Miscellaneous. 



could receive a thorough training in the 

 scientific treatment of tobacco culti- 

 vation and curing. 



With regard to (a) the only suitable 

 expert whom the Committee hear of as 

 being available is Mr. A. VanLeenhoff, 

 Tobacco Expert to the Transvaal De- 

 partment of Agriculture. Mr. Leenhoff 

 is understood to be willing to leave the 

 Transvaal for a permanent position in 

 the tropics accompanied by increased 

 emoluments. Mr, Leenhoff 's presenc 

 salary is £1,000 per annum. 



The Committee is of opinion that the 

 present prospects of the tobacco indus- 

 try in Ceylon do not justify a perma- 

 nent expenditure on the scale necessary 

 to secure the services of Mr. Leenhoff. 



With legard to (6) the Committee 

 learn that students at the State Univer- 

 sity of Lexington, Kentucky, are at 

 liberty to attend special courses in 

 tobacco cultivation as part of a four 

 years' training for an Agricultural Dip- 

 loma. After careful consideration of 

 the arguments adduced at the special 

 meeting of the Board, the Committee 

 have arrived at the conclusion that the 

 project of sending out a student from 

 Ceylon to undergo such a training is 

 not to be recommended owing to con- 

 siderations of time and expense. 



At this point the Committee entered 

 into communication once more with Mr. 

 Edward Cowan, and it was found that 

 he was willing to supervise an ex- 

 periment at Maha-iluppalama, making 

 periodical visits and a continuous stay 

 when necessary — for a fee of Rs. 3,000 

 for one year and a commuted allowance 

 of Rs. 500 and a free railway pass 

 between Nanuoya and Talawa— with 

 leave to retain his present appointment. 



The Committee consider the fee now 

 asked by Mr. Cowan to be decidedly 

 moderate. They consider that the ex- 

 periment should be carried out, it it is 

 carried out at all, without further delay, 

 and they consider that an experiment 

 extending over a year will provide a 

 satisfactory test as to whether a high 

 grade of tobacco can be grown at a profit 

 in such a situation as Maha-iluppalama. 



The Committee accordingly recom- 

 mend : 



(a) That a sum not exceeding the 

 amount of Rs. 27,500 already voted for 

 the purpose be expended upon an ex- 

 periment in Tobacco Growing and 

 Curing for one year at Maha-iluppalama. 



(b) That Mr. Cowan be appointed to 

 supervise the experiment on the terms 

 referred to in para 5. 



(c) That Government be requested to 

 provide Mr. Cowan with a free railway 



64 [January, 1910. 



pass between Nanuoya and Talawa, 

 during the pariod of the experiment. 



Mr. Cowan's estimate of expenditure— 

 a copy of which is annexed — shows that 

 the experiment can be carried out with 

 the funds now in the hands of the 

 Society, and at the same time leave a 

 balance amply sufficient to defray the 

 expenditure on a scheme for the estab- 

 lishment of Experimental Gardens. 



In the meantime, in view of the neces- 

 sity for commencing operations at once, 

 owing to climatic considerations, His Ex- 

 cellency the President of the Board has 

 been asked provisionally to sanction a 

 commencement at once on the lines 

 above indicated. 



R. H. Lock. 



Bernard Senior. 



A. Kanagasabai. 



H. Marcus Fernando. 



M. Kelway Bamber. 



Edward Cowan. 



John D. Vanderstraaten. 



C. Drieberg. 



Recommendations Adopted. 

 H. E. the Governor : Members will see 

 from this report that the Committee 

 have gone into the matter quite 

 thoroughly, and the result of their en- 

 quiries has been that they recommend 

 to the Society that Mr. Cowan should 

 be engaged at a fee very much less than 

 that originally mentioned which would 

 have practically swamped the vote. 

 Mr, Cowan is at present going to retain 

 his present post and carry on the experi- 

 ment, keeping watch at Maha-ilupalama, 

 and continue there, when necessary, on 

 receiving a moderate fee of Rs. 3,000 a 

 year which will leave us quite a good sum 

 to carry on the experiment. I think 1 had 

 better read these items of expenditure :— 

 Tobacco Estimate 50 acres. 

 Cooly pay and rice 100 at R. c. 

 40 each ... ... 14.600 00 



Superintendent's fee ... 3,500 00 

 Conductor's ... ... 650 00 



3 drying sheds (1 to be used 



for F. shed) ... 3,500 00 



Tools, 1 mamotie, 1 rake, 



1 W. can per cooly) ... 350 00 

 Planks for shading 150,000... 200 00 

 Seed, string, needles, 



mats ... 1,000 00 



Leaf baskets ... 200 00 



Mats for stapling and 



baling ... 300 CO 



Contingencies, including 1 



baling press ... 2,000 00 



R26.300 00 

 (Sgd.) Edward Cowan. 

 Dessford, Nanuoya, Nov. 16th, 1909. 



