India in 1887 as seen by Robert Wallace / [Robert Wallace].

  • Robert Wallace
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: India in 1887 as seen by Robert Wallace / [Robert Wallace]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    510/550 page 424
    Revenue Survey Record ; inspect boundary marks, which were erected by the Revenue Survey Department; and test ci op and other statistics registered by the Revenue Department. I his latter is performed by the circle in- spectors, who also test the crop estimates each year, and when necessary do a little survey work, as dividing fields for ryots at their request, and for which they pay. [Any survey divisions or boundaries made by the direction of Government are free.] The inspectors are in addition sup- posed to collect information relating to the management of and the kinds of crops grown—in short, to compile general agricultural facts into statistical reports. These men have no previous agricultural training, with the exception of a few who come from the College of Science, Poona. They are overlooked by district inspectors, who are better educated, but not in agriculture ! It follows that in the collection of the general agricultural statistics these officers, who are not able of themselves to understand agriculture, must go to the patels or ryots for their informa- tion. This is where the system as it now stands breaks down. A man who is ignorant of agriculture cannot frame questions so as to elicit information which would be of use to an agriculturist. He does not know what to ask, and is not capable of understanding the direct and lateral bearings of good answers when they are forth- coming. Even if the officers had the information, they could not, without knowing the most common agricultural phraseology, express themselves so as to be intelligible to an agricultural community; and, besides, information however valuable passing through the hands of a number of men unable to judge personally of the facts of the case, gets contorted into forms which leave little resem- blance to the originals. If general information regarding agriculture is to be collected and to be of any value whatever, it must be accurate and of such a kind as is required by agriculturists. That can only be collected
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