148 AGRICULTUKE IN THE TROPICS [PT. Ill 



The wants of the poor villager, other than those that can 

 be satisfied by his own labour or that of his women folk, are 

 even yet of the simplest, but the essentially important point is 

 that they now exist, and in all reasonable probability will 

 continue to grow. Even now he nearly always grows something 

 to sell, be it only a few coconuts, and as time goes on he will 

 be drawn more and more into interdependence with his fellow 

 men for the supply of his wants, and will have to grow yet 

 more produce for market. 



This then, being a natural tendency, and almost inevitable 

 under the circumstances, is one of the features of agricultural 

 progress to be encouraged, and we must consider what are the 

 chief difficulties in the way of such progress, and what may be 

 done to remove or lessen them. 



