53$ MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS 



tobacco originally introduced from Cuba by a European 

 planter, has become naturalized and produces a leaf that 

 is better suited to Western requirements. The cultiva- 

 tion of this tobacco has been greatly encouraged by the 

 intervention of a local German firm who have erected 

 a curing shed in the district with a view to preparing 

 tobacco for ,t'he European market. The enterprise has 

 been promising so far and its extension would be of 

 considerable benefit to the permanent population. 



Cotton is a crop that has no,t responded well to the 

 efforts that have been bestowed upon it. So far there 

 is no extensive area under this product, and as far as 

 experimental cultivation has been able to show the 

 Hambantota District in the south-east of the island is 

 well suited to the crop, while parts of the Northern and 

 Eastern Provinces are also likely to grow it successfully. 



The cultivation of vegetables gives occupation to many 

 cultivators chiefly in the vicinity of towns, the higher 

 elevations growing introduced varieties and the lowlands 

 producing the different tropical kinds including yams 

 (Dioscoreas). In this connection mention should be 

 made of the useful part played by the school garden in 

 introducing new varieties of vegetables (new to the 

 island as well as to special localities) and thus adding 

 to the food supply of the people. Indeed the popularity 

 of vegetable growing" has appreciably increased through 

 this means. Through the school gardens also, of which 

 there are 270 in the island, the younger generation of the 

 village population are coming under a system of educa- 

 tion which better fits them for a rural life and makes 

 them take a more intelligent interest in their surround- 

 ings, so that they may be expected to develop into 

 better agriculturists. 



I do not touch upon fruit culture, which is the subject 

 of a paper by Mr. H. F. Macmillan, F.L.S., the Super- 

 intendent of Botanic Gardens, Ceylon (p. 634). 



Within the past year the island has happily seen a 

 long-deferred Department of Agriculture an accom- 

 plished fact. The work so long done by the Agricul- 

 tural Society is now passing into the hands of the 

 Department, and the future of native agriculture in Ceylon 

 is more hopeful than ever. 



