OOC 



of indigo and of sugar-cane has already been referred to. Gl-roundnut 

 cultivation lias brought a considerable accession of wealth to the South 

 Arcot and Chingleput districts and parts of North Arcot, Tan j ore and 

 Trichinopoly. The returns of this cultivation are very great and the 

 ryots, especially in the Shiyali taluk of the Tan j ore district, are using 

 considerable quantities of manure to prevent possible deterioration of 

 the soil by over cropping. As regards the effect of the extension of com- 

 munications in the way of bringing fertile soil in remote situations 

 under cultivation, it is a familiar truth not needing demonstration. 

 This fact to some extent acts as a counterpoise to the necessity for 

 poorer lands being taken up for cultivation as population increases. 

 As the Grovernment revenue assessed on lands depends upon the rent 

 value, which again is affected conjointly both by the productive power 

 of the lands and the facilities for taking the produce to market, the 

 fact of fertile lands in remote tracts having been taken up for cultiva- 

 tion could not be discovered merely by a comparison of the revenue 

 rates of the old years with those of recent years. As regards the in- 

 creased value realised by ryots for commercial produce and the low cost 

 at which imported articles are obtained, the following facts may be 

 noted. Within the last 20 years the value of the foreign sea-borne 

 trade of the Presidency has increased from 10*2 to 18'2 crores of rupees, 

 the increase in the imports being from 4"1 to 6'6 crores and in the 

 exports from 6*1 to ITS crores. The development of railways in this 

 country has greatly reduced the cost of transport of goods by land, and 

 the opening of the Suez Canal, the extension of telegraph lines, the 

 improvements and economies effected in the construction and working 

 of steamers have immensely diminished the cost of carriage by sea and 

 the incidental charges. An idea may be formed as to how great the 

 saving is from the fact that the cost of carriage of Cawnpore wheat 

 taken to Calcutta and shipped there to London was reduced between 

 1879 and 1886 by 9 shillings a quarter, a reduction of 22 per cent, on 

 the value of the wheat in London, viz., 42 shilling a quarter in 1881. 

 The value of the staple imported articles — cotton goods and metals — 

 has greatly fallen, the value at Calcutta being now one-third less than 

 in 1873, although during this period the value of silver has fallen 

 enormously. For more detailed particulars the paragraphs of the 

 Memorandum bearing on the subject should be referred to. 



The next question we have to consider is whether there is any 

 immediate danger of the increase of population outstripping the increase 

 of production and causing a deterioration in the standard of living. 

 The population, as already observed, may, under normal conditions, 

 be assumed to increase at the rate of one per cent, per annum in 

 this country. T-he late Sir James Caird was of opinion that " it is 

 possible to obtain such a gradual increase of production as would meet 

 the present rate of increase of population for a considerable time. One 

 bushel per acre gained gradually in 10 years, in addition to a moderate 

 reclamation of cultivable land, would meet the demand of the present 

 growth of population ; considering the generally fertile nature of the 

 soil and that, in most parts of India, two crops can be got in the year, 

 this would seem to be a possible result. By these two methods wisely 

 combined, the increase of population may be safely provided for several 

 generations." The experience of the past 20 years to my mind 

 shows incontestably t^at, extraordinary and unforeseen calamities 



