cii Journal of the Asiatic Socieif/ of Bengal. [N.S., XII. 



which he sold for 300 dollars. His debts are now paid and he has cash in 

 the bank. So much for the education of the adult farmer. We now come 

 to the effect this movement has had on the education of youth. We are 

 told that the initiation of demonstration work and the application of the 

 principle of co-operation has resulted in the disappearance of the disorgani 

 zation characteristic of rural life. Colleges of agriculture, farmers' 

 institutes, agricultural high schools *' Boys' Corn Clubs," u Girls' Canning 

 and Poultry Clubs " and the like have been brought into existence where 

 practically none of these things existed before, and that the social 

 and educational awakening of the rural South is recognized a* being a 

 bye-product of the demonstration movement. Statistics show that the 

 provision for schools has steadily increased. 



We have seen how the experiment has succeeded. Might we not 

 with advantage apply the same principles to India ? Might we not invite 

 the co-operation of the Agricultural Department in a general scheme and 

 policy of education ? Is there any likelihood of success without this ? 

 Can we hope to give the youth of this country an adequate educational 

 service unless we go to the root of things, like the Americans have done, 

 and enlist and increase the activities of the Agricultural Department in 

 enlarging the resources of the cultivator and thus build our educational 

 system on the increased prosperity of the agricultural classes ? India i- 

 in no better position than the Southern States were 10 years ago. The 

 average earnings of individuals in the Southern States at that time were 

 150 dollars. In India, according to some authorities, under the most 

 optimistic calculations, they are as low as Rs. 30 per head. This gives 

 little or no scope for self-help. It therefore seems plain that under 

 present conditions we cannot expect the country to supply itself with the 

 means for an advanced system of education. Nor can Government be 

 expected to do so, for Government's resources are limited and depend 

 upon taxation and that in turn depends upon the ability of the people to 

 be taxed. All Government can do is merely to touch the fringe of the 

 problem and supply a modicum of education : it cannot afford to do more. 



The question then is whether we can, in any way, make the principle^ 

 which have been so successfully applied in America, applicable to India. 

 My belief is that we can. We have practically the same conditions her 

 as obtained in the Southern States 10 years ago. Already in the Province- 

 a great deal has been done by the Agricultural Department in the way of 

 demonstration of the character described and utilized by the American 

 Board of Education. But it does not go far enough It, however, form 

 a nucleus on which to expand and might well be .used as a beginning. 

 The work is on the right lines. But we require to do more. We want 

 more men, more money, wider organization, but above all, we require 

 the recognition amongst all classes that in this work lies the germ of 

 future progress. This is a point which is not generally recognized, or, if 

 so, it is certainly not acted upon. While the money spent to-day on 

 education is over 10 crores of rupees, that on agricultural development 

 is only 50 lakhs. That shows that we have not yet sot to view these two 

 important problems in their right perspective, and do not fully realize 

 the important relation which agriculture bears to education. Many 

 think that the development of agriculture depends on education, and we 

 gave effect to that view when we started our agricultural colleges. Bui- 

 would it not seem that the truth lies in the opposite direction and that 

 in a backward country like India the advance of education is really 

 dependent on the development of agriculture, and that the best form of 

 education you can give to the rural classes under existing circumstances 

 is demonstration in improved agricultural methods ? To carry out the 

 idea it is not necessary to bring our present educational policy to an end. 

 Government must supply a modicum of literary teaching and thi mu- 

 continue, but it would be an immense improvement if the Agricultural 

 Department were called in to co-operate and demonstration were given 

 a large share in the general scheme of education. 



