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or some pulse. The crop will just come in when the famine 

 is at its full height, from May to July. If 2,000 acres can 

 be irrigated out of a paddy field 5,000 acres in expanse and 

 40,000 maunds of food grains thus raised from the tract the 

 lesson thus taught is not likely to be forgotten very soon. 

 In some suitable localities dons may be employed and a 

 thousand of these worked beside a canal or a stream, may 

 serve to irrigate 4,000 acres of land, by the employment of 

 3,000 persons, 2,000 being employed in working the dons 

 and distributing the water, and 1000 in cultivating, sowing, 

 weeding &c. We never hear of the energies of famine 

 labourers being thus utilized in raising a crop at the worst 

 time of the year, and throwing in an extra supply on the 

 market when the food supply usually gets to the lowest ebb. 

 Another special advantage claimed for the system of relief 

 work here recommended is, cultivators, will be able to go 

 and work in their own fields from June instead of diverting 

 their attention to famine works to the great detriment of the 

 agricultural prospects for the succeeding year. From 

 February to May is the slack time for cultivators, and if by 

 artificial methods a food-crop can be then raised by people in 

 distress, the advantage will be two-fold. 



1,452. Agricultural Banks. These should be under 

 Government supervision, and Government can guarantee an 

 interest of 3 per cent, per annum and transfer to the Banks 

 the duty of granting takavi loans on interest. Any raiyat 

 contributing to this Bank can thus be sure of his principal 

 and at least 3 per cent, by way of interest, and of getting 

 back in years of local distress the whole amount of his 

 contributions and accumulated profits, or on joint application 

 of a number of cultivators and shareholders, of getting back 

 the whole amount of their joint contribution. A larger 

 amount can be lent on joint security, under certain restric- 

 tions and interest charged thereon at 6^ per cent. As 

 shareholder, a raiyat should be eligible to share in the 



