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The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



the Japanese principle. In fact, the Japanese 

 cVu npt look upon the land as the source of 

 the crop, but rather as the basis or medium 

 through which the manure produces the crop. 

 All refuse is carefully preserved, the cattle 

 are stall-fed and not allowed to wander all 

 day over rocky wastes as in India, and thus 

 manure is saved and economised. Every 

 possible kind of green and decayed manure 

 is used. How great are the possibilities in 

 Madras, with its 40 million cattle, sheep and 

 goats and with all the refuse that now litters 

 up the streets and lanes of every village ! All 

 were urged to endeavour to teach the people 

 to have pits in their back yards, and ad- 

 joining their villages, into which all refuse 

 should be thrown and preserved. 



Trees. 



Sir Frederick next considered the subject 

 of trees. Concerning this subject, he would 

 like to speak for several hours. Trees were 

 the main hope of the Madras ryot. They 

 ameliorate the climate, produce firewood, bring 

 up nourishment from the sub-soil, provide 

 shade for man and beast, and thus protect 

 them from the fierce heat of the sun, as well 

 as provide a yearly income from their pro- 

 duces. Not in frequently, in famine times, 

 when crops are a failure, trees yield their 

 most abundant crop. Looking out from Coa- 

 ker's Walk, the lecturer said, for miles and 

 miles there are no trees except where the 

 roads run. Not long ago, most of this land 

 was all jungle. One of the greatest needs in 

 India is' the cultivation of trees and shrubs 

 on waste areas. In J?=pan on every private 

 holding there is a portion of dry land planted 

 with trees. The tea crop is grown systemati- 

 cally, to rest the land. In 1905, 203 million cubic 

 feet of timber were cut from private lands, and 

 this representor! lakhs of rupees. There were also 

 800 million seedlings planted on privata and vil- 

 lage lands. The advantage of trees is realised 

 when it is remembered that a single tamarind 

 tree in India will yield enough to pay the land 

 assesment on several acres of land. In the 

 Madras Presidency land is too superficially 

 cultivated. There is abundance of land to spare 

 for planting trees, for one-fifth of the dry land 

 lies fallow. Government will grant waste lands 

 free of taxes for ten years to any who will plant 

 trees on them. Every person having a house in. 

 India can at least begin with planting fruit 

 trees in the back yard. A tree nursery could be 

 started in the yard adjoining every house, _ and 

 then the people would care for the seedlings, 

 for they will take care of a seedling, where they 

 will not create one. Missionaries and Christians 

 • -would help much by starting nurseries and 

 distributing seedlings. In the Salem District 

 there is an avenue of tamarind trees 17 miles 

 long and the income from them moro than pays 

 for the upkeep of the road. Seedlings should 

 also be planted in connection with each school 

 and the childron taught to care for and plant 

 trees. 



Agricultural Education. 

 The next item considered was the cultivation 

 of the man, which, Sir Frederick said, was more 

 important than the cultivation of the soil. Great 



attention has been paid to agricultural educa- 

 tion in Japan. In 1904, there was some 26,000 

 schools in which natural science is a part of the 

 course for all boys over ten years of age. Those 

 trained as teachers are specially taught the 

 relation of plants to man, and three or four hours 

 a week are devoted to the teaching of agricul- 

 ture in all normal schools. The course is not 

 only theoretical, but experimental, and every 

 effort is made to demonstrate what can be done. 

 There are several Travelling Inspectors, who 

 give lectures in different places, visit villages, 

 inspect farms and give hints regarding improved 

 methods and holds Conferences with the 

 peasants. There are also thousands of publi- 

 cations every year which are distributed and 

 hung up in public places, so that all who wish 

 can refer to and follow the hints and suggestions 

 given according to the latest discoveries of 

 agricultural science. One year there were 

 43,000 publications. 



Co-operation. 



In conclusion, Sir Frederick said that the 

 most important point of all was co-operation. 

 India seeds what Japan has widely developed — 

 Co-operative Associations among the farmers. 

 From these all improvement will grow; there will 

 be, as there has been in Japan, great extension of 

 knowledge, progress in wealth, and improve- 

 ments in method and in the introduction of proper 

 machinery. In mutual help liesthe secret of suc- 

 cess. It is almost impossible to influence an 

 individual and get him to take a forward step, 

 but by means of an Association, a group of indi- 

 viduals, marvels can be accomplished. Enthu- 

 siasm, vying one with another for the honour of 

 carrying on experiments, increaseil interest and 

 keenness in work will be the result. Not what 

 is done for the people but what is done by the 

 people will tell. Co-operative Associations will 

 result in Co-operative Agricultural Banks and 

 in the creation of credit. How widely the co- 

 operative movement has spread in Japan is re- 

 vealed by the statistics, which show that there 

 are in that country 48 Districts, 579 Taluqs and 

 12,000 village Co-operative Associations in 13,000 

 villages. The District and Taluq Associations 

 are very practical ami encourage the formation 

 fo village Associations, 



Suggestions for India. 



Sir Frederick gave the following excellent 

 suggestions for developing co-operation and 

 interest in improving agricultural methods: — 

 (1) Disseminate knowledge by means of publica- 

 tions, lectures and instruction in schools ; (2) 

 Offer prizes to ryots for the best field and crop, 

 also give prizes to faithful servants ; (3) pro- 

 mise rewards to school children for gardens, the 

 destruction of harmful insects, caterpillars, etc.; 

 (4) inaugurate prize competitions and offer vil- 

 lage honours to farmers, for the cleanest field, 

 the best crop, the best methods, etc. 



The beneficial results of a Co-operative So- 

 ciety in the Chingleput District were quoted. 

 The members were so interested that each one 

 was a propagandist and all were doing much 

 in interesting the community in agricultural re- 

 form. In the Salem District, also, there were 

 some rural Societies that were very successful, 



