August, 1910.] 



153 



Miscellaneous. 



(1) The area under cultivation in 1906 

 in Jaffna was 885 acres. Since then no 

 returns have been compiled ; but as the 

 cultivation is extending, the area at 

 present can be safely put down at 1,000 

 acres. 



(2) Each bush produces about 6 cents 

 worth of tubers on an average. 



(3) The tubers are used as food in 

 several ways :— 



(a) The tubers are peeled, sliced into 

 pieces of 1\ in., boiled with salt, and 

 eaten, with or without coconut scrap- 

 ings, by the coolies. . 



(b) The slices are boiled in coconut 

 juice (milk) and eaten by the middle 

 classes, instead of rice and curry. 



(c) The tubers are peeled and cut into 

 small cubes and are cooked into curry 

 with the admixture of the usual condi- 

 ments and coconut milk, and are taken 

 by all classes with their rice. , . , . 



(d) The tubers are peeled, dried in 

 the sun, and converted into flour. The 

 flour is used in making several kinds ot 

 cakes, &c. It is an open secret that this 

 flour is used by the bakers of Jaffna in 

 adulterating wheat flour. 



C. DRIEBERG, 



Secretary, 



Colombo, August 1, 1910. 



HENARATGOUA SHOW. 



25th June, 1910. . 



It is a significant fact that the 

 Colombo Agri-Horticultural Society held 

 its Show this year at a village centre. 

 The Show, which was held under 

 the patronage of His Excellency the 

 Governor, was opened by the Hon'ble 

 Mr. H. L. Crawford, Acting Colonial 

 Secretary, and among those present were 

 the Hon'ble the Government Agent, 

 Western Province, the Hon'ble the 

 Treasurer, the Organising Vice-President, 

 and Secretary, Ceylon Agricultural 

 Society, and a number of visitors from 

 Colombo, besides a very large gathering 

 of villagers. 



The Show was as far as possible con- 

 fined to village cultivators, so that the 

 awards went to the actual growers or 

 makers of the produce exhibited. 



The opportunity was taken to hold a 

 demonstration of the working of light 

 iron ploughs. This was carried out by 

 Agricultural Instructor Wickremaratne 

 and Mr. A. E. Rajapakse, Mudaliyar of 

 Katunayake ; the latter also presented a 

 number ot* these implements to selected 

 headmen to be given on loan to any 

 cultivator who wishes to try them. 



Another important item was the distri- 

 bution of 5 lb. packets of a paddy f erti- 

 20 



lizer by Messrs- Preudenberg & Co., the 

 quantity just sufficing for one measure 

 sowing extent of paddy, with a view to 

 making it possible for the cultivator to 

 satisfy himself of the value of the ferti- 

 lizer by means of a comparative experi- 

 ment. 



Under fiuits pineapples were, as was 

 to be expected, conspicuous. It is in- 

 teresting to note here that though 

 Heneratgoda produces enormous Kew 

 pines of the finest quality, it does not 

 hold the record for the heaviest fruit. 

 As far as is known the largest produced 

 in the district weighed 20 lbs. At Waga 

 Mr. W- A. de Silva raised a fruit 21| lbs. 

 in weight, while the late Mr. W, Suppra- 

 maniam, Broker, succeeded in growing 

 one which weighed 24£ lbs. The exhibits 

 of Pnmeloes, Soursops, and Papaws were 

 satisfactory in number and quality. 

 Oranges and mangoes were good, con- 

 sidering that it was not the best season 

 for either. Limes, Rambutans, Custard- 

 apples, Nam-nams, Bilings, Melons, 

 Mangosteen, Jambus, Jak, were by no 

 means largely represented, though the 

 specimens sent were fair average 

 samples. The exhibit of plantains was 

 decidedly disappointing. Exhibitors 

 have still tc learn that fruit must be 

 exhibited in a proper state of maturity. 



In the vegetable section the exhibits 

 were more uniform. Pumpkins, Gourds 

 of sorts, Beans, Brinjals. Bandakka, 

 Sweet potatoes, Yams of sorts, were all 

 well represented ; but chillies and capsi- 

 cums made up the most striking class. 

 Cucumbers, onions, and breadfruit were 

 below the average. 



Among the miscellaneous exhibits, 

 arecanuts and Indian corn made a poor 

 show, while betel leaves were con- 

 spicuous by the large number of exhibits 

 and their fine quality. There was fair 

 competition in the paddy class, and a 

 very large number of exhibits of jaggery 

 and treacle, both from the coconut and 

 kit ul palms. Of sugar cane there were 

 only a few specimens, while there were 

 some good samples of ginger, pepper and 

 turmeric. One striking lot of ginger 

 was the result of a distribution of 

 Chinese ginger through the Government 

 Stock Garden. 



The Industrial Product Section might 

 have been better filled, particularly in 

 the pottery class, A few good mats and 

 brooms were shown, while the needle 

 work section to which the contribution 

 came from the girls' schools in the dis- 

 trict, contained work of fair average 

 quality. 



N. WlCKRAMARATNE, 



Agricultural Instructor. 



5th July, 1910, 



