10 



moving-power, the indispensable requisite that 

 sustains the vitality and maintains the well-being 

 of nations, but by their passive behaviour suffer its 

 efficiency and organism to become seriously 

 impaired ? 



The Indian cultivator has some idea, vague and 

 undefined though it is, of that great law of resto- 

 ration which governs Agriculture ; he is aware that 

 he should give the land something in return for 

 the crop he takes away from it ; but that is all. 

 He does not know what essential element he is 

 taking away, nor how to compensate for it ade- 

 quately. The great question of modern Agriculture 

 how to improve the land, and obtain the highest 

 permanent return with a minimum outlay does 

 not trouble his mind for a moment. He draws 

 year after year a certain percentage from the capital 

 contained in the soil, instead of living on the 

 interest ; and consequently, year after year, the 

 capital, i.e., the fertility of the soil, dwindles down, 

 and the percentage which can now be extracted 

 from it is barely sufficient for his maintenance. He 

 is poor, but in the natural course of things his 

 children will be poorer still. It is well known 

 that, of all liege -subjects, the tillers of the soil are 

 the most conservative, not only in their allegiance 

 to the reigning power, but also in their ideas 

 generally, being greatly adverse to innovation. 

 Although the Indian ryot is no exception to this 

 rule, but, on the contrary, is an exceptionally con- 



