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have to di with agriculture and agriculturists in the capacity 

 of Revenue Officers or District Engineers, The knowledge of 

 agriculture is of great value for Revenue Officers and District 

 Engineers. When the Director of the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment, or the Reporter of Economic Products, or any expert 

 officer of Government, seeks any information of an agricul- 

 tural character, or any samples, he usually refers to District 

 Officers for such information or samples. The District Officers 

 consult their Deputies or the District Engineers, and they 

 (the District Officers; usually find out how ignorant their 

 subordinate officers are regarding the circumstances and the 

 wants of the cultivators. Revenue Officers and District 

 Engineers with an agricultural training are likely to acquire 

 some sympathy for the masses of the population who are 

 employed in producing the staff of life, and whose interests 

 these officers are now too apt to forget or to ignore. A 

 mere literary and scientific training gives one little know 

 ledge of the immediate surroundings in the midst of which 

 one's lot is likely to be cast in actual life, and little aptitude 

 in dealing with such surroundings in official capacity. The 

 agricultural statistics which ought to be of great value in 

 estimating the resources of the people in times of famine, 

 being compiled by men who have very little practical acquaint- 

 ance with land and its produce, and who, owing partly to 

 the very education they have received, are accustomed to 

 take so little interest in such questions, were found to be of 

 little use during the late famine in Bengal. The famine pro- 

 grammes, annually prepared in anticipation of famine by Dis- 

 trict Engineers, were found wide of the mark, and they were 

 in practice ignored. The district staffs may in future be 

 manned by officers who have received not only a literary and 

 scientific education, but who have been accustomed to see 

 and handle the things with which they will be ordinarily sur- 

 rounded in their practical life. Such officers will be able to 

 draw up famine programmes in an intelligent manner after 



