Agricultural Finance & Co-operation. 436 



(May, 1912. 



account alone. There is the future con- 

 sideration that the fact of the presence 

 of an undue amount of potash causes the 

 assimilation of other bases to be defi- 

 cient, and the plant is accordingly 

 deprived of the means by which the 

 important and useful anatomical and 

 physiological changes that are depen- 

 dent on them may be brought about. 



The conclusions reached in the article 

 under review are that, firstly, since lime, 

 soda and magnesia cost nine-tenths less 

 than potash, practical field experiments 

 should be made in order to determine 

 how far these bases may be substituted 



for potash ; secondly that there should 

 be ascertained the best proportions of 

 lime, magnesia and sulphate of potash, 

 for the development of legumes and all 

 other plants, as well as the extent to 

 which, when these proportions [are 

 assured, nitrogen should be added to the 

 soil ; thirdly for different soils, the effects 

 on the soil of potash, and of lime and 

 magnesia, should be investigated. 



It is evident that the proper carrying 

 out of such work should do much toward 

 the devising of methods of manurial 

 treatment that will contribute to the 

 realization of maximum returns with 

 minimum expenditure. 



AGRICULTURAL FINANCE AND CO-OPERATION. 



THE MORAL INFLUENCE OP CO- 

 OPERATIVE CREDIT. 



(Prom the Indian Agriculturist Vol. 



XXXVII.. No. 1, January 1, 1912.) 

 Mr. Henry Wolff when advocating the 

 extension of co-operative credit has never 

 failed to dwell on the moral effect of 

 the movement in which he is so deeply 

 interested. The report of Mr. S. H, 

 Fremantle, the Registrar of Societies in 

 the United Provinces, affords the most 

 remarkable evidence in support of Mr, 

 Wolff's contentions, A genuine spirit of 

 co-operation is growing up among the 

 villagers, who in some districts regard 

 membership of their society as a priv- 

 ilege, and refuse it to persons who are 

 known to be of doubtful character. The 

 people have also proved themselves ready 

 to come to the assistance of fellow 

 members in the day of adversity, In 

 Benares a member died leaving an 

 indebtedness to a society of Rs. 57. His 

 widow and minor son were unable to 

 meet this obligation, whereupon the re- 

 maining members raised a subscription 

 and paid the debt. Another instance is 

 recorded of a member who had frequently 

 lost his pass-book being tried by the 

 panchayat and fined four annas tor his 

 negligence. The fine was utilised to buy 

 sweetmeats for the i boys of the locality 



who were, no doubt, duly impressed with 

 the advantage of having a co-operative 

 society in the village. Disciplinary 

 measures were also taken against one 

 Balwant Singh, panch of the Thora 

 Society, who had been secretly keeping 

 up a connection with the local mahajans. 

 For this offence Balwant Singh was 

 fined eight annas and promptly degraded 

 from his panchayatship. It is amusing 

 but also gratifying to learn that b/wjans, 

 or songs, in praise of co-operation have 

 been composed, and that the popularity 

 of these economic ballads is gradually ex- 

 tending. As in Bengal, it is found in 

 the United Provinces that a desire for 

 education is created and stimulated by 

 the movement. The co-operators desire 

 to read their own passbooks and to sign 

 their own pro-notes. "The general 

 atmosphere of progress engendered by 

 the societies," writes Mr. Fremantle, 

 " makes the members keen on the ex- 

 tension of education. I have accord- 

 ingly encouraged societies to devote a 

 portion of their profits to tne education 

 of their children. The amounts, how- 

 ever, so available are very small, and 

 some societies in Fatehpur have solved 

 the difficulty in their own way by insis* 

 ting on their secretary giving up two 

 hours a day to teaching." In other cases 

 societiea have supplemented the in? 



