PREFACE 1 vii 



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have proceeded far enough to reverse ' our position in 'the 

 world's markets, countries which now export wheat will 

 have little, if any, surplus after feeding their own popula- 

 tions. Whatever surplus there may be will be bought by 

 Europe and the United States, not India. Hence we must 

 look forward to relying for all time on our own production 

 of foodstuffs, in a land so fertile as India a system ot 

 agriculture developed to the extent prevailing in Western 

 Europe could easily support a population of five hundred 

 millions at a far higher standard of living than now pre- 

 vails ; but agriculture will never develop to that standard 

 of living if the whole country is peopled with peasant 

 proprietors on small holdings. They must go on producing ^ 

 foodstuffs by uneconomical methods, to th< j exclusion of the 

 more profitable produce. 



In some parts of India, therefore, u<m/i scale farntina - 

 must be developed^ In other parts too every stimulus will 

 be needed to raise the productiveness of agriculture. My 

 opinion is that success will only come by accepting the 

 circumstances as we find them. ' Where a landlord class 

 exists the most rapid means of progress will be the education 

 of that landlord class to exercise its true function in the 

 direction and improvement of the agriculture of the tenants-J 

 [Where no landlord class exists the most fruitful agency will 

 be a co-coperative organization of purchasing and sales 

 societies, combined with numerous agricultural instructors 

 maintained by Government or otherwise/ If the landlord 

 class can be induced to take an active interest in the 

 promotion of agriculture, there is no doubt in my mind 

 that a higher standard of production will be reached more 

 rapidly in zam indari tracts than in ryotwari areas. I believe 

 that this outcome is not only possible but is the most 

 practicable if people would only realize the nature and 

 urgency of the problem. It is this conviction which is the 

 justification of the point of view which I have taken 

 throughout these lectures. 



fl. STANLEY JEVONS 



