June 1908.J 



577 



Miscellaneous. 



us a very fair record of what has been done, 

 and the progress that has been made by 

 means of the Society's operations in the 

 cause of agriculture generally. And what is 

 to my mind even more important is the fact 

 that the Report generally contains very valu- 

 able suggestions as regards the future deve- 

 lopment of the Society. Before I touch on 

 these particular points I should say that the 

 thanks of all the members of the Society are 

 due to the gentlemen who, in this Report, are 

 called "the workers." They have done 

 much, not only because they love agriculture 

 in itself, but for the higher principle of doing 

 good to the land in which they live. (Hear, 

 hear.) It is, gentlemen, such as these 

 "workers" that the Society will always 

 have to depend upon, and we cannot be soo 

 sufficiently grateful for the spontaneous 

 efforts that they have made to advance the 

 cause that the Society has so much at heart. 

 The Society, as has quite rightly been said, 

 has attained early in its career one useful 

 piu-pose, namely, that it has been the medium 

 between individuals and the different agencies 

 to meet their wants. (Cheers.) However, to 

 my mind this Report is a valuable one, in so 

 much that it foretells what practically means 

 two branches in the Society. One is what 

 you may call the English-speaking branch — 

 and a most important branch it is. It is that 

 branch which brings us all here together 

 to-day ; it is in order to discuss these matters 

 of agriculture. It is a matter which is of the 

 greatest importance to the Colony, that, in 

 what is the Colony's Chief Industry, namely, 

 agriculture, both Europeans and Ceylonese so 

 meet here 



UPON A COMMON PLATFORM AND ENGAGE IN 

 DISCUSSIONS ON A SUBJECT INTERESTING 

 TO BOTH, 



and upon which we all can get not only indivi- 

 dual improvement, but mutual benefit. (Hear, 

 hear.) I say, therefore, that this Society 

 may have as its principal branch this English- 

 speaking branch, and this English-speak- 

 ing branch should as far as is possible be 

 self-supporting. (Hear, hear.) I am glad to 

 see from the Report that the Finance and 

 Publication Committee have at all events 

 made a considerable step in this direction. I 

 have, no doubt, in progress of time, they will 

 make even one more step forward, because one 

 of the points on which I can give a perfectly 

 unbiassed opinion, coming fresh to the Colony, 

 is that I have not seen one publication so in- 

 teresting, so well got up, and so cheap for 

 the money, as is the "Tropical Agricul- 

 turist." (Hear, hear.) As I say, these meet- 

 ings between us all here, I regard as of 

 much importance, but it is a question for the 

 Managing Committee to consider whether, 

 perhaps, it is not too often to meet once a 

 month. I think so, not from the fact that 

 we have not had very interesting discussions 

 here, but from what I notice from the papers 

 — which i6 that we constantly have to fall 



back upon Peradeniya to find a paper for 

 the monthly meeting. I should like to see 

 very much at every meeting two papers read 

 — one by our professional experts, and the 

 other by a layman who is an ordinary mem- 

 ber of the Society. (Cheers.) I think it 

 would do good. It would mean that co- 

 operation which, as regards the Society as 

 well as everything else, means everything 

 to the strength and the life of the body 

 interested. (Cheers ) The other branch, 

 which is just referred to in the Report, is 

 what I might call the vernacular speaking 

 branch, and it is a matter on which I said a 

 few words when I last occupied the chair 

 here. I am glad to see that 



THE SOCIETY HAS VEERED IN THE DIRECTION OF 

 THE VIEWS WHICH 1 THEN EXPRESSED, 



and which I said I did express with some 

 hesitation, because I had not been in your 

 midst a sufficiently long period to study the 

 matter as thoroughly as I could have wished, 

 ft gives me, therefore, some encouragement 

 to think that the Society, with the wisdom 

 which they have, and the knowledge of local 

 matters, takes kindly to these ideas, and that 

 in any efforts which I may make in that 

 direction I will have their co-operation, and 

 equally that 1 shall be able to give whatever 

 assistance I can to the Society in that di- 

 direction also. 1 may just read the two 

 paragraphs to which I particularly refer. 

 The first is on page 4. 



' ' Altogether there would appear to be a 

 tendency to give to rural education that turn 

 which it so much lacks at present." 



The other is on page 5, and reads: "For 

 more direct and effective work among our 

 village population it is much to be desired 

 (1) that an executive Board should be formed 

 with Provincial Boards over which the 

 Revenue Officers should preside, and the 

 operations of which they should control with 

 the advice of the Central Board; (2) That. a 

 larger staff of trained Agricultural In- 

 structors should be appointed to carry on 

 systematic work, according to an approved 

 plan, under the Revenue Officers." 



I think that last quotation is very much 

 on the lines of remarks which I made the last 

 time I was speaking. It is a sound principle, 

 thoroughly sound. As regards how it can 

 best be carried into effect we must not be in 

 a hurry. It requires very close and careful 

 consideration, because in all these matters 

 dealing with the agricultural population, 

 when you once make a step forward it is very 

 difficult to retrace that step, and you must, 

 therefore, practically make sure of what you 

 are doing. As regards the matter of teachers, 

 many of you will remember t hat I said : what 

 we stand urgently in want of in all our 

 country districts is a number of Mr. Driebergs 

 — (hear, hear) — men who have a thorough 



