Miicellaneous* 



380 



[April, 1900. 



that an auction of seed cotton was all 

 that was required during the present 

 season in connection with Broach cotton 

 grown in Dharwar. I am not prepared 

 at present to put forward any com- 

 prehensive scheme for the supply of pure 

 cotton seed. 



"As regards (d), the reply given at 

 the Conference by Dr. Mann (vide page 

 10 of the proceedings) was accepted by 

 the Chairman on behalf of Government, 

 and I have nothing to add except that 

 an attempt will be made to act on those 

 views. Some cultivators are at their 

 own request already being instructed 

 in seed selection and ploughing with 

 iron on the farms. 



" As regards (e), we do contribute to 

 vernacular newspapers any information 

 that we have to offer. I am going to 

 have a series of brief vernacular leaflets 

 prepared, each dealing with a single 

 agricultural fact of ascertained value- 

 These will be primarily inteuded for 

 distribution after a practical demon- 

 stration ; but they will also be contri- 

 buted to the Vernacular Press. 



"As regards (J), I will see that this is 

 done in future forecast reports. 



Agricultural Associations. 

 " As regards (g), I have consulted the 

 Commissioners and Collectors on this 

 point, and have received hitherto seven 

 replies, several of which are encourag- 

 ing though of necessity vague. There 

 are in existence in this Presidency some 

 half dozen associations which have a 

 wholly or partially agricultural object 

 in view. The most efficient association 

 in the Presidency is the Taluka Associ- 

 ation at Sangamner, where there is a 

 happy combination of private and 

 official effort, and where the educated 

 classes are keen to assist and the culti- 

 vators to learn. This association has 

 been very useful to us, and I think that 

 we can claim to have been useful to 

 tnern, I attach a report of a recent 

 Agricultural Show held there which 

 may be of interest. The success of the 

 association is due, I believe, to the per- 

 sonality of the organizex;s ; the success 

 of our connection Avith it is due to the 

 fact that we now have at Poona what 

 we have nowhere else, a numerically 

 strong agricultural staff with sufficient 

 organisation and leisure to take the 

 field on occasion offering. This staff 

 has many other duties to perform at 

 the College and on the farms, but a 

 party can be made available for a short 

 period at any time of the year, and 

 for a considerable period in the College 

 vacation, and this constitutes our only 

 efficient striking arm. In the rest of 

 the Presidency our staff are of neces- 



sity confined to the farms, and we are 

 unable to put a strong party into the 

 field. I regard the ability to dc this 

 as essential to the successful inaugu- 

 ration of agricultural associations. If 

 the department had at its disposal a 

 mass of exclusive information of proved 

 value which had only to be brought to 

 the notice of the cultivators to be taken 

 up, the matter would be simple ; but as 

 Government know, this is not the case. 

 We have valuable information to com- 

 muicate on a few points, but it is not 

 of an obvious kind which can be thrown 

 at the heads of cultivators ; it must be 

 carefully demonstrated by a competent 

 man who not only knows the theory of 

 what he is teaching, but can answer 

 the practical difficulties of the culti- 

 vators and prove the suitability of the 

 suggestions to local conditions. The 

 first sign of activity which an agricul- 

 tural association makes is to write in 

 and ask for an agricultural expert to 

 come and advise them, demonstrate 

 improved implements to them, and 

 supply them with superior seed and 

 manure. If it were possible to call into 

 existence a number of agricultural asso- 

 ciations, the only result would be that 

 we should have to write round and say 

 that we were unable to supply their 

 demands. I shall welcome any associ- 

 ations that may be spontaneously 

 formed, but it would be premature to 

 appoint any officer to create them. I 

 am most anxious to concentrate the 

 work of this Department so far as I 

 cau, and make a definite impression on 

 a few particular spots. When we can 

 do this, we shall have cultivators coming 

 round and saying ' come and help us 

 like you have helped the people of X.' 

 When this occurs the battle is half won. 

 The moment that we are ready for the 

 associations. Ave will do our best to 

 call them into existence, and meantime 

 will keep our eyes open for suitable 

 location. As it is we are moving slowly 

 in the right direction. During the 

 present month a strong party consisting 

 of Messrs. Knight, Kalkar and Patil will 

 visit the Kolaba district, under the 

 auspices of the Kolaba District Associ- 

 ation, to inspect and advise on agri- 

 cultural conditions and demonstrate 

 whatever may be suitable. The Dhar- 

 war Agricultural Association proposes 

 to add to its present activities the 

 creation of a depot for supplying selected 

 cotton seed. The Village Association at 

 Rander, near Surat, is showing signs of 

 activity. Messrs- Main and Bhimbhai 

 are in touch with it ; and I hope soon to 

 be able to attend to their most pressing 

 requisition by bringing down a well- 

 boring plant to try on their wells. I 

 have recently asked for sanction to Mr. 



