March 1908,] 



249 



Miscellaneous. 



every encouragement given to the work 

 carried on under the School Garden 

 Scheme. There are not a few other 

 means of progress, which might, with 

 advantage, be taken up by the Society 

 through its advisers on this Board, but 

 in the time and space at my disposal, it 

 is not possible to deal fully with all that 

 ought to be suggested. 



12. Use of Board Meetings in Pro- 

 moting a good Understanding and 

 Stimulating Interest.— I may mention, 

 however, before closing, that I personally 

 attach great importance to the perio- 

 dical meetings of this Board as a most 

 useful means of bringing intelligent 

 English-speaking Ceylonese Agricul- 

 turists, including Capitalists interested 

 in some one branch of agriculture (a class 

 that, with the spread of education, is 

 rapidly increasing in Ceylon) and leading 

 Government officials, face to face, and 

 so permitting of an interchange of ideas 

 and opinions on a subject of perennial 

 importance to the material progress of 

 the Colony. 1 was struck by a remark 

 made only the other day by the new 

 Governor of Bombay, Sir Sydenham 

 Clarke, to the effect that " between the 

 administrators and the intelligent por- 

 tion of the population of India there 

 was too much writing and not enough 

 of personal contact." We have seen at 

 our Board meetings, in the past, enter- 

 prising Ceylonese ready to improve with 

 old, or to experiment with new, pro- 

 ducts, come from as far as Jaffna and 

 Matale on the North and East, Galle 

 and Matara in the South, to attend our 

 meetings ; and, were it only for the inter- 

 est shown and the interchange of infor- 

 mation afforded in respect of experi- 

 ments in cotton and tobacco growing 

 alone, I would say that the Society and 

 its Board have not failed of their pur- 

 pose. Several useful papers have been 

 read by Ceylonese gentlemen from the 

 country, and in illustration I may men- 

 tion that on the " Citronella Industry of 

 Ceylon" by Mr. Samaraweera of Weli- 

 gama. But when in addition we think of 

 all the many profitable papers read by 

 Dr. Willis and other members of the 

 Scientific staff, as well as by unofficial 

 members, and all that has been done for 

 the improvement of, and to find a 

 market for, live stock, we may well feel 

 that with such information circulated 

 broad-cast not simply in English, but also 

 in the vernaculars by means of the native 

 press and leaflets, much good has been 

 done, and seeds of knowledge and expe- 

 rience have been sown which are bound 

 to bring forth a satisfactory crop in due 

 season among a large number of agri- 

 culturists in Ceylon. 



The Discussion. 



mr. clifford on the potentialities 

 of the society. 



The Hon. Mr. Clifford :— I should 

 only be voicing the feelings of every 

 member when I venture to thank Mr. 

 Ferguson for the very interesting and 

 suggestive paper which he has read. 

 I think we all have very much at heart a 

 desire to utilise the Society to the very 

 best of its potentialities, and I do myself 

 firmly believe it is capable of being 

 utilised greatly to the benefit of the 

 people of this Colony. My only doubt 

 is as to the inherent vitality of the 

 Society itself. 1 think, Sir, that it is 

 regrettable that in a population which 

 is numbered by millions, so very small a 

 section of that population should be 

 members of this Society. I think, Sir, 

 that it is very regrettable that whereas 

 the Government gives a grant of Rs. 

 30,000, our subscriptions only come to 

 Rs. 8,000. I am not quarrlling with 

 figures, but I take it that it is in some 

 way symptomatic of the slackness I fear. 

 In view of what Mr. Ferguson has sug- 

 gested, we all know of the many poten- 

 tialities for usefulness which this 

 Society undoubtedly possesses. Every 

 member of it should do his best to 

 increase the membership, to preach the 

 object for which the Society is created, 

 to enlist the sympathy and enthu- 

 siasm of his friends in it, and to try to 

 assist in instilling into it a vitality 

 which will make it self-supporting, and 

 not depeudent upon the Government — 

 I am not now referring to the Govern- 

 ment grant — and having life of its own. 

 On behalf of the Government I may 

 assure the Society of every assistance, 

 encouragement, and help and aid that 

 Government can give. I think we all 

 know the very old dictum that Heaven 

 helps those who help themselves, but 

 it is impossible to help the helpless 

 beyond a certain point. If the Society 

 is to do its work it should be dependent 

 upon its own vitality and initiation, and 

 not only through the support from 

 Government. I most cordially endorse 

 what Mr, Ferguson has said as to one 

 of the many advantages of this Society, 

 and that is the meetings which take 

 place periodically. They enable many 

 of us to come into contact with gentle- 

 men who take an interest in the agri- 

 culture of the country, and who know 

 far more about the various forms of 

 agriculture than any of us. From these 

 men we can naturally derive a great 

 deal of enlightenment and advice. I, 

 personally, very much appreciate the 

 opportunities we have of hearing the 

 views of gentlemen who undoubtedly 



