CH. VII] AGRICULTURAL NEEDS OF PLANTING ENTERPRISE 191 



forming the basis of large and profitable industries is no easy 

 matter. It is better to make the best of those we have than 

 to be continually looking out for new ones to take their place. 

 Before a new industry can be established, thorough tests have 

 to be made of its suitability to the climate and soil, and its 

 cheapness and efficiency as compared with rival countries 

 practising it. 



As regards methods of cultivation, while there is no doubt 

 less to learn than in the case of village agriculture, there is 

 great room for improvement. To take the case of machinery 

 for cultivation, it would be hard to find a soil more suited to 

 the use of light machines than that of the coast districts in 

 many tropical countries. Already machinery is coming in in 

 many places. High cultivation, the use of green manuring, 

 and prevention of wash, at present rendered difficult by lack of 

 labour, might all be rendered possible by careful study of the 

 problems involved, and the invention of light and simple 

 machinery for the different purposes. 



All the methods of cultivation want careful study in ex- 

 perimental gardens, and thorough testing against the existing 

 methods of other countries, and against suggested improved 

 methods. There is much to learn in tillage, in actual cultivation 

 of the crop, propagation, selection of seeds, manuring, weeding, 

 pruning, catch-cropping, mixture of crops, rotation of crops, and 

 other matters. All these are best studied at first with the aid 

 of experiment stations, and with free discussion, but it is 

 important to get the planters themselves to develop an " ex- 

 perimental" habit of mind, and start experiments themselves 

 to test and extend the results obtained in the experiment 

 stations. Cooperative experimental work has proved of great 

 value to agriculture in Canada, the United States, and else- 

 where. 



The next point for consideration is the prevention of disease, 

 and the introduction of better methods of treatment, and of 

 sound plant sanitation generally. When a crop is cultivated 

 over a large piece of land, unbroken by other crops, any disease 

 that breaks out upon it is far more liable to spread rapidly and 

 get out of hand than in the case of mixed cultivation or of 



