September i, 1888.] THF. TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
169 
INDIAN AGRICULTURE, Ac. 
"India in 1887, as seen by Robert Wallace, 
Prokkksor ok Aokicolturb and Rural Eco- 
nomy in the University ok Edinburgh." 
We have to thank Professor Wallace for a copy 
of his interesting book, the result of a visit which ho 
paid to India and Ceylon about a year ago, when we 
had the opportunity of meeting him and admiring his 
combined shrowtlness and onthusiasm. The value 
of the work is greatly enhanced by the profuse illus- 
trations, most of them from photographs taken by the 
author. The previous training of the traveller as Pro- 
fessor of Agriculture, first at Cirencester and sub- 
sequently at Edinburgh, qualified him to observe 
carefully and arrive rapidly at conclusions, some of 
which may be of immense value to a country so 
largely agricultural as India is, in increasing supplies 
of good draught cattle and field crops, so enhancing 
the comfort of tho people and tending to avert 
famine. Professor Wallace has in his book discussed 
not only tho modes and appliances of Indian agricul- 
ture, but a vast number of subsidiary circumstances 
connected with or which affect the success of 
tho tillers of the soil. He is especially strong 
on the breeds and troatment of cattle, but he does 
not fail to givo his opinion on currency. Forestry 
is varied by remarks on chemistry, and the Pro- 
fessor speaks of plants, from that important food- 
yielder the mango to the grasses, which in their 
quality and luxuriance (and they are too often 
.scanty and innutritious) affect the number and 
tho strength of cattle — zebus and buffaloes — 
on which the whole fahrio of Indian agriculture 
rests ; even irrigating water losing most of its 
valuo of the patient ani laborious oxen are not 
available, for every process from the treading 
of the mud to the treading out of the corn. 
While doing justice to isolated cases of in- 
teresting experiments and valuable results, Pro- 
fessor Wallace -is by no means satisfied with 
the attention which the Indian Government has 
• devoted to tho aid and improvement of agricul- 
ture. Even in such attempts has have been made, he, 
with his large and special experience, found much 
to question and criticize, and he thus concludes 
tho introduction to his book : — 
" My object in writing an acconut of my Indian 
experiences, beyond the personal gratification of 
doing so, is to induce Government to alter its plans 
aa rogardod an Agriculture Department, and to see 
tlmt ground which has been lost by inexperienced 
oflicors is yet capable of being regained by efforts 
mado in the right directiou. One of the most 
hopeful signs that my dosires in the matter of an 
Agrirulturo Department in India may be realized 
is the promiso of our homo Government to create 
a Minister of Agriculture and a special Department 
of Agrioulture for (Ireat Britain. Arguing in the 
abstract — if this country, witli all its wealth and 
the groatnosB and variety of its recources, requires 
such an organization, what must India require within 
hor narrow grooves of commercial life, with tho 
evils of an over-crowded population at no groat 
distance, and periodical fnminoB staring hor in the 
face 1 " 
What is true on a large scale of Britain and tho 
Indian Empire, is, of course, true in degree of 
Ceylon, and wo trust that until the time for a 
separate agricultural department in the Civil Sorvioe 
oi Coylon ha6 arrived, the Direotor oi Public Intruc- 
N 
tion will not relax his well-directed and in some 
cases fairly successful experiments. We are 
pleased while we confess 1 to be somewhat 
surprised at tho, on the whole, very favourable 
judgment formed by the Professor of our small 
but wiry indigenous cattle. When well fed and 
tended (the great point in the case of all cattlo 
of every breed) they are capable of good 
speed and endurance in labour, and they are for 
their size, good milk yielders. One of the 
illustrations represents a "Cinhaleso trotting bul- 
lock in native cart," what is so familiar to us in 
Colombo and other towns as a "hackery." There 
is also a picture of a '• Cinhalese Bull " and this is 
what is said about our Ceylon breeds of oattle : — 
Cinhalese Cattle. 
Are usually classed in two divisions— (1) The small 
notice breed and (2) the large coast cattle. The latter 
am mostly imported from India, and consist largely 
of Mysores and their crosses. 
Tho local breed first mentioned aro the true cattle 
of Ceylon, and are posse-sed of beautilul shapes. 
They aro remarkably likeArlens; and though small, 
their bodies aro extremely well proportioned. Their 
heads and feet are both large and clumsy. The 
head is long, does not expand at tho setting on of 
the horns and taper towards the muzzle as it ought 
to do to look well. Tho ears are small and sharp, 
but only moderately well carried. The horns are 
short, thick, and blunt, and point upwards, but do 
not spring much till tho animal is approaching three 
years old. The colour of hair is generally black, 
with black nose, skin and hoofs. A few are of a 
deep rich brown, with chocolate skin and points. 
These are thought to be the more beautiful of the 
two, but not so bardy. Still fewer have broken 
colours, — white patches on the prevailing black or 
brown; and in some rare cases, patches of the brown 
on the black. 
The legs are short, and the bones fine. The barrel 
is round ahd substantial. The hind-quarters are un- 
usually long for Indian cattle, and carried out 
square, or on a line with the back to the setting 
on of the tail. Behind the shoulder they are as well 
filled up as the best of our home breeds. The hump 
is thick and massive, and very often double. The 
dewlap is prominent, and there is no hanging skin 
on the belly. 
Plate XXIX (<x) shows an excellent specimen of 
a bull, but with the one little defect, which no 
doubt will disappear with age — want of depth of 
barrel. He was, at the time the photograph was 
taken, not quite 3* years old (but had six teeth), 
and measured iu height 3 feet 5k inches. He had 
worked for a year, but being well fed and cared for, 
he had not suffered, as might have been expected, 
from going to yoke at such an unusually early age. 
Good treatment was evident from the number and 
appearance of his teeth. 
Cattle are shod with thin or thick shoes at a cost 
of Is or 2s, as the case may bo. Tho nails used 
havo large round heads like great coarse rivets, and 
a passage is made lor each nail through the hoof 
by a carpenter's brog. Iu tho cose of the outer 
digits, the sharp points of nails are neatly coiled 
upon themselves and left as ornamentation ; the 
inner ones are cut off and fastened in the usual 
way. The operation has to bo repeated once every 
two months in the case of animals working on hard 
roads. 
Tho bullocks of tho breed aro not noted as quick 
movers, but they are possessed of great power of.en. 
durance and wonderful strength for their size. 
The cows of somo of the strains npcountry are 
rather good milkers, and if properly selected and 
managed, might supply tho material from which 
a good milking herd could be produced. 
Branding is more neatly performed, and even more 
widely practised iu Ceylon than in Madras. 
There aro two points for rc mark. Had Professor 
Wallace seen a raco between two bullock hackeries, 
or a hackery bullock put to bit speed, as is some- 
