Supplement to the " Tropical Agriculturist." [August i, 1891. 
every subject of importance, -u hetlier Literature, 
or Science, or Art. He knows all about the most 
recent inrentions, and lian particulars of every 
important industry. But the Pftnjabi has nothing 
of this in his vernacular. He has " very little 
of any kind to read, still less that is good, and 
nothing at all of a ^mc^^c«^ character and con- 
dticive to indu$trial progress." 
If it is easy to object that the educated Panjabi 
h«« also access to the Englishman's resources. 
But the educated Panjabi is not the avf rage man 
of the district, and as a rule the educated Panjabi 
disdains industrial pursuits, or has no suitable 
opportunity of following them. Apart from that, 
tHe objection is based on a fallacy. In the flrst 
plice, English is more or less a foreign langiiage 
to the native of India ; and in the second place, 
to say that the Englishman and tlie Panjabi have 
«mal facilities in the way of pi'ocuring technical 
information is to exaggerate the capabilities of 
Indian booksellers. 
Evidently, therefore, a national literature must 
be the first step to industrial advancement, and 
Mi", Oman appropriately proceeds to sketch the 
character of the literature best adapted to India. 
With little or no modification, it would be a 
literature extremely suitable for us in Ceylon. 
1st. The best English works of the day should 
Ire locally procurable and at low prices. This 
ir a subject important and considerable 
enough to require separate treatment. It 
is curious that in spite of all the concessions 
(P«nted by the Government (in the way 
of redticed postage rates and the absence of 
customs charges) the cost of books should still be 
so eicetsive. Not many years ago, before the 
liee in exchange, native booksellers in India were 
abl« to sell most books at eight annas to the 
■billing. Even now they sell at nine, and the larger 
European firms at ten annas. But in Ceylon, 
■we are charged 87 cents (=14 annas) for a little 
•hilling primer, and for other books in much the 
same proportion ! If these charges do not appear 
•xtravagant to the book-buying public of Ceylon, 
they c«rtainly deserve to pay. 
But even a charge of eight annas to the shil- 
ling has been recognized as too high for the 
natives of India and even for most Europeans. 
Hence it is we see special editions (like Macmillan's 
C6lonial Library) being published for their benefit. 
An extension of this is what those interested in 
the national culture of India desire. There was 
lately some discussion on the subject, but nothing 
definite has apparently been decided. 
2nd. Mr. Oman is not satisfied with cheap' 
English books. He urges the importance of a 
remacvlar literature. This vernacular literature 
may consist even of borrowed materials; but it 
must be national, and endowed with a healthy 
vitalitj-." It must be broad and tolerant, in- 
cluding not only technical works, but works of 
imagination, history, and philosophy. Something 
yet is necessary,— illustrated books forthe young. 
Tfhenwe see magazines like the Boy's Own Paper 
and the GirTs Own, it seldom strikes us that those 
to whom English is a " foreign" tongue have no 
opportunity of enjoying or profiting by periodicals 
frf that class. "The Indian school-boy. with 
nothing but hii few meagre school-books to pore 
oyer is certainly very much to be pitied, and 
though h« may get through the examinations for 
which he is prepared by his teachers, he has un- 
doubtedly lost, and lost irreparably, an important 
part of the education that European children 
enjoy, and he has certainly missed a deal of 
innocent pleasure which would have been his 
portion under happier circumstances." 
3rd. The means of illustrating books and 
papers should be made available. For this, 
lithography, wood-engraving and photography 
should be encouraged. '' AVhen there is in 
Europe such a wealth of means, such a choice 
of beautiful processes for the illustration of books, 
it seems to me a Shame that we in India are so 
utterly deficient in this respect." 
Then there is High Education. In England, 
Chartered Colleges, Institutions, and EAamining 
Bodies of the highest class exist quite distinct 
from the nine Universities. Besides these, the 
Government itself undertakes an extensive system 
of Examinations in Science and Art. To encour- 
age these subjects it offers grants, and even pays 
the Teachers, on the results system. In 1887, 
there were 103,362 st udents under instruction in 
this way, and the grants paid amounted to £88,000. 
Then, there are Night Schools ; Learned Societies, 
with their journals, prizes, and medals ; and 
Public Lectures. These methods are fully 
treated iu the lecture before us, and many practi- 
cal suggestions aie made, which may be referred 
to as occasion arisei. 
After General Eaucation, the subject of Techni- 
cal Instruction, demands attention. There is one 
important feature to be noted in the agitation for 
specinl knowledge in Liigland. There it is a 
spomiirf>ous cry, a demand that has come from the 
working-men ^htmselves nnd from employers of 
labour. Until thi? spontaneity is noted in India 
(let us add, Ceylon) no movement in that direction 
will be useful. Here is a passage from the lecture, 
which puts the ease forcibly :— " It will not be 
enough for the advancement of Indian industries 
that a few workmen here and there should be 
taught certain more or less modern technical 
processes, processes which might be superseded any 
day by better and cheaper ones. For sound and 
permanent progress, it is essential that there 
should take place such a general raising of the 
entire intellectual level of the working classes as 
will place them in a position to appreciate and 
adopt new methods of work as they arise, and to 
understand the bearings of new inventions upon 
their own trades and crafts. They must have that 
living interest in scientific, mechanical, and other 
inventions and discoveries which characterise the 
employes of labour, and the better portion of the 
working- men of Europe and America to-day. A 
new class of educated masters, employers of skilled 
labour, must also come into existence here, before 
Indian industries can be developed to their fullest 
extent, and this will not take place until members 
of the better educated classes shall devote them- 
selves to industrial pursuits, and shall not*be 
ashamed to be the foremen of shops and the work- 
ing beads of industrial undertakings, large or 
small." 
India is mainly an agricultural countrj-; hence 
agriculture is the department in which more 
techijical knowledge is specially required. Mr. 
Oman does not sympathise with the European 
traveller who goes away with a favourable im- 
press.ion of the knowledge and skill possesssd by 
