and Magazine of the Ceylon Agivultural Society.— September, 1912. 



253 



and it is difficult to find new ones certainly 

 new ones that would win general approval. 



Now, the configuration of the island of 

 Ceylon, and its meteorological conditions, are 

 such that it seems to hold immense possibi- 

 lities for the hydraulic and electrical engi- 

 neer. Of course, before this point can be 

 finally determined, there must be extensive 

 and exhaustive surveys, and, as has already 

 been remarked, before reward can be secured, 

 considerable expenditure will nave to be in- 

 curred. This idea of utilising our mountains, 

 and the waste water power that now rushes 

 down their slopes, and plunges over their pre- 

 cipices, is, of course, not exactly new. Mr- 

 Coryton Roberts, and one or two others, have 

 gone somewhat deeply into the matter, and 

 the subject has been ventilated in the columns 

 of the press in a spasmodic fashion. There 

 are few who will dispute the manifold ad- 

 vantages that would result from the possessing 

 of an abundant and cheap supply of electric 

 power. There is none, having before him evi- 

 dence of what has been done in Mysore, in 

 the Bombay Ghats, in the Punjab, and, above 

 all, in Austria, Switzerland, Sweden and 

 Norway, who will deny the possibilities, and 

 manifold benefits of an extended hydro-elec- 

 trical scheme, or a series of schemes, for 

 the Colony. 



It would be not only possible, but desirable, 

 nay, essential, to combine, at least in part, 

 our irrigation and hydro-electrical schemes. 

 The water flowing to the fields would be 

 harnessed as it issued from the reservoirs, and 

 be made to lend its energy to man, as well as 

 its refreshment to fields. This would be per- 

 fectly easy. With the newest and most per- 

 fect turbines, the maximum of energy can be 

 secured from quite moderate falls. Turbine 

 pits can be established in localities where 

 the surface slope is very moderate. We have 

 lakes in our hills. These can be increased in 

 number, and their spill-water employed with 

 profit. We have water-falls. These ought to 

 be harnessed. Where, as is frequently the 

 case in tropical countries, the streams that 

 flow over them diminish greatly in the dry 

 season, the Civil Engineer will generally have 

 little difficulty in arranging to supplement 

 them, and in creating reservoirs to secure a 

 sufficient perennial supply. Where great works 

 cannot be built, several small ones can be 

 established and linked up. What is first re- 

 quired, however, is the earnest desire. This 

 would, be followed by the making of what we 



may style a hydraulic survey on a very 

 thorough scale. This would give us the in- 

 formati in we require as to the water supply 

 available, and the best means of storing water 

 and leading it to the places where it will do 

 the maximum of work. When this is done 

 the rest will follow, first the funds, then elec- 

 trification of our railways, or at least the 

 mountain sections, electric light for all towns 

 and their 3uburb3, and electric power for a 

 hundred new industries. 



FIFTTY YEARS OF CONTINUOUS 

 CORN GROWING. 



The Contemporary Review for August pub- 

 lished an article in this subject which has 

 evoked a long letter from our esteemed cor- 

 respondent whose nom de plume is apr en- 

 ded and who says much on " artificial 

 manures," politics in the home country, Conti- 

 nent of Europe and Colonies. We do not 

 subscribe, but give as follows, on the principle 

 of " audi alteram partem ": — 



" At last, by fits and starts," I have managed 

 to get through the "Contemporary." I seeyou 

 ask my opinion so far as one article is con- 

 cerned, and so, if I can keep it up, I will refer 

 to some of the other articles. The one you 

 specially refer to is " Fifty years of continuous 

 corn growing," which I read with much plea- 

 sure, for I had not heard of the experiment 

 which has now arrived at its jubilee so success- 

 fully. You ought to know, by this time, that 

 I have no objection to 



" ARTIFICIAL MANURES," 



so long as they can be got pure and at a price 

 that would leave a profit. But I do object to 

 paying too much for bad artificials and bones 

 that are the skeletons of diseased animals. There 

 is no doubt that anthrax and other diseases 

 which crop up without, apparently, rhyme or 

 reason, in this country, are the result of diseased 

 bones, chiefly from India. In New Zealand only 

 three cases, I believe, of authrax ever appeared 

 in the country, and they were traced to a ship- 

 load of bones from Bombay, since when no bones 

 can be landed in New Zealand from any place, 

 except at Auckland and Invercargill, and there 

 they go through an expensive disinfection for 

 which the importer is charged £1 per ton. 

 My support of 



CATTLE MANURE 



or better still sheep manure, from sheep fed 

 under cover, is that one runs no risk of imported 

 diseases, and by feeding the animals highly 

 one can make the manure far more valuable and 



