Miscellaneous. 



5526 



[June, 1910. 



Progress Report on Experiment Sta- 

 tion prom 10th March to 12th May. 



Tea.— The Indigofera sown in plot 142 

 has been cnt twice since the last meeting ; 

 on the first occasion the yield was 1,367 

 lbs. (March 18bh) and on the second 468 lbs. 

 (April 29th) ; this brings the total for 

 the year up to 4,123 lbs. 



In plot 147 the Crotalaria striata, which 

 had previously been unsuccessfully bent 

 to see if it would cover the surface of 

 the soil, was cut for the first time on 

 April 28th and weighed 1,194 lbs. 



Crotalaria striata on plot 148 has been 

 twice cut since the last meeting, and 

 the weight of the two crops equalled 

 1,893 lbs., making a total for four months 

 of 2,014 lbs. 



In order to smother Tora weed which 

 is becoming very troublesome on some 

 of the tea plots, Crotalaria has been 

 sown on plot 151, and residue of lemon 

 grass after distillation is being thickly 

 mulched on the dirty patches from 

 152-155 ; hand weeding has also been 

 resorted to in order to eradicate the 

 bulbous roots. 



The yield of green leaf for the week 

 ending May 7th was considerably in 

 excess of anything previously recorded, 

 2,044 lbs. having been despatched to 

 Peradeniya Factory. 



The bushes are still being plucked to 

 the whole leaf, but experiments are 

 being made on certain bushes as to the 

 growth of new flush from whole and fish 

 leaf plucking. 



Cacao.— The dadaps in the young 

 cacao have been pruned, the weight of 

 leaf, etc., thus available for mulching 

 around the plants being as follows:— 

 In the two low shade plots 747 and 1,283 

 lbs., and in the high shadeplot 719 lbs., 

 the fourth plot has had the branches 

 bent as before. 



Supplies have been planted and shaded 

 and are progressing favourably. 



In plots 1-10 all the lower branches of 

 the shade trees (dadaps) have been 

 lopped. 



All the experimental plots have been 

 manured up to date. 



There has been a remarkably heavy 

 blossom all round during the last three 

 weeks. 



14| cwts. of cacao was sold by auction 

 on 4ch April at the rate of Rs. 41 per cwt. 



Coconuts.— The oil experiment decided 

 on at the last meeting has given the 

 following result for fresh nuts : — 





lbs. 



Weight of Husks and Nuts... 



1,281 



500 Husks 



6594 



Nuts 



622} 



Water 



67 



Split shells 



5534 



Shells 



190 



Copra 



193 



Oil 



106 



Poonac 



60 



No. of days drying ... 7. 



Of the ten acres of young coconuts over 

 five have been drained and one has been 

 planted with Tephrosia Candida seed. 



On the coconut land selected for fruit 

 experiments all the palms have been 

 felled, but have not so tar been removed. 



Statistics as to their fruit and leaves 

 are appended, 



The price for coconuts realised at the 

 sale on 4th April was Rs. 46 per 1,000 

 all round. 



Rubber.— Para. — The following results 

 in latex have been obtained from the 

 various methods of tapping for the last 

 17 days, during which period the latex 

 from the trees from each row has been 

 bulked ; — 



Full herringbone ... 49 cc. 



Left to right \ sp. ... 42 



Right to left | sp. ... 58 ,, 



Vertical channels pricked 108*2 „ 



Three trees have collapsed as the re- 

 sult of thumb nail pruning, although 

 no severe winds have been experienced. 



Measurements of trees were taken in 

 March the 11th to the I6th to ascertain 

 the effect of rain on the girth. Rain 

 fell for two hours on March the 14th, and 

 measurements taken three hours later 

 showed an increase of \" to J". Further 

 measurements taken the following 

 morning showed the girths had again 

 fallen to the normal, and in some in- 

 stances further decreased by 



Ceara. — No further tapping experi- 

 ments have been tried on Ceara as the 

 trees are not yet recovered from win- 

 tering ; despite the lack of leaf the 

 bark appears to be renewing in a most 

 satisfactory manner, and is full of latex. 



M. Dichotoma. — Four further losses 

 from wind in the 20-month old plot 

 have been recorded. 



Paddy.— The paddy land has been pre- 

 pared for the Hineti crop which will 

 not be transplanted but will be manured 

 as before. 



Coffee.— Land has been made ready 

 for the purpose ot growing more ex- 

 tensive plots of Coffea Robusta and 



