June, 1910. J 



541 



Miscellaneous. 



All agricultural machines and imple- 

 ments were shown at work daily. 

 Arrangements were made by which 

 cultivators from different districts were 

 brought to the exhibition on definite 

 dates. On these dates special attention 

 was given to such demonstration as 

 would be of interest to the cultivators 

 concerned. For example, the people of 

 Chhattisgarh who are now for the first 

 time learning how to transplant their 

 rice were shown by skilled workers on 

 specially reserved plots in the exhibition 

 grounds the whole process of preparing 

 the land and actually transplanting the 

 paddy. 



Bombay.— The lines on which the agri- 

 cultural section of the exhibition of 1904 

 was run were not very different from 

 those just described. It owed its suc- 

 cess to similar causes, though it was 

 hardly so highly developed as that at 

 Nagpur. Nearly 500 selected cultivators 

 were taken to the show, exhibits were 

 demonstrated in four languages and as 

 a result there has been a largely increased 

 sale of improved implements, while en- 

 quiries addressed to the department 

 have been steadily increasing, 



But such large provincial exhibitions 

 can only be organised on special occa- 

 sions and under special circumstances, 

 Smaller shows can, however, be held at 

 more frequent intervals and are so 

 held in every province. They range in 

 size from institutions llike that at 

 Ly all pur in the Punjab, annually 

 attended by 1C0,000 people and attached 

 to a large cattle fair, to small taluka 

 shows in parts of the Bombay Presidency 

 or to the demonstrations which are made 

 in connection with the smaller cattle 

 fairs and religious festivals in Madras. 

 It is probable that the principles which 

 should guide the organization of such 

 shows are the following. While local 

 effort may and should direct and arrange 

 the show, the part which the Agricul- 

 tural Department takes in it should be 

 very carefully organised and attended 

 to by one of the superior staff of 

 the department. Agricultural products 

 which cannot be grown on the culti- 

 vators 'own land should be excluded. 

 As many things as possible should be 

 shown in motion, as these are always 

 centres of attraction. Popular lectures 

 with lantern illustrations, where suit- 

 able, should be combined with practical 

 demonstrations. Farm produce should 

 be arranged in sufficiently large quan- 

 tities to allow of being handled by those 

 interested. A larger number of small 

 shows thus organised are probably more 

 useful than fewer ones on a large scale, 

 provided local interest is thoroughly 



aroused. Success in such small shows is, 

 however, largely connected with the 

 presence of working exhibits, which can 

 be sent from show to show. The interest 

 of the cultivators themselves must also 

 be aroused and maintained, and in this 

 connection attention may be called to 

 the magic lantern exhibitions on agri- 

 cultural subjects arranged in recent 

 years in connection with the shows in 

 Bengal. 



It must be remembered, however, that 

 such shows and exhibitions take up a 

 considerable amount of the time of the 

 staff of the Agricultural Department, 

 and this method of introducing improve- 

 ments should take its place in such order 

 as is considered best for each province. 



IX.— Itinerant Assistants. 



Bombay— In Bombay some of the 

 senior assistants of the department have 

 been employed for a number of years in 

 travelling in the districts, and this 

 method of introducing improvements, 

 getting in touch with the cultivators 

 and finding out the local difficulties, has 

 been so successful that a considerable 

 extension of the system is being made. 

 Among other work these assistants have 

 been spreading large quantities of Broach 

 cotton seed in suitable areas and also 

 superior varieties of ground nut, and 

 reports on the success of these introduc- 

 tions have been collected by the same 

 agency. Experience has shown that 

 only men specially chosen as being able 

 to win the confidence of cultivators 

 should be sent. Further, they are 

 always sent out to tour for definite pur- 

 poses and are required to furnish fre- 

 quent reports as to the progress they 

 are making. Definiteness of work and 

 regular supervision are felt to be abso- 

 lutely essential. 



Madras — In Madras there are no itin- 

 erant assistants attached to districts. 

 The managers and other officers attached 

 to agricultural, stations are encouraged 

 to tour in the tracts to make them 

 thoroughly familiar with the local prac- 

 tice. If any special line of demons- 

 tration is to be brought before the culti- 

 vator, one of them is put on to special 

 duty. Local fairs and festivals are 

 attended and demonstrations are fre- 

 quently held there. It is noticed that 

 where such touring has been done the 

 cultivator has begun to realise that the 

 department is working for his benefit. 

 In addition to this a specially chosen 

 senior assistant will now be attached to 

 each Deputy Director. These assistants 

 are further often used by the Deputy 

 Director to go through a district pre- 

 vious to his own tours which are hence 



