Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-13
midas FOOD SUPPLY
Sir Frederick Nicholson Investi-
eating American Agriculture.
FISH INDUSTRY IMPORTANT
Natives Nearing the Normal Limit Of
Population.
INFANT MARRIAGE PROBLEM
Not Much Money Available for Ex-
periments, but the Government
Doing What It Can.
FISH INDUSTRY IMPORTANT
INFANT MARRIAGE PROBLEM

Methods of increasing the food supply OF
India are now engaging the attention OF
the British government to a very large ex-
tent, and one of the visitors to Washington
now, Sir Frederick Nicholson, on his way
back to England via the United States,
comes here to see what this country has
been doing in the line of agriculture fish
culture and irrigation. with view to max
ing use OF anything valuable that this
country may have developed along these
lines.
This was one of the problems In which the
Gekwar of Baroda was particularly inter-
ested during his recent stay in Washing
ton, and he actually took back with him
one of the experts OF the fish commission to
help in the practical work of fish propoga-
ton. Sir Frederick's visit is more in the
line Of investigation, and he will collect
data from the fish commission, the Depart
ment Of Agriculture and the geological sur
vey bearing on the problem, particularly as
applied to Madras presidency. Of which he
was till recently one Of the board Of reve-
nue..
In talking OF the matter to a Star re-
porter today he said that one of the chief
difficulties that India had to contend with
was the poverty of the country. The land
throughout India Is held by the govern
ment and tax levied on the land forms
the chief source OF revenue. The whole OF
the land tax OF the Madras presidency last
year was less than the appropriation for
the support of the United States Department
of Agriculture alone, though the population
of the presidency is now about 100000.
Thus the funds available for experimental
and agricultural work limited and the
government has to do the best it can with
rather meager funds.
Want Fresh Fish.
The fishing industry is important a
source of food supply, but fish culture as
it is practiced in this country Is unknown.
1t is possible that the Indian government
may be able to do something in this line,
but one of the most important problems Is
that Of getting the fish from the sea fisher
les to the market without their spelling
The boats and gear used al present are not
on large enough scale to permit keeping
the fish alive and any method of curing
them as they are taken from the water of
course precludes the possibility of having
them fresh on the table The question Of
Ice of course has been raised, but India
being a tropical country the price of ice
is all the higher since there is the more
need for it. This question of fish preserva-
ton is one that the government wants to
solVe. Inc sea hSheries are very rich If they
can oily be made more thoroughly available
AS it Is now, much of the fish product has
to go into fertilizer. and while this Is Inn
portant 1t Is not so important as the food
supply.
The irrigation works of India are among
the models Of the world, but Sir Frederick
says that he Is much interested In American
methods Of handling the irrigation problem
ana wants to compare them with the meth
DDS In India. The question of water storage
is the greatest one In the Indian works the
rivers being in heavy flood once a year.
and this water has to be impounded and
saved If large area is to be cultivated
Population Increasing.
He says that India Is rapidly reaching tho
normal limit of population and that If a
larger population Is to be supported on the
same area some method must be found Of
increasing the productivity per acre. Popu-
latton heretofore has increased enormously
through the habit of early marriage and
while 1t Is not possible to prohibit the Gus
tom OF infant marriages, the government
has done a good deal by raising the age
limit at which the couples may live to-
gether. This has created a great deal of
dissatisfaction among the natives but Is re-
garded as essential for the well-being of
the country.
While the price of everything has almost
doubled in India within recent years. wages
are still exceedingly low, and the unskilled
laborer Is well paid In Madras at cents
per day. Considering the methods of crop
raising and the cheapness of hand labor.
Sir Frederick Nicholson does not think that
there Is much chance for the introduction
of American agricultural machinery. The
holdings are small, the average In Madras
presidency being only fourteen acres while
SO per cent of the farms are as small as
three or four acres. There is some call for
pumping machinry and for cheap gasoline
engines, but even that is limited and with
such small land holdings the introduction
OF farm machinery among the very poor
population Is almost out of the question
To Teach Agriculture.
The seasons are very sharply defined and
nearly all of the harvesting has to be done
at the same time, there is not even
chance for traction engines and moving har-
vesting machinery over any large district
The supply of hand labor is not greatly
In excess of the demand, and while the ma
tfves are as rule tough and wiry and In
dustrious, they are not of the physique for
heavy labor. and in that connection he
says that they would be of little use for
importation to Panama in spite of the small
wages at which they will work.
The government has a number Of good
agricultural colleges in the country and
some experiment stations, but more work
is to be done both In plant breeding and
In the management of experimental FARMS
SO that Sir Frederick hopes to get a num-
Der of valuable hints from the Department
Of Agriculture, where that work has been
carried to such degree Of perfection.
Commissioner Denied Request