The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-11


Sir George Birdwood, OF England, who has
been residing in the Mahratta country, in India,
gives in q foreign review an interesting account
OF how the natives till the land and manage to
raise very good crops by the use Of exceedingly
cheap tools. He states that the ordinary plow
is generally homo made. and costs Sl25. Fine
English plows have been brought the country.
but the natives did not like the way they
worked They stated that they turned too deep
q furrow and required too much power to move
them. They have but few draft animals, aud
they are not generally employed in conducting
agricultural operations. Several years ago q
steam pillow was brought into use in one of the
Of the states in the Bombay presidency The
following account il given Of how it worked aud
the disposition that was made or IL.
''It was led out festooned with roses aud Jas
mire, like an Indian bridegroom. into q rich
black soil field, and all those who were called
together to witness the prodigies 1t WAS TO per-
form were also wreathed with roses, touched on
led ever with rosewater. Then, with . snort,
and shrek, and q puff OK steam, the gigantic
mechanism made a vigorous ud-hissing rush
forward; but the share struck gradually down.
ward. until, after vainly struggling for awhile
against its novel task, it Mt last settled silently
in the soft yielding soil. Nothing could be
done with II a. q steam plow. 1t had
been recklessly brought into system
wherein it had no place, except as an
other god, and new god it was az once made.
was sided into the village temple hard by. and
there its huge steel share was set up end, be-
daubed red and worshiped as symbol Of silva;
and there il stands sn object of mystihei wor-
ship to this day, in Jamkhandi. In q word, the
Indian pillow belongs like other Indian imsle-
ments aud the "ways and means In general of
Indian rural life, to the people Of the land, and
it 10 doubtful IL anything could be better for
them Il is questionable If improved and alien
modes of cultivation could produce better re-
suits in the long run than the patient, old-fash-
toned methods of the Hindu PEASANT whose
daily existepcs 10 modelled upon the simplicity
Of his p.ow.'
With the steam pillow placed in temple aud
made an object OF Worship, and with the steel
plows elevated TO place among the household
dsties, the farmers continued to use their little
plows in scratching the surface OF the land that
was 70 be sowsd to wheat and other grains
According 70 Sir George they pillow their land
but once in two years. and in some places only
once In five or six years. They burn all the
stubble, however, and tramp the ashes into
the ground They also burn all the vegetable
ashes where they will do the most good They
gather MP the dust in the roads and ap-
ply il to the SOIL They are careful to pulverizs
all the droppings OF their cattle and fowls before
they place them on the land that u TO be put IN
crops. The put great reliance on the dust that
Is carried through the air. They regard this as
the best fertilizer. When the wind carries a
great cloud OF Gust from high rocks or from q
hillside into valley, the owner feels certain
that he will raise large crop The wind does
for him what the water Of the Nile does for the
farmer Of Egypt. 1t brings the elements of fer
tity that are immediately available for plant
growth.
With little doubt We could learn much from
these Hindu farmers. We do not worship the
plow IS enc Of the gods Of agriculture, but il is
likely that We give it o place far above that
which it deserves. We rely on it to prepare
land so that the roots Of plants can readily zen
etrase il, sn6 also expect that it will pnlverize
soil that il will be dissolved by the rain.
That the common pillow loosens and mixes the
soil is certain. But il does not pulverizs il to
such an extent 40 TO render IL easily soluble in
the water that falls on IT, The fnor any sub
stance is made the more readily it will be DIS
solved. The druggist knows this. and he &C
cordingly pounds aud triturates in a mortar or
grinds in a mill the substance that be wishes 10
dissolve 10 water or alcohol II be reduces
them 20 an impalpable powder, converts them
into dust, he finds that they will be dissolved
almost as sooc they are covered with water
cr other menstrum IL he neslects to do these
things they dissolve very slowly or continue 20
remain in a solid form.