading any improvements 

 the Department wishes to introiluee such as two-seedling 

 transplantation of paddy. 



(4) Central Banks and Honorary Organizers will be 

 requested to assist in starting and controlling .seed farms for — 



(a) growing of pure seed. 



(b) distribution of pure .seed. 



(.5) The Divisional Agricultural In.spectors will be 

 requested to attend the annual meetings of Central 15anks 

 (of which the Registrar will give timely notice to the Agri- 

 cultural Department) and will at such meetings give advice 

 and illustrative lectures to the members and, if possible, will 

 give an exhibition of the working of new and improved 

 implements, etc. 



(6) The auditors of Co-operative Credit Societies will 

 be requested at the time of audit to see whether the agri- 

 cultural literature has been received and read at monthly 

 meetings. 



(7) Central Banks will be requested to select a culti- 

 vator to undergo a short course of six month.s' training at 

 Sabour. The bank will be asked to pay the boarding 



expenses of the cultivator, and the Agricultural Department 

 will make no charge for the course. 



(8) Bank clerks will undergo a short six-monthly course 

 ' if training at Sabour sutKcient to enable them to work in 

 communication with Divisional Inspectors. 



The two departments are since 1911 tending to work 

 more closely together, but much has not been done, nor can. 

 any notable results be expected until the expert and subor- 

 dinate insiDecting staff of the Department recently sanctioned, 

 settle to their work. 



The work hitherto done or going on in this connexion 

 are: — 



Agricultural leaflets in English and in the vernaculars, 

 and other agricultural literature were distributed to .selected 

 societies for the u.se of the members. 



A seed store has been opened at Sabour where selected 

 and improved varieties of seeds are kept for sale to the 

 cultivators and members of agricultural associations and 

 co-operative societies. A seed store and museum has recently 

 been open at Muzaftarpur under the auspices of the Tirhut 

 Divisional Agricultural Association, where improved varieties 

 of seeds, manures and implements are kept for sale and 

 exhibition; and are supplied on favourable terms to the 

 members of the Co-operative Society in :\[uzaff,u-pur District. 



The institution of a short course in agriculture at the 

 Sabour College affords the^members of societies an oppor- 

 tunity of sending their members for such training. The 

 prospectus of this .short course was sent to the selected 

 Central Co-operative Banks, -and one Bank Clerk has already 

 joined at Sabour. 



The co-operation of Central Banks and selected societies 

 is sought for to facilitate the introduction of improved varie- 

 ties of seeds and implements. 



The Professor of Agriculture at Sabour, at the sugges- 

 tion of the Registrar, Co-operative Credit Societies, is taking 

 an interest in the Co-operative Societies near Bhagalpur. He 

 has recently become one of the Directors of the Central Co- 

 operative Bank there and has already inspected some of the 

 societies. Steps are being taken to make the Assistants and 

 the Inspectors of the A'eterinary Department and the Agri- 

 cultural Inspectors acquainted with Co-operative methods. 

 The Inspectors of the Patna, Tirhut and Orissa Divisions are 

 to be trained with selected auditors under the Registrar of 

 Co-operative Credit Societies. 



A cooperative dairy society has been recently established 

 at Tiaya by the Registrar under the auspices of the Gaya 

 ilunicipality. It is reported that the society is succeed- 

 ing and is unable to meet the demand for pure milk. 

 The question of growing fodder crops for use during the cold 

 weather and siloing green fodder for the hot and dry months 

 is being enquired into by the Agricultural Department. 



It is hoped to use Cooperative Societies largely for the 

 distribution of pedigree breeding bulls from the Government 

 Cattle Breeding Station at Sipaya. A scheme has for some 

 time been under consideration, under which l^istrict Boards 

 will offer an Approved Society the whole or part of the cost 

 of a bull, the Society providing the whole of the cost of the 

 maintenance of the bull. Five bulls are now available for 

 early distribution, and some of the District Boards have come 

 forward to purchase them for the Co-operative Credit 

 Societies under the above-mentioned scheme. 



It is intended to do much more in the near future than' 

 it has been possible to do in the past to bring the societies 

 into relations with the department. 



Similar co-operation in many of the directions indicated 

 should be possible in the West Indies. 



