Miscellaneous. 



152 



[August, 1908. 



institutions, such as banks, credit asso- 

 ciations, etc. ; by direct financial aid and 

 by various legislative and executive 

 stimuli." All these aids are in active 

 operation, and their effects are becoming 

 obvious in many ways, What lessons 

 can we, in India, learn from them ? In 

 most directions in this country a begin- 

 ning has been made, but in every matter 

 we are yet on the threshold of progress. 

 In suite of the urgent need for restoring 

 to the land the cattle manure now con- 

 sumed as fuel, very little has yet been 

 done to encourage plantation. Agri- 

 cultural education is yet in its infancy. 

 Besides the Agricultural School at Cawn- 

 pore, lately raised to the status of a Col- 

 lege, there is no institution in the 

 United Provinces where special instruc- 

 tion in agriculture can be obtained. 

 The Department of Agriculture is in pro- 

 cess of expansion, but is still much too 

 weak for the mainfold functions expected 

 of it. Till recently there was but one 

 agricultural experimental station— also 

 at Cawnpore — now there are four, and 

 others are in process of being establish- 

 ed, and useful experiments ai*e being 

 carried on. Measures have been recently 

 taken to encourage associations for co- 

 operative credit and co-operative supply 

 of good seed. Operations in these direc- 

 tions will expand, and in course of time 

 their influence will be felt, but in every 

 country the conservatism of the farmer, 

 relying as he does on generations of 

 experience', is proverbial, and India is 

 no exception to the rule. The cultivator 

 is slow to adopt new methods, imple- 

 ments and materials even if their 

 efficacy is proved. Could not new ideas 

 be introduced by agricultural associa- 

 tions formed as in Japan for the pro- 

 vince, for the district, the tahsil and the 

 village, all connected with each other 

 and inter-dependent? As Mr. Plunkett 

 said in recommending the formation of 

 similar associations in Ireland, "I wish 

 to call your attention to another and 

 very important aspect of local organisa- 

 tion. While people differ as to the 

 possible increased production which 

 would result from improved husbandry, 

 it is generally admitted that tne soil of 

 Ireland does not produce anything like 

 what it ought to produce. An opinion 

 prevails that the desired reform in our 

 agricultural methods will follow upon 

 the establishment of an Agricultural 

 Department, of which I shall speak 

 presently. Now I have a strong belief, 

 based upon a cosiderable amount of 

 observation, that no means of improving 

 the methods of farmers will be of any 

 great utility, so long as a central body 

 tries to work upon unorganised indivi- 

 dual farmers. House-to-house work 



with this object is slow, laborious, and 

 utterly ineffectual. Habit exercises a 

 predominant influence which no amount 

 of misson work can overcome. When, 

 on the other hand, the iudividuals 

 are organised into societies, then the 

 latter form an easy channel for the 

 dissemination of information and a 

 lever fur the enforcement of better 

 methods. And, in addition to this fact, 

 you will flud that in such an association 

 the advance thinkers come to the front, 

 and that the others follow them — the 

 whole process resulting in the triumph 

 of intelligence and progressiveness over 

 habit." And this is at least as true of 

 India as it is of Ireland. In Japan the 

 institution of these associations is an 

 accomplished fact. The village associa- 

 tion is formed by consent of two-thirds 

 of the persons qualified to join it, i.e., 

 all landowners and occupiers, and when 

 once formed all persons qualified to join 

 must become members. A typical asso- 

 ciation is described by the author. It 

 has 500 members, and an income of 

 Rs. 777. The headman of the village is 

 president, and the paid employe is an 

 expert on Rs. 180, an assistant expert on 

 Rs. 60, a secretary on Rs. 45 per annum. 

 Some of the work done by it is as 

 follows :— " Preparation of statistical and 

 economic report of the village of which 

 200 copies were printed and distributed ; 

 the provisiou of four temporary agri- 

 cultural classes attended by 33 men, and 

 the despatch of a student to learn about 

 noxious insects, the provision of agri- 

 cultural lectures ; the award of honour, 

 and prizes to successful farmers ; the 

 grant of rewards to persons, especially 

 school boys most successful in destroying 

 noxious insects ; the co-operative pur- 

 chase of manures ; the protection of 

 useful birds ; the establishment of 

 more compost heaps ; distribution of 

 seeds, plants and eggs to farmers 

 and to school boys; the purchase and 

 distribution of seed , the disinfection of 

 silkworm sheds ; the establishment of 

 a mulberry farm ; the award of prizes 

 such as implements, fans, etc., for field 

 competitions (not samples) of four kinds— 

 for seed beds, rice, vegetables and mul- 

 berries." It is uoticeable that special 

 care was taken to interest the boys of 

 primary schools in agricultural matters. 

 Each village association elects a deputy, 

 and these deputies form the country {i.e., 

 Tashil) association. Similarly each 

 Country Association elects a deputy, and 

 these deputies form the prefectural (i.e., 

 district) association. The prefectural 

 associations elect deputies who form a 

 Standing Committee or Central Agricul- 

 tural Council. There is thus a chain of 

 associations, the lowest link of which 



