150 HAPPY INDIA 



the ground ; and it is quite possible for people to put 

 in potash when there is already sufficient in the 

 land, and that might do harm to the next succeeding 

 crop. And the same with nitrogen ; that might 

 promote a great vegetation, but perhaps not give 

 the grain what was wanted, and the application 

 of nitrogen has an exhausting effect upon the soil. 

 So that to apply artificial manures except under 

 good advice, is very speculative. A large farmer 

 would make experimental trials on what would be 

 for him small plots, and if his experiments were a 

 failure or partial failure it would not be a serious 

 loss for him. But for the Indian cultivator to lay 

 out i in artificial manure would be a very serious 

 matter to him, and therefore in the majority of cases 

 he will not attempt it. It is therefore necessary 

 that those who have capital should supply the culti- 

 vator with the artificial manure upon terms that if 

 the result is satisfactory, the loan should be repaid 

 with interest out of the additional profit that he 

 gains by the use of the manure. Of course, even 

 on these terms it would be difficult to get the cultivator 

 to consider them unless he was approached by some- 

 body with considerable experience and tact in dealing 

 with Indian cultivators, and was able to show him 

 the results obtained by others. But if the matter 

 was begun in a careful and scientific way there can 

 be no doubt that it would not take very long before 

 the use of these artificial manures became general, 

 and even when, by the supply of suitable fuel, all 

 the cow dung as well as human excreta was supplied 



