May 1908.] 



479 



supply of vegetable seeds be obtained 

 and distributed among villagers. A re- 

 solution was also adopted to the effect 

 that the Branch Society should ap- 

 proach Government with a view to ob- 

 taining a sufficient extent of land for a 

 pasture ground for cattle, and that the 

 parent society be asked to assist by con- 

 tributing towards the cost of wire- 

 fencing the pasture land. 



The Wanni Hatpattu Branch Society 

 held a meeting on March 14, when the 

 following progress report was submit- 

 ted: — Tobacco cultivation is on the 

 increase, and standing crops give pro- 

 mise of a good harvest ; the Egyptian 

 and Sea Island cotton seed supplied by 

 the parent society was widely distri- 

 buted. The cotton plantations of 1906 

 are carrying their second crops now, 

 and the chenas opened out in August- 

 September last are doing well. The 

 Chairman reports that a new variety 

 of paddy known as Dik-vi, lately intro- 

 duced from Anuradhapura District, is 

 gaining popularity and that the yield 

 has been very encouraging. It was ad- 

 vised that members should endeavour 

 to introduce this variety into every 

 division. A notable feature in this 

 variety is that it has been proved to be 

 practically immune from the attack 

 of the fly which generally damages 

 paddy. 



A gri-Horticultural Shows. —The Nu- 

 wara ttliya Show was held on April 20 

 and 21, and was attended by the Organ- 

 izing Vice-President and the Secretary. 

 As usual the show of flowers was of a 

 high order. Among the exotic vege- 

 tables, the prize cabbage-lettuces sur- 

 passed anything previously exhibited 

 in this line. The cattle section was not 

 well filled. Among native products the 

 exhibits were of good quality but dis- 

 appointing in quantity. A few samples 

 of American dent corn from Walapana 

 were in evidence, as a result of a distri- 

 bution of this seed by the Society. 

 Fruits were fairly well represented. 



The Jaffna Branch, at a meeting held 

 on March 16, decided to hold an Agri- 

 Horticultural and Industrial Show in 

 Jaffna in June next year. 



A proposal has been made to hold a 

 suburban show near Colombo, and nego- 

 tiations are in progress with the Hon. 

 the Government Agent, Western Pro- 

 vince, to have it at Dalugama, which 

 has been suggested as a good centre, 

 where a successful show was held several 

 years ago. Dalugama is very accessible, 

 being about a mile from the Kelaniya 

 Railway Station. 



The Hon. the Government Agent, 

 Central Province, reports that the Rste- 



mahatmayas of Udunuwara, Fatiuu- 

 wara, Harispattu, Tumpane, and Pata 

 Hewaheta have proposed to bold village 

 shows, and that they have been asked 

 to fix a meeting for an early date to 

 settle details. 



The Telijjawila Branch has decided 

 on holding a Fair in June this year, 

 when the distribution of prizes for 

 vegetable gardens (judged some time 

 ago) will take place. 



The Government Agent, North- West- 

 ern Province, is arranging to hold 

 village shows at three centres in the 

 North-Western Province, viz,, Balalla, 

 Pilessa, and Kuliyapitiya. These shows 

 will probably be held in June. 



The Government Agent, Southern 

 Province, held a meeting on April 9 with 

 a view to make arrangements for hold- 

 ing a show at Galle this year. It was, 

 however, decided to fix the show for 

 May next year. 



A show is also likely to be held next 

 year in Badulla. 



Fruit Culture.— Mv. N. Wickremeratne, 

 Agricultural Instructor, reporting on 

 his visit to Telijawila, says :— I visited 

 the Telijjawila Fruit Garden which is 

 well kept. The plants are growing well, 

 indicating that care and attention have 

 been bestowed on them. The gardens 

 started at the same time by the headmen 

 are also doing well, aud it is expected that 

 in a few years' time a good local fruit 

 supply in the korale could be relied on. 



The Dampella School Fruit garden has 

 lost some of the plants put down last 

 year owing to adverse weather, and, at 

 the request of the Mudaliyar, arrange- 

 ments are being made to furnish a fresh 

 supply from the Government Stock 

 Garden to fill vacancies. 



Paddy — Mr. V, Casipillai. of Jaffna, 

 writing on March 25, reports on his 

 experiments with Indian paddy as fol- 

 lows :— " The 20 measures of the Indian 

 paddy called Kawetta Sampa you sent 

 me in September last was sown in a field 

 of 10 lachams (equal to about five- 

 twelfths of an acre). As the paddy was 

 said to be 5 months' variety I sowed it 

 on low land, as I did with other paddy 

 of similar age. The whole area of culti- 

 vation in the locality consists of about 

 40 acres, divided into about 85 beds, and 

 I found that the plants of this paddy 

 grew much more luxuriantly than others 

 in the rest of the 40 acres. But when 

 the rain set in and the field began to be 

 flooded the growth of Kowetta Sampa 

 seemed to be arrested, and so, though 

 from the luxuriant growth at the outset 

 I expected to realize at least 15 bushels, I 

 got only 8 bushels. It would appear that 



