66 Observations on Provincial Exhibitions, [no. o } new series, 



the natives themselves, which may not be greatly improved in the 

 state of cleanness or of preparation in which they are sent to market. 



5. In the Ganjam district the Collector says, the people are not 

 only " very bad cultivators," but they will not take the trouble to 

 clean and separate the good and bad seeds, nor learn that good rice 

 is often rendered of much less value, from the intermixture of even 

 a small quantity of inferior dark coloured grain. This was in vain 

 urged on the Ryots of Polaky, by Mr. Linares, a merchant of Calin- 

 gapatam, Coll. p. 27. But even in the district of Canara, where 

 the inhabitants are said to be " generally alive to their own inter- 

 " ests," and where " some departments of Agriculture are carried 

 " to a high pitch of perfection," " the methods of preparing the 

 articles for the market are often exceedingly defective," Coll. p. 

 154. But nothing can be worse than the practice alluded to by 

 the Collector of the same district, and said to be almost peculiar to 

 India " that is the system of Nerich or fixed price. A candy of 

 " tobacco for instance is brought down to a low price by means of 

 " adulteration ; the dealers have no resource, but to adulterate all 

 " the tobacco down to that value. For it is not the custom of the 

 " country to say, bring it me unadulterated and I will pay you a 

 " higher price. This is never done," Coll. p. 160. So the cotton of 

 India never realizes the price which it would command, if sent in 

 a clean and unadulterated state; for the consumers being accus- 

 tomed to meet with a certain proportion of dirt, reduce the price at 

 which they purchase, so as always to cover their loss, this in ad- 

 dition to the shortness of the staple, assists in keeping Indian cot- 

 ton at a low price ; so likewise the want of due preparation pre- 

 vents some Indian fibres, otherwise of good quality from attaining 

 their full value. 



6. Though this subject is not alluded to by all the Collectors, it 

 is one of the greatest importance; for if the cultivators of India 

 could be convinced of the benefit which would ultimately result to 

 themselves, a great good would be effected. For the higher prices 

 which Indian products would then command in European markets, 

 would enable local purchasers to give a better price than they now 

 can, to the actual producers of the goods. Prizes might therefore 



