234 



September, 1912. 



been done with a view to keeping out foul brood, from which South Africa 

 has so far been entirely free. Our native bee is easy to handle, hardy, a 

 good wor ker, and in every way entirely suited to our conditions. A ten- 

 dency to collect an excess of propolis is their weak point, somewhat 

 encouraged by the use of closed-end frames by many bee-keepers." 



Mr. E. E. Green, Government Entomologist, remarks that the African 

 bee appears to be a useful species in its own country, but whether it will 

 be equally so in Ceylon is uncertain. 



Further inquiries are in progress. 



Miscellaneous. 



Messrs. Freudenberg & Co. are good enough to state, for the inform- 

 ation of a correspondent, that the importations of Basic Slag for the past 

 two years were :— For the 12 months ended June 30, 1911, 63,860 cwt., and 

 for the 12 months ended June 30, 1912, 140,000 cwt. (about). 



A meeting of headmen and others, presided over by Boyagoda Rate- 

 mahatmaya, was held on August 4 in connection with the proposal to 

 start a Co-operative Credit Bank for Galboda and Kinigoda korales, and 

 a Committee appointed to draft rules to be considered at a meeting to 

 be convened in September. 



The Government Agent, North-Central Province, has asked the 

 Society to take steps to have the circuit bungalows in the Anuradhapura 

 District planted up with fruit plants, adding that in his opinion practical 

 operations of this nature are calculated to suggest more ideas to the 

 cultivators than anything else. Mr. Karunanayake, Agricultural Ins- 

 tructor, starts in the course of the mouth to inspect and report on the 

 gardens referred to. 



A meeting of the Kegalla Agricultural Society was held on April 27, 

 at which the Assistant Government Agent (Mr. Codrington) presided, 

 and the chief residents and headmen were present. It was resolved to 

 start Co-operative Credit Banks in three centres, and the Secretary was 

 instructed to get the necessary information as to rules and regulations. 



On May 27, at a meeting of the Wellaboda pattu (Galle) Agricultural 

 Society, a Co-operative Credit Society, of which the Mudaliyar was 

 elected President, was inaugurated, with 4,000 shares of Re. 1 each. 



Writing on June 17, Messrs. Freudenberg & Co. sent the following 

 report received from Europe on a sample of soy bean seed (black variety) 

 submitted to them by the Secretary -.—The sample sent us has interested 

 a buyer, who inquires as to price F.O.B, Colombo and expects to be able 

 to make an offer for 100 tons." 



On being informed that the bean is being grown on a very limited 

 scale, the firm wrote : " We regret you are unable to give us a quotation 

 for 100 tons, and hope that efforts will be made to cultivate the soy bean 

 extensively, with a view to working up a business on a larger scale." 



The Secretary received from the Bengal Preserving Co., Muzaffarpur 

 (of which Mr. B. C Sinha is managing proprietor), a sample tin (1| lb.) of 

 canned mango, and found the contents in excellent condition, quite equal 

 to the canned fruits in syrup exported from California. This success in 

 India indicates the possibility of canning mangoes and other fruits 



inCeylOD - C. DRIEBERG, 



Secretary. 



Colombo, September 10, 1912. 



