Miscellaneous. 



152 



February, 1912 



A feature at these stands is the manner 

 in which various exhibits are judged. 

 The judging of live stock takes place in 

 specially provided rings and in the pre- 

 sence cf visitors. This is done according 

 to approved standards of judging, by 

 which marks are allotted to the various 

 " points " in the exhibits. This system 

 can with advantage be introduced into 

 Ceylon, since it serves both as a lesson 

 and a guide to the exhibitors, helping 

 them to gain a knowledge of the most 

 acceptable points in the animals and 

 produce exhibited, and thereby tending 

 to improve the quality of live stock 

 aud agricultural produce generally. The 

 exhibit of live stock was well calculated 

 to give one an idea of the interest that 

 iti beine' taken by farmers and breeders 

 in the United Kingdom in the production 

 of various types of superior animals. 

 An enormous amount of time, labour, 

 and money is expended in this great 

 work. 



Some of the large landowners in Ceylon 

 can well follow the example of those 

 who are engaged in Great Britain in 

 perfecting special types of animals. The 

 pure native cattle of Ceylon are. with 

 the necessary attention and expenditure, 

 capable of being developed into a very- 

 useful class of animals. Our small hardy 

 daught bull can be vastly improved by 

 selection and bieeding. In this way it 

 should be possible to revive a breed of 

 fast trotting bulls and good milking 

 stock, both cows and buffaloes. 



Some of the prize winners in the 

 section for horses aud cattle were very 

 valuable animals, and in certain classes 

 there were so many excellent animals 

 exhibited that the task of judging was 

 no easy one. 



Under poultry there were* some birds 

 valued at £100 and more ; and quite a 

 large number worth from £30 to £50. 



The section devoted to agricultural 

 education was of special interest, 

 showing, as it did, the manner in which 

 this branch of education is being de- 

 veloped in England. 



The Board of Agriculture had on 

 exhibition a series of leaflets and 

 publications issued free of cost for the 

 information of farmers and others con- 

 nected with the agricultural industry. 

 The leaflets dealt with some three 

 hundred subjects. Another noticeable 

 feature in connection with these leaflets 

 is that they are made available in book 

 form ; each book contains about 500 

 pages, and is sold at sixpnce, Nature 

 study and rural agricultural education 

 were well represented in a large series 

 of charts, specimens, and prospectuses. 



W. A, DB SILVA. 



PERADENIYA EXPERIMENT 

 STATION. 



Minutes of a meeting of the Committee 

 of Agricultural Experiments held at the 

 Experiment Station, Peradeniya, on 11th 

 January, 1912. 



Present : — The Acting Director, R. B, 

 Gardens (Chairman), the Government 

 Chemist, the Government Mycologist, 

 Messrs, H. A. Beachcroft, N. W. Davies, 

 and the Secretary. Visitor, Mr. Biddulph. 



The progress Report since the previous 

 meeting was read. 



Resolved : — 



1. That the Progress Report be regu- 



larly sent to the Secretary, Cey- 

 lon Planters' Association, for the 

 use of Committee only. 



2. That the manuring of old cacao be 



discontinued for a year. 



3. That young cacao be manured in 



alternate years, as follows : — 

 (a) Jungle mulch or dadap. 

 (6) 10 tons cattle manure forked in. 



(c) 200 lbs. Basic slag buried and 



trenched with leaves.- 



(d) 200 lbs. Basic slag sown broadcast 



and disc harrowed. 



(e) 200 lbs. Ammonium sulphate ap- 



plied in June and August and 

 disc harrowed. 

 (/) 200 lbs. Basic slag, 100 lbs. Potas- 

 sium sulphate sown broadcast 

 and disc harrowed. 



(g) 200 lbs. Basic slag, 100 lbs. Potas- 



sium sulphate, and 400 lbs. 

 Groundnut cake and disc har- 

 rowed. 



(h) 300 lbs. Bone dust. 



(i) Control. 



J, A. Holmes, 

 Secretary, C. A. E., and 

 Superintendent, E. S. P. 



PROGRESS REPORT ON EXPERIMENT 

 STATION, PERADENIYA. 



From 9th November, 1911, to 11th 

 January, 1912. 



Tea.— All the tea plots were pruned 

 during 1911 and have, notwithstanding, 

 shown generally an increased yield, this 

 being especially noticeable as regards 

 the Manipuri Indigenous which ran for 

 over two years. 



The yields were as follows, calculated 

 from the basis that 100 lbs. leaf makes 

 2415 lbs. tea :— 



