June, 1910.] 



545 



Miscellaneous. 



United Provinces.— -In the United 

 Provinces an offer is made to teach and 

 train labourers if they are sent to the 

 farms. Wages are paid, but not many 

 usually avail themselves of the oppor- 

 tunity. Courses for cultivators at experi- 

 mental farms have not been tried system- 

 atically, because it is a risky proceeding 

 as they are likely to be more impressed 

 by experimental failures than by experi- 

 mental successes. Demand exists for 

 similar facilities in the Central Pro- 

 vinces, but only from missionary schools. 



Eastern Bengal and Assam.— In 

 Eastern Bengal and Assam sons of culti- 

 vators are given apprenticeships tenable 

 at the experimental stations. They are 

 required to do manual work on the farms 

 and are trained by the farm superintend- 

 ents in experimental work for two 

 years, after which they are sent out as 

 demonstrators among thoir fellow cultiv- 

 ators. It will be seen that experience 

 so far has not been sufficient to indicate 

 how far a demand exists for vernacular 

 instruction by means of short courses at 

 the Agricultural Colleges or at the 

 experimental farms. With suitable 

 precautions the practical training of the 

 sons of ryots might probably be under- 

 taken with advantage, but, at present, 

 it is impossible to lay down what these 

 precautions must be. 



XV.— Utilization of Court op Wards 

 Estates. 



When zamindari estates are under the 

 management of the Court of Wards, a 

 great opportunity exists for demon- 

 strating improved methods. Systematic 

 efforts are now being made in this 

 direction by the Madras Court of Wards. 

 An expert has been appointed as Agricul- 

 tural Adviser to the Court. It is his 

 duty to make detailed inspections of 

 the estates under management aud draw 

 up a comprehensive programme of what 

 ought to be done to improve the agricul- 

 ture on the estate. If it is or becomes free 

 from debt, i home farm is usually started 

 at a convenient centre: eight such 

 farms now exist in the Madras Presi- 

 dency. These are under the executive 

 control of the Agricultural Adviser, 

 Their most important objects are (1) to 

 instruct the ryots of the estate in better 

 methods of agricultural practice and 

 stock-raising, (2) to form an interesting 

 and profitable occupation and hobby for 

 young zamindars when they succeed to 

 their estates. 



This method might profitably be fol- 

 lowed in such provinces as have large 

 zamindari estates. Even without the 

 appointment of an expert much can be 

 done by Managers of Court of Wards 

 69 



Estates to improve the agriculture of 

 their districts, and it wo aid be well if this 

 were recognised as an important duty 

 by each Manager. 



XVI. — Co-operation between 

 Officers of the Agricultural 



Department and District Officers. 



There is large scope for co-operation 

 between the executive officers of Govern- 

 ment and those of the Agricultural 

 Department. The District Officer has a 

 close knowledge of his own district, his 

 influence is great among the people and 

 his appointment as president of the local 

 agricultural association at once gives 

 dignity and status to it. His influence 

 is particularly great in connection with 

 all matters where co-operative credit 

 is involved, and these will be more and 

 more important as time goes on. In 

 those provinces where work among culti- 

 vators is most highly developed, it has 

 largely been connected with the presence 

 of an enthusiastic or sympathetic dis- 

 trict officer. It is therefore important 

 that all officers of the Agricultural 

 Department should keep in as close 

 touch as possible with the district officers 

 and discuss freely with them auy pro- 

 posals they may have for work in the 

 district. 



XVII. — General Conclusions. 

 Before proceeding to draw general 



conclusions on the subject of the present 

 report it will be well to refer to the 

 financial aspect of the question. It is 

 impossible to estimate the value of any 

 method to a cultivator unless account be 

 taken of his financial conditions. Ideas 

 of a ryot's financial condition are often 

 very vague. It is probable that in many 

 parts of India a cultivator does not have 

 any ready capital. He has to borrow 

 every year to meet the expenses of culti- 

 vation, and the rates of interest which 

 he has to pay in some provinces are 

 of teu 24 per cent, and sometimes more 

 per annum. Ic may not, therefore, be 

 sufficient that a new method involving 

 additional outlay will give a return of 10 

 to 20 per cent, over the old method. Ac- 

 count must also be taken of the extra 

 capital involved and the rate of interest 

 which the agriculturist will have to pay 

 for this. As the cultivator has no 

 capital he can afford to take no risks. 

 Unless we can show that the new method 

 is a certainty, the cultivator will not 

 take it up. A certainty will mean as 

 a rule to a ryot something which will 

 give him a return of over 25 per cent, 

 on the extra capital invested. The 

 Indian cultivator is not nearly so con- 

 servative as is often supposed. He is 

 quick to see any advantage, but there 



