16
must however be pointed out that the post office has an
educational value ; inducement to send and receive letters
to friends and relatives at a distance must result in a desire
to learn the alphabet. At the same time it would be easy
to know the current prices of goods in organised and
other markets which would therefore enable the farmer
to get better returns for his crops. The telegraphic
and telephone service has not yet penetrated into the in-
terior. It may be noted in this connection that in some
states of Kathiawar, for example in Morvi and Gondal
a telephonic service has been instituted at a rate cheaper
than that charged for telegrams, and this has become
popular with the local merchants.1
SUBSIDIARY OCCUPATIONS
In view of the fact that agriculture is on the whole
becoming an uneconomic industry, and that it affords
work for about 180 days only during the year, the ques-
tion of subsidiary occupations for the farmer is obviously
of great importance. We find that large numbers of
Kaliparaj cultivators idle away their time during the slack
season, though some of them do go out as labourers in
neighbouring towns or take to some work like wood fell-
ing and wood cutting. Similarly the Ujaliparaj farmers
try to raise some crops by irrigation if they possess a well
in the absence of which they waste their time. Social
and religious ceremonies provide opportunities for wasting
a good deal of time which could be utilised profitably dur-
ing the slack season.2
One of the most paying occupations open to the agri-
culturist is the dairy. Most of the cultivators keep a cow
or a buffalo for milking purposes ; part of this milk is used
by the family, part is turned into ghee which is sold to
local dealers who export it to the neighbouring cities.
1 Paper read before the Indian Economic Conference, January 1020 bv
Mr. K. H. Kamdar. J 9 9 7
2 Cf. Royal Commission on Indian Agriculture, Evidence Vol. II Part 2
p, 185.