In 1889, Dr J.A. Voelcker, Consulting Chemist to the Royal Agricultural Society of England, was sent by the British government to study Indian agriculture Voelcker toured the country extensively for over a year. In his report published in 1893 he stated: '' . nowhere would one find better instances of keeping land scrupulously clean from weeds, of ingenuity in device of water-raising appliances, of knowledge of soils and their capabilities as well as of the exact time to sow and to reap, as one would in Indian agriculture . . . It is wonderful, too, how much is known of rotation/ the system of mixed crops and of fallowing. Certain It is that I, at least, have never seen a more perfect picture of careful cultivation, combined with hard labour, perseverence and fertility of resources, than I have seen at many of the halting places on my tour'' (Dogra 1983) .