August, 1912.] 



149 



buted to private seed growers, who them- 

 selves 



RETAIL THEIR SEED TO THE CULTIVATORS. 



In the wheat-growing tracts of this 

 province, the efforts of the department 

 are concerned with distributing a pure 

 soft white wheat to selected malguzars 

 who are members of the District Agri- 

 cultural Associations. Each man agrees 

 to sow a large area and to provide suit- 

 able arrangements for storing the seed 

 and threshing the crop. In this way it 

 is expected that beginning from a 

 central farm a gradually increasing area 

 of the wheat tract will be sown with one 

 wheat only to the great advantage of 

 the growers and the trade. 



The main features of the above ex- 

 amples are that seed distribution starts 

 from a central farm and gradually 

 spreads outwards. The assistance of the 

 best farmers is enlisted, the seed is fully 

 charged for, and the work is conducted 

 in tracts where markets already exist 

 for the produce. 



In concluding its recommendations on 

 this portion of the subject, the Com- 

 mittee desire to draw attention to the 

 desirability of some 



BOTANICAL CONTROL IN 



the work of the central seed farms, and 

 suggest that, whenever possible, these 

 should be visited by the Botanist. The 

 Committee also wish to emphasise the 

 need of great care in seed-growing both 

 as regards cultivation and also as regards 

 contamination from such sources as the 

 seed of a previous crop-manure, irri- 

 gation water and the like. 



V. Marketing the Produce, 

 The Committee desire to mention 

 the importance of this subject in the 

 work of seed distribution, and especially 

 where distinctly improved crops are 

 being grown. It is felt that, at the 

 beginning at any rate, it is net possible 

 for the people to get the real value of 

 their produce and for the improvements 

 to be fully recognised by the trade. At 

 present quality by itself is sometimes a 

 secondary consideration, but if com- 

 bined with yields, the chances of success- 

 ful introduction are greatly increased, 



The need is felt of some means of finding 

 the real market value of the produce, 

 and it is suggested the best way of doing 

 this is to send to the best market and sell 

 for several years there sufficiently large 

 consignments of the produce. 



In carrying out experiments of this 

 nature, however, three points must be 

 remembered : — 



(1) That a single consignment in a 

 large market or exchange is unlikely to 

 attract much notice unless special atten- 

 tion is drawn to it. 



(2) That single occasional consign- 

 ments do not fetch the same price as 

 produce of recognised value known to be 

 regularly obtainable in large quantities. 



(3) That as in the future the market- 

 ing of this produce must be in the hands 

 of the local buyers and agents, it is advis- 

 able, where possible, to enlist their help 

 and carry on this work with their co- 

 operation. 



MR. HERBERT WRIGHT ON 

 RUBBER. 



In his third lecture Mr. Wright outlines 

 the origin of plantation rubber and 

 refers to the work of Hancock (1834), 

 Collins (1873), Cross and Wickman (1876). 



The Rubber enterprise was at first 

 entirely British; the original plants hav- 

 ing been bought for lis. each. 



Ceylon plantations have grown from 

 300 in 1890 to 220,000, Malaya from 350 in 

 1897 to 400,000. 



Mr. Wright advocates selecting seed 

 for planting from those which give the 

 highest yield of caoutchouc per unit of 

 bark. 



He favours the forming of a real agri- 

 cultural department for the Malay 

 States, and incidentally remarks that 

 such departments in the East are sadly 

 understaffed — one man being expected 

 to cover an impossible field of research. 



In his fourth lecture Mr. Wright 

 epeaka mainly about 



