2 CEITEEION OF PEOGEESS 



in each, without reference to the present rate of pro- 

 gress either in the one or the other. Thus while 

 progress and prosperity are closely allied, they must 

 not be confused ; for a country which progresses, but 

 at a slower rate than other countries, will fall farther 

 into the rear in the world's race for national prosperity. 

 It is not difficult to form a general idea of the material 

 prosperity of a country. The ordinary standard of 

 comfort apparent to the casual traveller will give a 

 fair idea of it ; and a rough computation of the neces- 

 saries and comforts which the average income of the 

 various classes of the people will provide gives a more 

 exact idea. In India, as is well known, the standard 

 of living is low ; and in comparing it with the 

 standard of living in England some people have put 

 it as low as 1 to 6. It is not, however, with the 

 standard of prosperity that this book is primarily 

 concerned, but with the conditions of progress and 

 the rate at which agricultural progress does or might 

 take place. What criterion are we going to take of 

 agricultural progress ? Looking at the question from 

 the strictly business point of view, it may fairly be 

 argued that the only criterion of success in farming, 

 as in other enterprises, is to be found in the percent- 

 age of profit obtained on capital employed. This 

 criterion would be suitable for a large and well- 

 financed estate managed solely for profit, but it is 

 applicable only in a slight degree to the case of small 

 holdings where little capital is employed, and where 

 the object of the cultivator is not so much to get a 



