Miscellaneousi 



168 



[Feb. 1908. 



AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 



PROGRESS REPORT NO. 37. 



Membership — The following members 

 have joined the Society since the last 

 meeting held on December 2 :— Johnson 

 Lourensz, Sam. Munasinghe, M. L. M. M. 

 Ismail, Superintendent of Labutrama 

 estate, Aitken, Spence & Co., T. J. 

 Wilson, Secretary of the Nizam Club 

 (Hyderabad), T. G. Elliott, Campbell 

 Dudley, Superintendents of Glen Alpin, 

 Hindagala, and Narangala, Cecil A. Hall- 

 Hall, A. J. Austin Dickson, P. D. Mack, 

 and W. M. de Alwis. 



The Society began the year 1907 with 

 a membership of 1.101. During that year 

 81 members joined, 34 resigned, 21 sus- 

 pended membership owing to their leav- 

 ing the Island, while the Society was un- 

 fortunate enough to lose 12 others by 

 death. 



In December last a combined meeting 

 of the Finance and Education & Publi 

 cations Committees, with the general 

 approval of the members of the Board, 

 decided to increase the rate of subscrip- 

 tion payable by members from Rs. 5 to 

 Rs. 8 per annum, and a circular notify- 

 ing this fact was duly addressed to all 

 members of the Society, 55 members 

 regigned on the ground that they dis- 

 approved of the enhanced rate, and 11 

 owing to their inability to pay the 

 higher subscription. The total resigna- 

 tions attributable directly or indirectly 

 to the raising of the subscription was 96. 



Communication from Sir Henry Blake. 

 — The Secretary has received a letter 

 from Sir Henry Blake forwarding the 

 last report of the Jamaica Agricultural 

 Society, and expressing ib as his opinion 

 that " School Gardens and Agricultural 

 Instructors aie the two most valuable 

 factors in reaching the agricultural 

 masses. The result in Jamaica is an 

 assurance that with perseverance and 

 the employment of co-operative societies 

 the Ceylon Agricultural Society will in 

 the future fulfil my expectations." 



Branch Societies.— The Galle Ganga- 

 boda Pattu Branch has arranged to 

 plant up the Gansabhawa grounds with 

 a collection of fruit trees, At a recent 

 meeting it was agreed "that a manure 

 depot for 1908 be opened against the 

 commencement of the yala harvest." 

 Arrangements are being made to supply 

 the fruit plants; and Messrs. Freuden- 

 berg & Co., as last year, have kindly 

 consented to allow the manure at special 

 rates. 



A meeting of the Trinco'malee Branch 

 was held on January 4* when the outlines 

 Vi a scheiiie for the formation of an 



Agricultural Co-operative Bank were 

 considered. After discussing the various 

 aspects of the project, it was resolved 

 " that in the opinion of the meeting it is 

 desirable that steps should be taken to- 

 wards the formation of an Agricultural 

 Bank for the District of Trincomalee." 

 The starting capital was fixed at Rs. 500, 

 and a Committee consisting of seven 

 members, with the Assistant Govern- 

 ment Agentas Chairman, was appointed. 

 It was further resolved that a Market 

 Show be held on March 7 next. 



Telijjawila Seed Bank and Co-operative 

 Credit Fund. — This bank started work 

 in 1906 by distributing seed paddy; but 

 it was found difficult to handle the 

 paddy owing to the absence of store 

 accommodation, deterioration, and the 

 want of labour. It was therefore decided 

 to lend money to the cultivator to buy 

 his seed, the loan to be returned in cash 

 instead of in kind. The funds in hand 

 (with any additional sum that may be 

 available from subscription for 1908) are 

 about to be issued in the following 

 divisions : — Akuressa, Marambe, Hallala, 

 Nankawa, Pahalawalakade, Kadykanna, 

 Paraduwa, and Kanauke. 



The Branch Society has offered prizes 

 under the following heads :— Rs. 100 for 

 transplanting in paddy ; Rs. 150 in six 

 prizes for the best vegetable gardens — 

 prizes to range from Rs. 50 to Rs. 10— the 

 gardens to be not less than half an acre 

 in extent. The prizes will be given away 

 on July 15, probably by the Assistant 

 Government Agent. English vegetable 

 seeds will be supplied free to the com- 

 petitors. 



The Katunayake Branch. — As the result 

 of a meeting of this branch held on 

 December 13, it was decided to erect a 

 public market at the Katunayake road 

 junction, the Chairman, Mr. A. E. Raja- 

 pakse, Mudaliyar, undertaking to do this 

 at his expense. Members have agreed to 

 take up the cultivation of vegetable and 

 other products. Copies of the " Govikam 

 Saugaiawa " for a year will be given to 

 the school at Andiambalama for the use 

 of the boys, who will be given prizes on 

 the result of an examination on general 

 agricultural knowledge derived from 

 reading the magazine. The use of the 

 Planet Junior plough will be demonstrat- 

 ed in order to induce villagers to adopt 

 better implements. Inquiry will be 

 made as to the best means of destroying 

 the paddy fly. A census of the coconut 

 trees affected with the stem disease will 

 be made at once. The system of green 

 manuring will be encouraged. Applica- 

 tion will be made for the appointment of 

 a Vel»vidane for supervising work in 

 connection with paddy cultivation, 



