266 



[March 1908. 



amounted to Rs. 83'85 ; after paying off 

 interest to depositors (Rs. 26'80) and 

 meeting incidental expenses (Rs. 20 , 49) a 

 nett balance of Rs. 36*56 was carried for- 

 ward. 



This Branch has been giving attention 

 to cotton, tobacco, and the transplanting 

 and manuring of paddy. 



The Wellaboda Pattu (Galle) Branch.— 

 The Agricultural Show and Fair inau- 

 gurated by this Branch took place at 

 Hikkaduwa Gansabhawa premises on 

 February 22, and was formally opened 

 by the Government Agent, Southern 

 Province. The Secretary of this Society 

 was present with Agricultural Instruc- 

 tor Wickremaratue, and helped in judg- 

 ing the exhibits, which were of decidedly 

 good quality. The Branch Societies 

 awarded six certificates for the best 

 exhibits, and the Secretary of the Parent 

 Society has recommended a special 

 award for the best collection of vege- 

 tables, shown by R. D. S. Wimalasuriya. 

 The Branch Society also offered three 

 prizes of Rs. 30, Rs. 20, and Rs. 10 for the 

 best gardens in the pattu. There were 

 33 entries, and Mr. L. A. D. Silva, Agri- 

 cultural Instructor, did the judging. 

 The result was as follows :— 



(1) N. A. S, Jayasuriya's garden at 



Kapuhena. 



(2) R. D, S. Wimalasuriya's garden 

 at Kosgahawella. 



(3) G. B. Wickremaratnes garden at 



Galduwa. 



Coconut Stem Disease.— Reports receiv- 

 ed indicate that the coconut stem dis- 

 ease is very widespread ; but it is satis- 

 factory to find that all large landowners 

 have adopted the remedial measures 

 recommended by the Government Myco- 

 logist. The appointment of inspectors 

 to enforce the treatment in small native 

 holdings will probably be made by the 

 beginning of next month. In the mean- 

 time the disease has been "declared" 

 under the Plant Peats Ordinance, and 

 the necessary Local Boards for enforcing 

 the Ordinance have also been appointed. 



The Director of the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens, the Government Mycologist, 

 and the Secretary, Ceylon Agricultural 

 Society, paid several visits to the centres 

 where the disease was reported to be 

 specially bad. Demonstrations in the 

 method of treatment— cutting, burning, 

 and tarring— have also been given in 

 various places, and the Society's Agri- 

 cultural Instructors have helped in this 

 work. The Society has distributed 3,000 

 Sinhalese leaflets through Government 

 Agents and others. The Government 

 Mycologist recommends as preventative 

 treatment, especially for young trees, 



an application of a mixture of blue stone 

 (6 lb.), freshly slaked lime (6 lb.), and 25 

 gallons of water. This should be applied 

 to the trunk as high as practicable. In 

 view of representations made from Tan- 

 galla, an Agricultural Instructor has 

 been despatched to investigate and re- 

 port, pending the appointment of In- 

 spectors. The whole of the coconut area 

 between Tangalla and Puttalam would 

 thus appear to be affected. At the time 

 of writing a letter from the Eastern Pro- 

 vince mentions the occurrenee of the 

 disease in the Batticaloa District. 



Mr. H. P. Wickremesinghe, writing 

 from Marawila, says : "I notice another 

 form of disease in the shape of a leaf 

 disease. Generally the non-bearing trees 

 are very much affected with this. The 

 only sign is that the matured leaves get 

 spotted and the tender ones get dried 

 up. In some cases the whole crown 

 appears to be dried up." 



The Government Mycologist reports as 

 follows : — 



" From the description this is the leaf 

 disease caused by Pestallozzia palma- 

 rum. It occurs on palms througout the 

 Island, but does very little damage, 

 except to seedlings. The same fungus 

 attacks tea and cinnamon, but is not 

 considered dangerous. Manuring appears 

 to have made the tea bush more resistant 

 against its attack, and probably the 

 same is true of coconuts." 



Rinderpest in the North- Western Pro- 

 vince.— At a meeting of the Wanni Hat- 

 pattu Branch held on December 22, the 

 following resolution was adopted : " The 

 Society feels it a pleasure to lecoi'd its 

 sense of relief and appreciation of the 

 exertions of the Stock Inspector of the 

 North- Western Province, which have 

 contributed to the successful suppression 

 of the outbreak of cattle murrain dis- 

 cussed at the last meeting." 



Paddy Flies.— The ravages of the 

 paddy bug were reported from two or 

 three places. The Government Ento- 

 mologist has kindly furnished the fol- 

 lowing information for the benefit of 

 members: "The paddy bug, or rice 

 sapper (LeptoGorisa acuta), sucks the 

 unripe grain and prevents maturing. 

 No really satisfactory treatment for the 

 rice sapper exists. The smoke of cow- 

 dung and various aromatic herbs can be 

 recommended. Ropes covered with rags 

 soaked in kerosine are sometimes drawn 

 across the fields at the time the grain 

 is setting. But neither of these methods 

 appears to be very effectual. Perhaps 

 the best direct treatment is the plan of 

 walking through the fields and catching 

 the insects on hand screens (winnows) 

 smeared with jak juice. Much may be 



