June, 1912.] 



541 



Miscellaneous. 



On the suggestion ol the Govern- 

 ment Agent, North- Western Province, 

 arrangements are being made to start a 

 cotton garden at Hettipola, to be planted 

 during the next north-east monsoon 

 rains. 



The price of cotton is just at present 

 down owing to the large American out- 

 put, but this depression is not likely to 

 last long. 



Messrs. Freudenberg & Co. are arran- 

 ging to have a special cotton exhibit at 

 the All-Ueylon Exhibition in July next, 

 and will probably demonstrate the gin- 

 ning of both spinning cotton and kapok. 

 Fruit Cultivation, 



A very large consignment of grafted 

 fruit plants for May planting is expected 

 almost immediately. The demand for 

 plants of good varieties even among 

 members (who have the advantage of 

 getting them at cost price) does not 

 appear to have been yet met, and orders 

 still continue to come in. So far good 

 reports have been received of the diff- 

 erent kinds of imported mangoes, but 

 the fruiting of the oranges would appear 

 to be delayed. The grapes that have 

 fruited are not so sweet as they might 

 be, and this fact has been impressed 

 upon the nurserymen from whom plants 

 are obtained. The sapodilla or sapota 

 grafts have come into fruit in various 

 places, and have proved to be of good 

 flavour. The advantage of securing 

 fruit from this slow-developing tree 

 within three or four years is a very 

 decided one. 



The plants of the seedless pumelo 

 received from Siam have all been distri- 

 buted. Mr. D. J. Blaze, of Ipoh, Perak, 

 kindly sent the Secretary a specimen 

 of what is considered the best variety 

 of pumelo in the Straits Settlements, 

 believed to have been introduced from 

 Java The fruit which arrived in good 

 condition, was found to be sweet almost 

 to a fault and contained only two seeds, 

 which do not appear to be fertile. Mr. 

 Blaze has been written to as to the 

 possibility of securing plants. 



Mr. N. Wickremaratne, Agricultural 

 Instructor, in a report dated March 



22, states that on the suggestion of 

 Mr, Conroy, late Assistant Government 

 Agent, Kegalla, he took steps to plant 

 up all the circuit bungalows in the 

 Kegalla District with fruit trees. A 

 consignment of grafted and seedling 

 plants, consisting of mango, oiange, 

 rambutan, sapodilla, nam-nam, durian, 

 pomegranate, and custard apple, was 

 secured through the Agricultural So- 

 ciety. These were distributed among 

 the circuit bungalows at Dedigama, 

 Pinnewela, Pindeniya, and Undugoda, 

 and some were planted in the Kegalla 

 garden. Another consignment to replace 

 the failures is expected in May. These 

 gardens will in time be centres for the 

 distribution of plants and seeds, as the 

 circuit bungalows are associated with 

 the Village Tribunals, to which so many 

 people flock. Fruit nurseries are being 

 laid down in the Kegalla garden, and 

 similar nurseries will be established in 

 connection with the other gardens. Al- 

 ready a number of residents in the 

 district are taking up fruit cultivation, 

 now that they know where to get the 

 plants they want. 



Pests and Diseases. 

 The paddy fly (Leptocorisa linearis) 

 did serious damage to the crop in the 

 Hambantota District during the early 

 part of April. On receipt of a telegram 

 from Mr. Harry Jayawardane, Mudaliyar 

 of Giruwa Pattu West, Mr. N. Wickrem- 

 aratne, Agricultural Instructor, was 

 directed to proceed to the spot. Leaflets 

 in the vernacular, containing instruc- 

 tions how to deal with the pest, were 

 freely distributed, and Lefroy's bag for 

 capturing the fly was used wherever 

 practicable. The Instructor leports 

 that it is usual for the fly to make its 

 appearance between February and May, 

 but its occurrence in such large numbers 

 is attributable to irregular sowing, re- 

 sulting in the fields blossoming success- 

 ively instead of simultaneously, and so 

 allowing the fly to migrate from field to 

 field. The pest attacks the ears at a 

 particular stage, that is, just when the 

 grain is setting, so that once the seed 

 gets past this stage and hardens it is 

 practically safe. Lefroy's bag has beea 



