October, 1910.] 



327 



Miscellaneous, 



The Wellaboda Pattu (Galle) Branch 

 will hold a Show on December 15 and 16 

 at Ambalangoda. This will be the last 

 Show tor the year. 



The Mannar Branch has fixed an Agri- 

 Horticultural and Industrial Show tor 

 March 3 and 4, 1911. 



TheNuwara Eliya Agri-Horticultural 

 Show next year has been fixed for Easter 

 Monday and Tuesday. 



A successful Village Agricultural Show 

 was held at Ibbagamuwa, about 9 miles 

 from Kurunegala, on August 20. The 

 following is a report made by Mr. 

 Molegode, Agricultural Instructor:— 



"The above Show was held on August 

 20 at Ibbagamuwa school, and was 

 opened by Mr. G. S. Saxton, Government 

 Agent. 



" There were in all fourteen sections. 

 The show of fruit was poor. Pomegran- 

 ate, lime, and goraka were well repre- 

 sented. Vegetables made a very good 

 show. Gourds, chillies, bandakkas. cas- 

 sava, cucumber, pumpkins, and muruuga 

 were particularly good. 



"The feature of the Show was the 

 exhibits from school gardens in the 

 district. In all five schools competed. 

 Medamulla boys' vernacular school won 

 the silver medal, Hunupola and Kum- 

 bukwewa came next, and Ibbagamuwa 

 received honourable mention. 



" There was a good exhibit of oils and 

 honey. Under coconut oil there were 

 several excellent specimens. Dry grains, 

 paddy and tobacco made a big show. 

 There was keen competition by exhibi- 

 tors of betel leaves, and the judges 

 experienced considerable difficulty in 

 awarding the prize. 



"Fifty-seven articles manufactured 

 from the coconut palm were shown by 

 Ragedara Arachchi, who was awarded 

 a silver medal. Under Arts and Manu- 

 factures the number of exhibits was 

 poor. Mats, baskets, and boxes made a 

 good show. The exhibit ot plumbago 

 was very good. 



" Altogether the show proved a great 

 success, and the Ratemahatmaya of 

 Hiriyala hatpattu (Mr. J. G. Tennekoon) 

 and Kachchen Mudaliyar Graham de 

 Silva are to be congratulated. 



" The Show ended with a very success- 

 ful ploughing demonstration with the 

 'Meston' and 'Pony,' conducted by 

 Messrs. Wickramaratne. L. A. D. Silva, 

 and myself, in the presence of the 

 Ratemahatmaya, Kachcheri Mudaliyar, 

 the minor headmen, and several culti- 

 vators." 



Paddy.— The Assistant Government 

 Agent, Hambantota, reports that he has 

 been trying to revive the interest of the 

 Tissa proprietors in ploughing, and that 

 as a result they have passed a rule 

 making ploughing or work with the 

 mamoty compulsory. He has again 

 asked for assistance from the Society, 

 and it has been decided to send two or 

 three Instructors to Tissa to remain 

 there throughout the cultivating season, 

 which is expected to begin about the 

 first week in October. The levelling of 

 the fields after ploughing, entailing 

 heavy expenditure, was hitherto done 

 with the mamoty, but it is hoped that 

 a suitable cultivator or harrow will be 

 found to do this work. 



Twenty bushels of Kiushu paddy were 

 imported by the Society for the Hon. 

 Mr. S. C. Obeyesekere and Mr. J. P. 

 William of Henaratgoda. 



The Agricultural Instructor at Batti- 

 caloa reports that Mr. K. Lebbe has 

 undertaken to employ ploughs and 

 manure in the cultivation of paddy 

 under his (the Instructor's) supervision. 



Tobacco.— Professor Wy ndham R. Dun- 

 stan. Director of the Imperial Institute, 

 writing on July 18, reports as follows 

 regarding the possibilities of tobacco 

 cultivation in Jaffna: " I see no reason 

 why this should not be developed into a 

 greater local trade, and also into an 

 export trade to Europe. All the condi- 

 tions seemed to me to be highly favour- 

 able to tobacco cultivation, but expert 

 advice and systematic experimental work 

 are sorely needed. I feel very strongly 

 that everything possible should be done 

 by Government to strengthen and im- 

 prove the tobacco industry in the North, 

 the possibilities of which greatly im- 

 pressed me." 



Prom the latest report received from 

 the Superintendent of the Tobacco Ex- 

 periment at Maha Iluppalama, dated 

 September 15, it will be seen that the 

 prospects of growing a tobacco suitable 

 for the European market are very hope- 

 ful :— 



" Visited the experiment twice in 

 August and tound the tobacco well 

 grown and in good order, The leaves 

 are large and, thanks to the rain, of 

 good quality. The tobacco is being 

 picked, and some has already begun to be 

 fermented and is doing well. The first 

 grown (Java) is not nearly so good in 

 quality as the Sumatra, not having had 

 the rain that the Sumatra had. The 

 latest planted had turned a little j'-ellow 

 owing to the unusual rains we have had, 

 but since my last visit (on August 31) 

 there has been little or no rain, so I hope 



