March, 1912.] 



251 



Miscellaneous. 



support in food within the lives of per- 

 sons now living. It is true that we shall 

 have to continue the improvement in 

 agriculture so as to make our addition 

 to the product per acre 1 per cent, of the 

 crop each year or 10 per cent, each 

 decade, but considering what is done in 

 Europe, this is not either impossible or 

 improbable. The addition to the acreage 

 in drainage and in irrigable lands will 

 go on— must go on. The profit to the 

 State or to the enterprise which irrigates 

 or drains these lands will become suffi- 

 cient to make it not only profitable, but 

 necessary to carry through the project, 

 and we may look forward to the middle 

 of this century when 200,000,000 of people 

 shall swear fealty to the starry flag, as 

 a time when America will still continue 

 to feed her millions and feed them well 

 out of her own soil, 



PERADENIYA EXPERIMENT 

 STATION, 



Minutes of a meeting ot the Com- 

 mittee of Agricultural Experiments held 

 at the Experiment Station, Peradeniya, 

 on Thursday, 7th March, 1912. 



Present :— The Government Entomo- 

 logist (in the chair), Messrs. H. F. Lay- 

 cock, H. A. Beachcroft, and the Secret- 

 ary. 



The Progress Report since the previous 

 meeting was read. 



There being no other work, the meet- 

 ing then adjourned. 



J. A, Holmes, 

 Secretary, C. A. E. and 

 Superintendent, E. S. P. 



PROGRESS REPORT ON EXPERIMENT 

 STATION, 



From 11th January to 7th 

 March, 1912. 



Tea. — The Manipuri, pruned in De- 

 cember, has been tipped ; the live branch- 

 es left when pruned have also been 

 removed. 



The younger supplies are suffering 

 from the dry weather, the total rain- 

 fall for the year so far being culy '60." 



A pamphlet embracing last year's tea 

 results will be published on the receipt 

 of a few analyses from Mr. Bruce. 



CACAO.— A round of cankering has 

 been accomplished since the last meeting. 

 A few plots have also been pruned, the 

 non-bearing foliage branches being re- 

 moved where in excess. 



116 cwt, has been sold in Colombo 

 recently. 



Rubber. — The various methods of tap- 

 ping are being continued with Para, 

 and the vertical channel system has 

 again, as last year, risen in yield in the 

 dry weather, 



Ceara is not now being tapped as the 

 trees are wintering. 



The lumps which are so apparent on the 

 trees of many estates have been removed 

 with an alavangu from the Experiment 

 Station trees s and the wounds treated 

 with cow dung, clay and sulphur. 



Green Manure.— The following green 

 manure plants have been cut yielding :— 



Leucaena glauca ... 94 lbs. 

 Tephrosia Candida ... 198 ,, 



Miscellaneous,— Maize has done 

 better than previously, but is not up to 

 expectation. 



Sweet potatoes have yielded as much 

 as 50 cwt. per acre. 



Coca.— Coca leaf has been cured with 

 a view to showing the product at the 

 coming Exhibition. 



Soya Beans. — A very poor crop has 

 been harvested from inoculated land, 

 but I am led to understand that the 

 second crop is more remunerative, as the 

 seed requires acclimatization. 



Ginger and Yams.— These have en- 

 tirely disappointed expectations. 



Manioc— An acre planted with this 

 product is doing well. 



Nurseries.— Tea nurseries have been 

 made for the convenience of the Station. 



CEYLON AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 Progress Report LVIII. 



Membership. 



Since the meeting of the Board held 

 on January 8 last the following have 

 joined as members :— Major C. R. Hod- 

 gins ; R. D. Scoble Hodgins, Superin- 

 tendent, Captain Garden, Akmimana ; 

 G. H. Hall, Volkart Bros. ; C. A. Odiris 

 de Silva ; M. J. W. Roberts ; Rosslyn 

 Koch ; and Edgar L. Ephraums. 



His Excellency the President has been 

 pleased to appoint Mr. James Wickre- 

 maratne, Gate Mudaliyar, as a member 

 of the Board, in place of Mr, D. A, 

 Gooneratne, Gate Mudaliyar, deceased. 



Staff. 



Dr. Lock, Acting Director of the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens, has temporal ' 

 undertaken the duties of Edito* 1 

 "Tropical Agriculturist and M 

 of the Ceylon Agricultural Socit 



