June, 1912.] 



545 



Miscellaneous. 



of the cluster sweet potato introduced 

 by the Society from New South Wales 

 about two years ago. Sweet potatoes 

 are, as is well known, extensively grown 

 in the Southern Province, and the in- 

 troduction of this new prolific variety is 

 much appreciated by cultivators. The 

 same correspondent repoits having 

 raised 12 lb. of soy beans from an ounce 

 of seed procured from the Society. He 

 has distributed the seed with a view to 

 encouraging cultivation on chena lands. 



Mr. L. A. D. Silva, Agricultural In- 

 structor, is getting pepper cultivation 

 taken up in the villages in the Ratnapura 

 District. 



Mr. E. R. Gooneratne, Gate Mudaliyar 

 of Galle, who is keenly interested in 

 sericulture, has offered a site for a silk 

 farm in the Southern Province. The 

 offer is under consideration pending a 

 consultation with the management of 

 the Peradenyia silk farm, 



The Nuwara Eliya Agri-Horticultural 

 Show, which is an annual fixture, was 

 held on April 8 and 9. The reports of 

 judges are laid on the table ; the exhibits 

 were up to the usual standard. 



Arrangements for the forthcoming 

 All-Ceylon Exhibition are well in hand, 

 and if the season is not marred by rain 

 there should be a very attractive display. 

 Mr. E. B. Denham, C.O.S., has been 

 appointed Joint Secretary, as it has been 

 found that the duties of the Secretary 

 are quite beyond the scope of one officer. 



0. DRIEBERG, 

 Secretary. 



Colombo, May 9, 1912. 



DRY FARMING EXPERIMENTS AT 

 THE STATE FARM, ROMA. 



(From the Queensland Agricultural 

 Journal, Vol. XXVIII., Pt.4, April, 1912.) 



Campbell's Dry Soil System. 

 As a good deal of misunderstanding 

 exists as to the real meaning of the 

 term "dry farming," now the oppor- 

 tunity has presented itself, an explan- 



ation of it will be given. The term 

 originated in America, and was used in 

 order to distinguish all farming depend- 

 ent on rainfall from that carried out 

 with irrigation, the latter being termed 

 " wet farming." Though the meaning is 

 the same, and its application has not 

 been restricted, it is now generally used 

 to designate farming in districts where 

 the rainfall is limited or erratic, and 

 where the energies of the farmer to be 

 successful must be devoted to the con- 

 servation of moisture in the soil in such 

 a manner as to be available to the crops 

 when required. There have been and 

 still are, many systems advised in order 

 to bring about such results, but no 

 hard-and-fast rule can be laid down, 

 as so many factors present themselves 

 which have different influences requiring 

 different methods of procedure. 



The remarkable results attained by 

 Professor Campbell with his system led 

 to its being given world-wide publicity, 

 with the result that it came under the 

 notice of the Department of Agriculture, 

 and immediate steps were taken to as- 

 certain by practical application the 

 relative value of the system as applied 

 to Queensland conditions with the result 

 that a sub-surface packer was ordered, 

 and the present experiments at this 

 farm laid down in 1907. 



Up to this last season the results could 

 not be said to bear on the value or 

 otherwise of the system, as the seasons 

 in some instances were excessively wet, 

 in another rust destroyed the crop, and 

 in another hail greatly depreciated the 

 yield. Last season (1911) the conditions 

 were ideal, as from the time the crop 

 was sown until it was out in ear — a 

 period of four mouths— only eleven falls 

 of rain were experienced, giving a grand 

 total of P55 in., equal to "15 each fall. 

 From then until the crop was harvested 

 (17th October), 2*18 in rain was recorded. 

 The yield was 19'2 bushels to tne acre, 

 the variety being Bunge No. 1. The 

 preparation of the seed bed, which was 

 commenced in December, 1909, necessi- 

 tated the following previous to being 

 sown on 8th May, 1911 :— 



