X¢cii Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.8., XV, 
investigator. During the past 25 years, however, I have had 
Officer, to study the economic condition of the cultivators in 
this Presidency, and I propose to address you on some econo- 
mic factors which I conceive to be of fundamental importance 
in the matter of agricultural progress. Political Economy has, 
1 believe, — described as the “ dismal Science.” I fear that 
you may my remarks dismal, but I hope that you will not 
tind them omelets. My excuse for addressing you on a 
subject somewhat remote from Physical Science is that I think 
that all you agricultural workers in this country, whether you 
n 
great value to the community, but the economic condition is 
often such that hardly anyone is in a position to take advant- 
age of your discovery. This cannot fail to be very dishearten- 
ing to yourselves, to the public nye is looking for material 
advancement at your hands, and t e Governments to whom 
we have to look for increased ee If the existing econo- 
mic difficulties were insuperable, there would be little use in 
railing against them; but it is because I believe that they can 
overcome and that a situation can be created in which the 
practical value of a labours can be greatly increased, that I 
venture to address you on the subject. 
Stated in its briefest possible form, my proposition is this. 
In farming there are two fundamental units, the farm and the 
farmer. Yor agricultural progress it is necessary that the farm 
should = rg fixed and permanent unit, so that it may admit of 
nt improvement and adequate development, and that 
the sama should be a fluid and moveable unit, so that the 
right men may get to the tight places. Speaking generally we 
find, to our misfortune, that in India the exact reverse is the 
case, that the farm on the one hand is subject to a continuous 
ries of economic earthquakes, and that the farmer on the 
aie hand is fixed and rooted. 
To turn first to the farm. So much has been said during 
mentation of holdings, and the evil has b een so generally 
recognized that I do not propose to go into in an 
ti No orderly development, no effective improvement 
can take place in a holding which is the wrong size and sha 
and which has no stability. The fact that this is true not only 
in theory but also in practice can be verified by anyone who 
