Page:Allan Octavian Hume, C.B.; Father of the Indian National Congress.djvu/48

 refused the tools of his choice, will make the best of the tools he can get ; and accordingly he admitted that, "Although circumstances had deprived Lord Mayo's new department of all claim to be considered an Agricultural Bureau, its formation marked an era in the history of the country, and served a most useful purpose. In it were gathered up into one homogeneous whole numberless branches of the administration, all more or less potential factors in the material progress of the Empire." Manfully therefore did he strive, during the years he remained a Secretary, to put fresh life into the operations of the various branches of the administration which came under his control. Besides matters directly pertaining to Agriculture and Horticulture, he had to deal with Forestry, including the conservation of existing forests, the "reboisment" of denuded tracts, and the supply of timber and firewood to the public ; Surveys, with explorations for minerals ; Fisheries, including the publication of Dr. Day's scientific manual of Indian fishes ; Emigration and Migration ; Meteorological observations, museums, and exhibitions of art and industry ; merchant shipping, harbours, lighthouses, and pilotage ; Inland Customs, including salt ; and Sea Customs, including the tariff of import and export duties. But among these multitudinous and distracting claims on his attention, Mr. Hume's thoughts were always primarily for the humble ryot, and his need for water supply, manure, developed products, improved implements ; and Note B of his Pamphlet on Agricultural Reform furnishes a record of carefully collected facts, with special information and advice, supplied in handy form to the rural population.