730 
[ApiiHi  1,  1897. 
Supplement  to  the  “ Ti'i^jical  Agrieutturtst." 
In  Bengai., — The  supari  or  betel-nut  is  com- 
mon in  Eastern  Bengal,  especially  in  Tipperah, 
Backergunge,  and  Dacca  ; and  its  cultivation  is 
very  profitable  to  proprietors  of  land.  It  bears 
fruit  in  the  eighth  year,  and  is  most  j)roductiv3 
from  that  time  to  the  si.vteenth  year,  when  the 
produce  falls  off.  The  nuts  are  gathered  in 
i^ovember. 
Betel-nut  cultivation  is  very  e.xtensive, 
especially  in  the  Police  circles  of  Tubkibagara  and 
Hajiganj.  A considerable  trade  in  this  article  is 
carried  on  with  Dacca,  IS'arainganj,  and  Calcutta. 
The  cultivators  of  thepalm  usually  own  a large  piece 
of  ground,  slightly  raised  above  the  level  of  the 
surrounding  coui\try,  and  surrounded  by  ditche.s. 
In  the  centre  of  this  they  build  their  dvvell- 
ings,  and  Jill  round  then  they  plant  betel-nut 
trees.  An  acre  of  land  will  obtain  about  3,000 
trees.  When  first  planted  the  betel-nut  requires 
to  be  protected  from  the  sun  ; for  this  purpose 
rows  of  madar  trees  are  planted  between  the  lines 
of  betel-nut  trees,  and  the  growth  of  jungle  is  en- 
couraged. When  the  betel-nut  trees  have  grown 
strong,  and  no  longer  require  the  shade,  the  culti- 
vators are  too  lazy  and  thoughtless  to  remove  the 
jungle;  and  the  result  is  that  whole  parga- 
nas  which  w'ere  once  fully  cultivates!  are  now 
covered  with  dense  jungle,  in  which  even  tlie 
betel-nut  trees  cannot  grow  ; while  thousands  of 
the  inhabitants  have  been  swept  away  by  cholera 
and  malarious  fever  of  a very  virulent  type. 
The  unhealthiness  of  the  neighbourhood  of  betel- 
nut  plantations  is  variously  attributed  to  the 
dense  jungle  and  undergrowth  above-mentioned, 
to  the  exhalations  from  the  trees,  and  to  the 
malarious  gases  generated  by  decomposing  vege- 
table matter  in  the  ditches  surrounding  the  plan- 
tations. The  betel-nut  trees  grow  to  a height  of 
about  60  feet ; and  in  some  parganas  they  are 
Cultivated  to  such  an  extent  as  to  almost  entirely 
exclude  rice  cultivation. 
— ^ 
THE  DELATION  OF  MODERN  SCIENCE 
TO  AGPICULTURE. 
This  is  the  subject  of  a brilliant  address  deli- 
vered at  the  University  of  Aberdeen  by  Professor 
Hendrick.  The  professor,  says  an  English  e.x- 
change,  “ clearly  set  forth  the  ground  on  which 
be  stands  as  a teacher  of  science  related  to  agri- 
culture, and  no  one  can  possibly  disagree  with  the 
claims  urged  on  behalf  of  scientitic  teaching.  He 
has  not  claimed  too  much,  nor  yet  has  he  claimed 
too  little.’’  The  address,  w hich  has  been  fully  re- 
ported, is  far  too  long  to  be  quoted  in  our  limited 
columns,  but  wm  cannot  forbear  making  copious 
extracts  from  it,  in  thehope  that  it  might  bring  con- 
viction, as  regards  the  importance  and  usefulness 
of  modern  agricultural  teaching,  to  the  minds  of  the 
conservative  and  sceptical  who  are  always  ready 
to  sneer  at  technical  education  in  agriculture  and 
to  cripple  its  power  for  good. 
Profe.ssor  Hendrick’s  opening  remarks  were  as 
follows  : — 
“ In  coming  for  the  first  time  publicly  before  an 
Aberdeen  audience,  and  as — 1 think  I am  right  in 
saying — the  first  lecturer  in  agricultural  chemis- 
try in  t his  ancient  university,  it  seemed  to  me  that 
there  are  many  subjects  on  which  I might  address 
you.  But  when  I reflected  that  there  are,  unfor- 
tunately, still  in  our  country  those — and  they  are 
not  confined  to  agriculture — who  look  upon 
science  as  essentially  opposed  to  practice  and  on 
what  is  scientific,  and  as  it  is  often  sneeringly 
called  theoretical,  ns  by  its  very  nature  opposed  to 
what  is  practical,  it  seemed  to  me  that  I could  not 
do  better  than  come  forward  at  once  and  treat  the 
general  question  of  the  relations  of  modern  science 
to  agriculture.  This  university,  in  common  with 
most  of  the  universities  and  university  colleges  of 
Britain,  has  recently  made  a new  departure  in 
organising  in  her  faculty  of  science  a department 
of  agriculture.  All  over  the  country  we  have  been 
hearing  a cry,  voiced  with  greater  or  less  wisdom 
and  enlightenment,  for  agricultural  teaching  of 
all  grades— from  that  of  elementary  schools  to  that 
of  universities.  1 hope  to  show  you,  if  you  will 
bear  with  me  so  long,  that  there  is  only  too  good 
justification  for  this  cry,  and  that  our  universi- 
ties and  colleges  are  not  a moment  too  soon  in  res- 
ponding to  it.  Indeed,  I may  at  the  very  outset 
state  to  you  my  main  contention.  Science  has  in 
this  nineteenth  century  already  revolutionised 
agriculture,  and  brought  about  an  unprecedented 
state  of  affairs  for  that  most  ancient  industry. 
And  1 maintain  that  it  is  not  only  important,  but 
of  fundamental  importance,  that  the  rising  genera- 
tion in  agriculture  who  are  going  forward  to  face 
the  twentieth  century  should  be  equipped  with  all 
the  weapons  which  our  science,  which  our  modern 
knowledge  can  give  them.  I also  maintain  that  it 
is  our  duty  to  raise  up  a body  of  trained  agricul- 
tural investigators  to  extend  and  improve  our 
knowledge,  and  to  provide  a suitable  field  and 
means  of  inquiry  for  these. 
It  is  not  my  place  to  deal  with  economic  ques- 
tions relating  to  the  altered  state  of  agriculture.  1 
am  not  here  to  deal  with  systems  of  land  tenure  or 
their  improvement,  with  land  banks  and  improv- 
ed systems  of  agricultural  credit,  with  iuqrrove- 
ments  in  cariyingand  marketing  systems,  or  with 
any  of  the  other  instruments  for  adjusting  our- 
selves to  altered  conditions  brought  aliout  and 
rendered  i)ossible  by  the  advance  of  knowledge. 
But  below  all  tliese,  of  greater  and  more  funda- 
mental importance  than  any  of  them,  is  the  ad- 
vance of  that  knowledge,  the  increase  and  , spread 
of  that  science,  whicli  has  not  only  alterei!  all 
the  relations  of  agriculture,  but  has  revoluliouised 
all  indurstry,  and,  indeed,  changed  the  wliole  out- 
w:ird  appearance  of  modern  society.  With  this 
it  is  my  duty  to  deal.  If,  gentlemen,  1 had  the 
presumption  on  this  my  first  appearance  before 
you  to  preach  you  a sermon,  ancient  wisdom 
would  readily  supply  me  wdtli  a text.  1 might 
preach  to  modern  agriculture  what  Solomon 
preached  long  ago  “ Tliere  is  gold  and  a mul- 
titude of  rubies;  but  the  lips  of  knowledge  arc  a 
precious  jewel. 
Some  three  or  four  centuries  ago  philosophers 
began  to  leave  the  medieval  method  of  basing  all 
their  know  ledge  on  ancient  authority,  and  boldly 
set  cut  to  evamineand  question  Nature  for  them- 
selves. For  long  most  c f the  know  ledge  gained 
w'as  wdiat  the  j)ractical  man  would  call  useless. 
Fortunately,  however,  when  very  little  so-called 
practical  results  w'ere  gained,  there  were  always 
men  with  sufficient  enthusiasm  to  pursue  know- 
ledge for  its  own  sake.  So,  through  long  years, 
