April, 1909.] 



,<81 



Miscellaneous. 



Patil being put on district work in the 

 Deccan, and as soon as opportunity 

 occurs, I shall make similar proposals for 

 other localities. 



Government's Reply. 

 Revolution.— The important sugges- 

 tions made at the Agricultural Con- 

 ference held at Ahmedabad in November, 

 1907, are :— 



(a) The creation of museums for the 

 exhibition annually of cotton samples ; 



(b) Offers of large prizes at Agricultural 

 Shows for exhibits of cotton in bulk, 

 with a view to the encouragement of the 

 growth of good stapled cotton on a 

 commercial scale ; 



(c) The encouragement of such cultiva- 

 tion by the purchase by Government of 

 such improved cotton or the seed of such 

 cotton at high rates ; 



(d) The establishment of model Agri- 

 cultural Stations for the general training 

 of agriculturists ; 



(e) The more extended use of verna- 

 cular newspapers for the spread of 

 scientific agricultural knowledge : 



(J) The introduction of a percentage 

 notation for the use of the trade in all 

 reports on crop estimates ; 



(g) The encouragement of Agricultural 

 Asssociations. 



As regards (a), (b) and (c), the Director 

 of Agriculture should be informed that 

 the Government are somewhat disap- 

 pointed that he does not consider 

 feasible more definite action than he 

 has suggested. He should be requested 

 to consider the subject further in con- 

 sultation with a Committee, including a 

 Bombay Mill-owner, an Ahmedabad 

 Mill-owner, and Mr, Gammie, if these 

 gentlemen will agree to give their 

 services for the purpose. The general 

 subject on which advise is required is 

 the best practical method of (1) making 

 known to purchasers and growers of 

 cotton the improvements which the 

 Department is introducing and endea- 

 vouring to introduce in cotton, and (2) of 

 effecting a distribution of pure and good 

 varieties. 



As regards (d) and (/), the Director's 

 recommendations are accepted. 



As to point (e), publication of agri- 

 cultural information, the proposals made 

 at the Conference as to the use of exist- 

 ing newspapers and periodicals are 

 sound, and Government agree that, if 

 well used, they will form an effective 

 means of bringing improvements to the 

 notice of the rural population. The 

 Director of Agriculture states that a 

 series of brief vernacular leaflets will be 

 prepared, each dealing with a single 



agricultural fact of ascertained value, 

 and that these will be primarily intended 

 for distribution after a practical demon- 

 stration, and will also be contributed to 

 the Vernacular Press in the Moffusil, 

 which should be induced to take an 

 interest in agricultural matters. Such 

 leaflets should be short publications, 

 which should be issued under the 

 authority of a responsible officer of the 

 Department, preferably by the Principal 

 of the Agricultural College, Poona, and 

 should be distributed broadcast to all 

 native papers and also to Agricultural 

 Associations. Great care should be 

 taken to ensure that these literary 

 efforts are presented in a lucid and 

 attractive form in the several verna- 

 culars. They should issue only when 

 there is some ascertained fact to des- 

 cribe ; endeavours should be made to 

 make the supply of them constant and 

 regular, and the provision of that supply 

 should be the recognised duty of an 

 officer of the Department. 



Active Agricultural Movement, 



The report ot the Committee shows 

 clearly that, of all the subjects discussed, 

 the method which was considered to 

 afford most prospect of bringing about 

 improvement was the development of 

 Agricultural Associations. There was 

 evidently enthusiasm in this direction 

 and enthusiasm which Government think 

 should be utilised. Government are of 

 opinion, therefore that, while there 

 should be absolutely no forcing of associ- 

 ations on either villages, talukas, or dis- 

 tricts, yet in any place where there is, 

 endeavours may usefully be made to 

 form associations. Centres where there 

 is such a movement already exist in 

 some parts of* the Presidency, The 

 Nira Canal tract in the Deccan forms 

 one, where the people are extremely 

 keen, and the Department has a small 

 demonstration station which would form 

 a centre of interest and of work. There 

 are undoubtedly other places where 

 groups of men could be found who are 

 ready for advance. Government under- 

 stand that centres of such advance are 

 to be found in Satara, Nasik and Kolaba. 

 One useful association is already in 

 existence at Dharwar and another at 

 Sangammer in the Ahmednagar District. 

 There are some valuable results to place 

 before the people in such centres, and 

 even more important still it will be 

 possible in such centres to learn what 

 the cultivators really want to know. 

 For many years such bodies will succeed 

 only when the local conditions are 

 exceptionally favourable. Unnatural 

 growths will wither away, leaving the 

 sense of failure and disappointment 



