426 



[December, 1912. 



a lack of capital, is more serious, but small cultivators in other countries 

 have surmounted similar difficulties and, if the Ceylon villagers set 

 themselves to the task, they no doubt could do the same. The Cocoa 

 industry of the Gold Coast which has arisen during the last 30 years and 

 is now the largest in the world, is entirely in the hands of small land- 

 owners ; and the Clove industry of Zanzibar, also the largest in the world, 

 very considerably so. In this age of co-operation and combination nothing 

 is impossible even to the humblest and poorest peasant and it is along 

 these lines that the problem will have to be approached. The methods of 

 the natives of the Amazon now being demonstrated automatically at 

 Peradeniya, if adopted by the villager in their crude but effective form, 

 would supply the means of manufacture without any other apparatus 

 than a mud oven, a specimen of which will also be at work at Peradeniya 

 in a few weeks' time. It should be remembered that the tapping and 

 manufacture of Para rubber was in the first place, and still is, a peasant 

 industry. 



Ceylon has lagged behind in the matter of co-operation but a be- 

 ginning is being made. We draw the attention of our readers to an 

 account of the Co-operative Credit Societies in India and the wonderful 

 progress that has been made there within recent years. The movement 

 is spreading in Burma, Mauritius and the Islands of the Pacific and it is 

 time for Ceylon to wake up. 



In addition to increased profits and less arduous labour by converting 

 paddy fields into rubber plantations, the drainage of the swamps would 

 have a very beneficial effect upon the health of the people, there can 

 be very little doubt ; as the paddy fields in the " off " season are full of 

 anopheles mosquitos which breed in the water pockets formed by the 

 tiampling feet of the buffalo grazing down the stubble. 



CEYLON PRODUCTS IN AMERICA. 



The Philadelphia Museum. 



The following is a copy of a letter leceived by the Director of Agricul- 

 ture, Peradeniya, from Mr. W. P. Wilson, Director of the Commercial 

 Museum, Philadelphia : — 



October 30, 1912. 

 The Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, Ceylon. 



Dear Sir, 



1 want to express my high appreciation of a donation recently received 

 by this Museum through Mr. P. Crosbie Roles, Commissioner for the 

 Government of Ceylon to the Third International Rubber and Allied 

 Trades Exhibition, held in New York, September 23rd to October 3rd, 1912. 



We received a trunk of a rubber tree, showing scars of tapping and a 

 bottle of rubber milk which we have added to our Ceylon exhibit. 



It will probably interest you to know that this museum has on 

 permanent exhibition the best series of Ceylon's commercial products 

 which can be seen in America. 



Very truly yours, 



W. P. WILSON, 



Director. 



