42 HAPPY INDIA 



the amount of human labour employed is small, 

 and that the production per man employed is very 

 large ten times as much as in India. 



One of the questions that occur is, Has the crop 

 always been as small as it is now ? And if it used 

 to be a better crop, why has it gone down ? The 

 second question is, Is it possible now to improve 

 the Indian crop ? Can it be doubled and brought 

 up to the British average ? Some people think it 

 can, and if that were done India would become a 

 rich and prosperous country. 



I have not been able to get an answer to the 

 question, Was the crop per acre larger in former 

 days than now ? 



When the population was only half or two-thirds 

 its present number, only the better land need be 

 cropped ; there would be plenty of room for fodder 

 crops and grass for the cattle. There would be 

 plantations from which wood could be got for fuel, 

 so that all the cattle dung could be used for manure 

 instead of burning it for fuel as is now done. Un- 

 doubtedly the Mogul Emperors got a bigger revenue 

 per acre cropped than the present Government gets. 

 These are reasons for suggesting that the yield per 

 acre cropped was greater two hundred years ago 

 than now. But learned and competent men who 

 have studied this question find no evidence to support 

 the suggestion. 



But some answer must be given to the question. 

 The Mogul Emperors got a bigger cash land revenue 

 from a smaller area, and the rupee would buy five 



