CH. II] AGRICULTURAL POLICY 205 



peasants, or labourers are to be attracted. But in advertising 

 whatever methods be adopted the greatest care must be taken 

 that exaggeration and inaccuracy be avoided, so that no one 

 shall be disappointed on arrival to find that things are not as 

 described. 



Every effort should be made to advertise the country to 

 the capitalist who may invest in agriculture to let him know 

 that there he can grow such and such crops to profit, that he 

 can get land at reasonable prices, with good soil, good facilities 

 for drainage and transportation, and a good labour supply. One 

 of the first things, for instance, which should be put in hand, in 

 a thinly or moderately peopled country, is a kind of agricultural 

 handbook, with good maps showing the available land, types of 

 soil, road and drain reservations, elevations, and other practical 

 information, and with practical details in the text as to land 

 available, method of getting it, cost, labour, rules as to opening 

 and keeping in cultivation, crops for which it is suitable, cost 

 of opening land in such crops, yield and value of crop, cost of 

 cultivation, profitableness, and so on, as well as the necessary 

 details as to climate, cost of living, etc. Such a handbook 

 should be constantly revised, and should be distributed in all 

 quarters whence capital is likely to flow. Its price should be 

 as low as possible, and extensive free gifts should be made to 

 all public libraries, journals, chambers of commerce, planters' 

 associations in other countries, and similar institutions. 



Other advertising literature should be prepared to appeal 

 to the peasant and the labourer, and written in suitable simple 

 language. The very greatest care should be taken to avoid 

 inaccuracy or exaggeration, and attention should be paid to 

 suitable illustration. The peasant should be informed that he 

 can get land on easy terms, in sections inhabited by people of 

 his own nationality and caste, that it will grow such and such 

 crops to profit, that good markets, financial help (by credit 

 societies, or otherwise), facilities for drainage and transport, 

 and other advantages, are obtainable, under a secure and just 

 Government. His position as regards taxation and other civic 

 duties and liabilities should also be made very clear. The 

 labourer should have the conditions of labour made clear, the 



