and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. 



509 



prominence, and in the intervals drops into in- 

 significance. I recollect the persistent efforts 

 made to encourage cotton-growing by Sir Wil- 

 liam Mitchell and others about the time tho 

 Spinning and Weaving Mills were started. As 

 you will see from the progress report for Janu- 

 ary-February, reproduced in the Tropical Agri- 

 culturist and Agricultural Magazine for March, 

 about 1,000 lb. of cotton seed were lately distri- 

 buted by this Society. From letters I have re- 

 ceived, I find that many people are growing 

 cotton in order to see how it will turn out 

 in their districts. Some, unfortunately, are not 

 growing it under the most favourable conditions. 

 In the right districts, and planted at the pro- 

 per season, it should do very well. Mr. Caley's 

 report, to which you refer — and which I should 

 like to get at — is valuable as indicating the 

 places where cotton was actually growing (pre- 

 sumably well) in his day. In the course of this 

 year, I expect to receive some useful reports 

 on the results of cultivation in different parts 

 of the Island — particularly in one district 

 where a large area has been planted. — Yours 

 truly, 



C. DRIEBERG. 



8th April. 



Dear Sir, — With reference to recont articles 

 in the Observer, it would be interesting to learn 

 from Dr. Willis and his Staff, who have been 

 paying attention to the subject, as also from 

 Cotton Experts in Colombo, how far the fol- 

 lowing remarks are in their opinion correct 

 for the present day. I have come across them 

 in an old Indian Journal (say 18 years old) ; 

 but I should think they were copied from some 

 local authority: — Cotton is grown and is grow- 

 ing in the island today of a fineness and length 

 of staple unknown in India, and, whilst Indian 

 mills find it difficult, even with the admixture 

 of Egyptian cotton, to spin yarn as fine as 30s. 

 the cotton grown in Ceylon can, according to 

 experts, be spun to 40s., 50s. and 60s. It is sin- 

 cerely to be hoped that the Government will 

 do their utmost to encourage cotton cultivation 

 amongst the natives. The restoration of all the 

 tanks ever built in a barbarous age would not 

 confer on the natives of the island half the 

 benefit which they could derive from a steady 

 encouragement by the Government of such a 

 cultivation as cotton throughout the island. 

 There is no reason whatever why every villager's 

 hut throughout the length of the land, except 

 perhaps those in the western and some parts of 

 the contral and southern provinces should not 

 be surrounded by a number of cotton trees, 

 yielding him, as they would do, a wolcomo addi- 

 tion to his scanty means of subsistence. From 

 every part of Ceylon — from Jaffna, from Matale, 

 from Batticaloa— the samples and small parcels 

 sent for purchase exhibit a fineness and length 

 of staple quite unlooked for. The subject is one 

 of such wide reaching interest to the inhabitants 

 of this colony and has so many sides to it that 

 a comprehensive view of all it means to the 

 rural and town population of Ceylon is not 

 possible within the limits of a brief newspaper 

 article, but groat as are the benefits which the 

 establishment of a permanent industry in our 

 midst such as this would be to the population 

 of Colombo and its vicinity in the material 



wealth thereby diffused and in the gradual in- 

 culcation of habits of industry which steady 

 daily labour invariably produces, they are all 

 eclipsed by the beneficent effects which the 

 general introduction of cotton growing as a 

 "cottage cultivation" would have on the 



foverty stricken inhabitants of the interior. — 

 am, yours truly, 



PROGRESS. 



COTTON-GROWING AND IRRIGATION. 



With reference to our suggestion that cotton 

 should be tried in land below some of our re- 

 stored tanks in the North, we have the following 

 in regard to Egypt :— 



In Upper Egypt the best results of irrigation 

 are seen, and the production of cotton is 

 steadily on the increase. In ten years the total 

 production has increased from about 24,000,000 

 lb. to over 90,000,000 lb. and the area of plant- 

 ing is still on the increase. This vast increase 

 is mainly due to irrigation, and justifies the 

 huge expenditure on the Assouan dam. The 

 mouths preceding the Nile flood in summer are 

 now without anxiety to the peasantry. The 

 irrigation officers in this dry period are able 

 to provide a supply of water at intervals — 

 usually about fifteen days. The boon to agri- 

 culture of all kinds is immense, and to cotton 

 growing especially. Apart from the question 

 of moisture, the grower has many risks to run, 

 the effects of sudden changes of temperature 

 being the most serious. Worms provide another 

 enemy that has to be ceaselessly watched. 

 The moths they produce necessitate cleansing 

 and pruning, otherwise serious damage is done 

 to the plants. The ginning factories are now 

 well equipped for dealing with the cotton when 

 picked, and steam processes are in use. There 

 are quite a number of these factories in 

 the country, the principal being in Alexandria, 

 where an important industry results from the 

 handling and shipment of cotton. The cargoes 

 of British vessels calling at this port are greatly 

 helped by this trade, about one-half the entire 

 production finding its way to Lancashire. Tht 

 cotton seed has also grown to be an importane 

 item in the country's industry. In one form 

 or other it finds its way into margarine and 

 cattle food ; oil is extracted from it, and it is 

 largely used in soap-making. 



"WHITE ANTS." 



" Circulars and Agricultural Journal of the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens, Ceylon," Vol. IV., 

 No. 10, March, 1908, consists of a treatise on 

 white ants by Mr E E Green, Government 

 Entomologist, from which we quote as follows: — 



It has been estimated that two-thirds of 

 the Island of Ceylon is undermined by white 

 ants. The number of these insects is certainly 

 quite incalculable ; but it is fortunate that their 

 natural enemies are almost as numerous. The 

 workers are preyed upon by true ants and many 

 other insects; by spiders, lizards, and centipedes: 

 by rats, mice, and palm squirrels. But it is the 

 adult winged insects that are especially victim- 

 ized. It is probable that scarcely one per cent. 



