Miscellaneous. \ 



become an important and profitable in- 

 dustry for hundreds if not thousands of 

 families within, mainly, the past twenty 

 years, so may, it be possible to make 

 Sericulture a village industry, when once 

 a fair start is made and its profitable 

 results shown. The Agricultural Society 

 has indented for a disintegrator and 

 washing machine to treat cocoons of the 

 Eri silk worms, and Mr. Jas. Whitehead, 

 who is now at home has selected the 

 machinery. This type of machine is used 

 at home for treating " silk waste," which 

 is utilised subsequently for spinning. The 

 disintegrator and washing machinery will 

 be able to deal with large quantities in 

 a short time, and with its introduction 

 offer better prices for Eri Cocoons and 

 sericulture developed by the Society. 



8a. Patriotism and Public Spirit. 

 — I was reading the other day that in 

 olden times in Southern India it was the 

 custom for the local village or district 

 "banker" to ease his conscience, and 

 seek the blessings of posterity by lavish 

 expenditure on the provisions of water 

 and shade for the benefit of his village. 

 The custom is said to have fallen into 

 abeyance, through the State taking Sani- 

 tation, Forestry and Irrigation into its 

 charge. But it is alleged that the 

 motive, whether we call it public spirit 

 or private charity, which inspired these 

 " benevolences " is not dead, and if it 

 could be brought forth once more into 

 active operation, its effect on the pro- 

 motion of agriculture might be of great 

 importance. In Ceylon, leading village 

 residents, landholders or headmen are 

 generally ready to give themselves a 

 great deal of trouble in trying proposals 

 for improvement, or the introduction of 

 new products, if they feel that consti- 

 tuted authority even through a Board 

 of Agriculture, patronised and approved 

 by Government, is ready suitably to 

 recognise their efforts. Special medals 

 of some value might be provided and 

 awarded in exceptional cases. 



9. Markets for Produce and Stock, 

 — Another way in which the Society can 

 occupy itself usefully is by aiding Local 

 Branches with information and assist- 

 ance towards securing a regular and 

 satisfactory market for their produce 

 and stock. The efforts of Mr. Brayne, 

 A.G.A., as Chairman of the Vavuniya 

 Branch, in establishing a Co-operative 

 Forwarding Agency for his district 

 is a case in point. This provision of 

 market — says Dr. Willis— is one of the 

 most important duties that can come 

 before a local agricultural society ; estab- 

 lished products — such as tea leaf, cacao- 

 pods, rubber— can be sold to the nearest 

 estate, not so with fruits, vegetables and 



8 [March 1908. 



live stock. In Jamaica the Board of 

 Agriculture has inaugurated a Prize- 

 holding Scheme which I find has only to 

 a small extent been adopted locally (e.g., 

 Jaffna, Ambalangoda and Telijjawila) 

 and might well be extended. I read that 

 the scheme in Jamaica has proved to 

 be of the greatest help to the Instructors 

 in enforcing their lessons. The object is 

 the encouragment of cultivation on 

 homesteads, and takes the house and 

 sanitary condition into account in the 

 scale of points allowed. The progress is 

 thus noted— permanent crops 30, catch 

 crops 15, fences, gates and general con- 

 ditions 15, live stock 20, house 10, sani- 

 tary condition 10. A great deal is also 

 possible in the collection of suitable 

 information from Europe, India and 

 elsewhere, on all subjects likely to 

 enhance the usefulness of the Society, a 

 work which of course has already been 

 in progress during the past three 

 years, 



10. Co-operation.— The subject of Co- 

 operative credit societies and loan banks, 

 as worked in Europe, India and the West 

 Indies, deserves to be fully studied and 

 their practical application to local con- 

 ditions thought out by members of the 

 Board. So far, a beginning of co-oper- 

 ation in the matter of seed and manure 

 supply has been reported in the Review 

 of its work last year issued by the 

 Society, but this has been limited to two 

 or three local branches. It is much to be 

 desired that the Board itself should take 

 the initiative in this matter. To-day's 

 Progress Report indicates a successful 

 district experimental Co-operative Bank. 



11. Official Sympathy and Co- 

 operation as much Required as 

 Money.— Government has made what 

 may be considered a handsome annual 

 grant to the Society, if it is properly 

 utilised, and there is, I am told, a 

 balance and no lack of funds at this 

 time. But money is not everything. In 

 the useful work that lies before it the 

 Board requires the full sympathy of the 

 Executive Government and the confi- 

 dence and co-operation of Government 

 servants of all grades, but most of all 

 of the Revenue Officers in charge of the 

 different Provinces and Districts of the 

 Island. 



School Gardens deserve the special 

 support of the Society, as agencies for 

 furthering the work of agricultural pro- 

 gress and improvement, and I am glad 

 to find from published reports that 

 during last two years the gardens al- 

 ready established have received a grant 

 of prizes from the Society. I trust such 

 grant will be made an annual one, and 



