March 1908.) 



251 



Miscellaneous. 



those school farms will be converted into 

 branch agricultural schools, so that gra- 

 dually the elements of education in agri- 

 culture will spring up in the Colony, 

 close to the people and at the door of 

 the people. Every encouragement will 

 be given by the Government to push for- 

 ward cultivation, so that we may not 

 only have enough for local consumption, 

 but also possibly have an export trade 

 such as that in pepper to which Mr. Fer- 

 guson has alluded in his paper. I only 

 mention thftse broad points now so as to 

 give you a broad idea of what has been 

 recently passing through my mind. I 

 am studying the subject, and you may 



depend upon it that I shall not fail to 

 pay every attention to it, for I think that 

 it is a subject of primary importance to 

 this Colony. With these remarks I beg 

 to thank Mr. Ferguson for the very able 

 paper which he has just read. (Great 

 applause.) 



Mr. Ferguson begged to thank H. E. 

 the Governor, the Colonial Secretary 

 and members of the Board for the 

 cordial thanks accorded, and he ventured 

 to say with how much pleasure he had 

 listened to the very statesmanlike pro- 

 gramme the Governor had shadowed 

 forth for the future agricultural training 

 of young Ceylonese. 



