December, 1910.] 



541 



Miscellaneous. 



things remain in the botanical fields he 

 has thus far so largely neglected. If we 

 pursue agriculture or any phase of it with- 

 out devoting our science to it, we can at 

 most become expert farmers. By de- 

 voting our science to agriculture and 

 having faith in its potency, no man can 

 foretell the outcome. 



I have endeavoured to indicate what I 

 regard as the most promising lines for 

 botanical work to advance agricultural 

 progress. The routes that the investi- 

 gators have followed and are following 

 along these lines furnish the natural and 

 best possible chart upon which to map 

 botanical courses in agricultural schools. 

 These courses should fashion as far as 

 possible to promote interest in the 

 botanical problems of agriculture, rather 

 than those with little or no agricultural 

 contact. To me it seems as if the great 

 field that is at present open to us is that 

 of determining as fully as possible the 

 potentialities of our principal crop plants 

 so that they may be utilised to the 

 utmost. 



In some ways we might compare our 

 present knowledge of plant species or 

 their subdivisions tc the knowledge of 

 organic chemistry fifty years ago. At 

 that time it was believed that organic 

 compounds could be formed only by 

 vital processes. In a similar way there 

 exists among biologists the more or less 

 unformulated idea tnat species and 

 subspecies are the result of forces beyond 

 our command ; that we can study their 

 evolution but cannot control the pro- 

 cesses. It seems to me that the results 

 obtained by the cultivator of plants and 

 the domesticator of animals virtually 

 contradict this idea, enough so at least 

 that there is a good basis for De Vries's 

 bold prediction : 



A knowledge of the laws of variation 

 must sooner or later lead to the possib- 

 ility of inducing mutations at will, and so 

 of originating perfectly new characters 

 in plants and animals, And just as 

 the process of selection enables us to 

 produce new races, greater in value and 

 in beauty, so a control of the mutative 

 process will place in our hands the power 

 of originating permanently improved 

 species of animals and plants, 



O. V. Piper. 



Washington, D.C., 

 March 5, 1910. 



CEYLON AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 Progress Report LII. 



Membership, Branch Societies, Sec 



The following members have joined the 

 Society since the last meeting held on 

 October 3 : — Don Davith & Sons, Chas. 

 P. Brodie, J. M. Lonsdale (Madras,) 

 Mirishena Rubber Co., Ltd., Hora- 

 wala (Kalutara) Rubber Co,, Ltd., P, P. K. 

 (Ceylon) Rubber Estates, Ltd., Doolgalla 

 Rubber Estates, Ltd. These additions 

 bring the total membership up to 946. 



The Chilaw Branch, which has been 

 languishing for some time past, has been 

 re-organized by the Assistant Govern- 

 ment Agent, Mr. E. B. Alexander. At a 

 meeting held on October 6 it was resolved 

 " That the Branch Agricultural Society 

 of Chilaw be revived, and that the annual 

 rate of subscription should be Rs, 2'50 

 per annum." It was proposed to apply 

 to Government for a piece of land on 

 the bauks of the Deduru-oyato conduct 

 experiments different to those conducted 

 at Rajakadaluwa. Another meeting of 

 this branch was held at the Kachcheri 

 on November 8, the Assistant Govern- 

 ment Agent presiding. The Secretary 

 of the Ceylon Agricultural Society and 

 Mr. W. A. de Silva (who was to read a 

 paper on "Intensive Cultivation") were 

 unavoidably kept away by the damage 

 done to the roads by heavy rain. Those 

 present included the chief planters of the 

 district. Among the subjects discussed 

 were artesian wells, water finding by 

 the divining rod, and experimental culti- 

 vation. Mr. N. J. Martin has placed at 

 the disposal of the local Society an area 

 of 25 acres for cotton cultivation, and 

 will supply the necessary labour for 

 cultivating it, and a start has already 

 been made with the work. Another 

 offer of 3 acres made by the Mudaliyar 

 of Pitigal Korale South for experimental 

 cultivation will be considered at the next 

 meeting. It is satisfactory to note that 

 the membership of this branch under the 

 new conditions has increased, and that 

 the members have resolved to hold 

 regular quarterly meetings, 



The new Experimental Garden started 

 at Balalla has been planted with the 

 first of a series of rotation crops. Mr. 

 Molegode and Mr. Wickremaratne, Agri- 

 cultural Instructors, with the co-opera- 

 tion of Hulugalle Adigar, laid out the 

 garden, and the Koralaof Balalla rend- 

 ered valuable assistance in the prelimin- 

 ary work of clearing and fencing. 



Inspections.— The Secretary visited 

 Ruanwella, Kosgoda, Yatagala, Per- 

 adeniya, Hindagala, Kuriwela, Ham- 

 bantota, Tissamaharama, Balalla, Hor- 

 awala, and Ittapana. 



