Arizona republican., 1916-12-29
INDIA HAS b|G
 ACR|CUL LTURALL
 TASK ON HAND
rRepublcan A. p. Leased wirel


 SIMI.A. India, Dec. 2S.-India is struggling with one of tne greate.;' agricultural problems ever thrust up on any nation.
 This huge country, with farming population almost twice the total number of people in the United States. presents many unique and seeming unsurmountable obstacles to speedy educational advancement for the tiller of the soil. for here must be con sidered not only the matter of finance. but widespread illiteracy and an tequated Oriental customs.
 The minister of Agriculture for Ir- dia. C. T. A. Hill. today told cor respondent of the Associated press sonnet hing of the situation and spoks in the highest terms Of the progress that has been made in the United States. In this connection he said.
 "I understand a good many Ameri- cans are interested in the develop ment of India. We are only too great full for any assistance or suggestions. believe that some Of your educa- tional problems especially in the south have oeen similar to those which confront US.
 The population of India is about fifth or the whole wcrd. and at the census of 1911 the population of British India Ghis does not include the native states) was 244.000.000, ca whom no fewer than l77936, ,000 were engaged in one way or another in agriculture. The gross area under cultivation has risen. since 1895. from about 214,0e0 000 acres to about 250. n00, 900 ~The net area. that is eXclud- ing the double count of areas which are cropped more than once. has risen | from lS9 000 900 acres to about 220.- 00G 900 acres The acreage com manded hy irrigation rose from about l 26737 coo acres in 1s95-96 to more | than 46, ,S36 GOO acres in I913-14. As regards to the more important crops i for export. there were in l9l3-l4 over | 5.G0o. 0n9 acres under cotton. furnish ] ing 5.00o poo bales; 2S5G0 900 acres under wheat, producing eight and one third million tons; 75.500.000 acres under rice. producing 575. 900. 900 hun dred weight ia round figures; 3,000000 acres under jute. producing 90O00Ot bales. and 6l0 acres under tea. pro- ducing BOT .0G0. GOO pounds The az ] gregate value of these crops ap- preached zoo, 0,000.00 pounds
 These represent the principal crops in which tho outside world is inter- | ested, but t is necessary to remember that over very large tracts of country
 
 but some form of millet or pulse usually denominated iawar or bairi These two crops in 19l4-15 amounted to nearly 7,500,000 tons.
 An extraordinary variety 0f of npatic conditions are prevalent in diff | feTent parts of India. The Madras presidency is the only providence wholly tropical. while all the northern | provinces ire sub tropical. Condi- | af he climate and race
 For man- years attempts to i'm prove cultivation were sporadic and 1 local It was assumed for that novel methods were proba ply foreign to the genius of the people as well as ill., adapted to the soil and other condi- tions; and it is only recently that the government became alive to the enor- mons developments which are pos sihle.
 "prior to 1904. when Lord Cur7on initiated a properly organized agrl- cultural department, development de | pended much on the idios'-1crn @ieS of the local governments and such en- deavors as were made to improve 10th ~@~ were far from being eithe, scientific or consistent In 190f however. partly with the assistance C 2 public spirited American citizen tenfV EnlDDS, O1 tnff"go. -Oru tuIH- on was able to estahlieh a pr"nerl' organized staff of agricultural officers with headouarters at Pusa in Bihar and organize provincial agricultural establishments. At Pusa, where the ~N~tr"l rese"rcl1 institute is estab- lished and where there is a lnree ev- perimental farm, seventeen officers are employed and it was to the establish nlert Of this institution that the heNe- | faction of MT. Phipps was devoted.
 'The iradequacv of the presen- staff is fully realized and there is at present under consideration a scheme for an immediate increase It is honnd we ehall he able to place every major province in condition of self -o~tirercn in regard to research mat ters and also considerably to strength on thair teaching side.
 But fo~ some neriod after the war there will be many demands upor the governments purse and the de- velopment of the agricultural depart