August, lQOs.j 



Miscellaneous, 



Colombo Show,— The Colombo Agri- 

 Hoticultural Society contemplates ornaniz- 

 ing an all-Island Show next year. 



Mysore Dassara Industrial and Agri- 

 cultural Exhibition— -Mr. Subba Ran, 

 Secretary to above Exhibition, Mysore, has 

 forwarded forms of application, rules, &c. , 

 of the above Exhibition, requesting that it 

 be widely advertised in order to induce 

 Ceylon to send exhibits. As there are several 

 products depending largely on the Indian 

 market, such as tobacco, arecanuts, &e., 

 it would be wise to forward exhibits in 

 order to extend the market for such pro- 

 ducts. It is to be hoped that the Secretaries 

 of Branch Societies, to whom forms have 

 been forwarded, will take the matter up. 

 Copies of the prize list are available on appli- 

 cation. 



Special Committee on Agricultural In- 

 struction. — This Committee held three meet- 

 ings, and also visited a school garden at 

 Mirigama with a view to seeing for them- 

 selves how work is there carried on. The 

 Committee's report will be presented at to- 

 day's meeting. 



Hill Paddy in the North.— -Mr. S. Chel- 

 liah, Tamil Agricultural Instructor, reports 

 that some of the cultivators in the North 

 have agreed to try hill paddy on dry lands 

 which are at present entirely cultivated 

 with kurakkan. The necessary seed paddy is 

 being procured from the North- Western 

 Province. 



Moulmein Paddy. — Arrangements are 

 being made to obtain a consignment of 

 paddy from Moulmein for trial locally. The 

 paddy is well spoken of as regards yield 

 and quality. 



Manuring Paddy. — An experiment is 

 being made in the manuring of paddy under 

 the Minneri tank, and several individual 

 members and Branch Societies are also 

 conducting similar experiments. 



Nitro-Bacterine. — The preparation suit- 

 able for ground-nuts is being tried at the 

 Government Stock Garden. The results of 

 the trial will be available when the crop 

 is lifted. 



Vegetable Seeds — A large order has 

 been placed for vegetable seeds to be supplied 

 to applicants who have sent in requisitions. 

 The seeds are expected to arrive in time for 

 planting during the next rainy season — 

 October. 



Coconut Stem Disease. — In addition to 

 the five special Inspectors appointed to 

 work under the Botanic Department, three 

 additional hands have been engaged, and the 

 work of eradicating the disease is being pushed 

 on with vigour. From reports received it is 

 apparent that the disease has been got well 

 under control. 



Brucea Suynatrana. — Some seeds of this 

 plant were received from the Botanic Gar- 

 dens, Straits Settlements, and put in nursery 

 at the Government Stock Garden. The fruits 

 have a considerable reputation as a remedy 

 for dysentery. An article on Brucea will 

 appear in the August number of the "Tro- 

 pical Agriculturist and Magazine of the 

 Ceylon Agricultural Society." 



Coca Plant* and Malabar Pepper Cut- 

 tings. — Mr. K. Bandare Beddewela of Mali- 

 gatenne, Kandy, is offering coca plants and 

 Malabar pepper cuttings. These may be 

 had in quantity at reduced rates by members 

 applying through the Society. Coca seed is 

 also available. 



Cotton Seed. — Cultivators will be in- 

 terested to learn that there is a ready market 

 for cotton seed as well as lint. Messrs. 

 Nieland & "Wilson, writing on the sub- 

 ject, say: "It would be best to carry it 

 (the seed) to the best market which no doubt 

 is England. The British Cotton Growing 

 Association are only too willing to pay 

 anything like £6 per ton c.i.f., Liverpool, 

 while there is hardly any local market or 

 only little, prices ranging from Rs. 2 to Rs. 3 

 per cwt., or even less." 



Cotton. — Mr. M. Suppramaniam, broker 

 of the Ceylon Spinning and Weaving Mills, 

 Wellawatta, writing on July 21, reported: — 

 ' ' Five tons of Sea Island cotton were 

 purchased last week, and to-day a sample 

 has been received from a Pettah trader, who 

 has five tons more in hand. There is every 

 prospect of further increased supplies being 

 received." 



Plantain Fibre Machinery. — In reply 

 to inquiries, Mr. L. H. Dewey, Botanist in 

 in charge of Fibre Plants, writing on March 

 5, says : — 



" The few specimens of fibre which I have 

 examined from plantain and banana plants 

 have been inferior in strength to the fibre 

 produced by abaca (Musa textilis) in the 

 Philippines, I am told that one of the 

 species from Africa (Musa ensete) yields a 

 fibre which, it is thought, will compare 

 favourably with the genuine abaca. The 

 best specimens of banana fibre that I have 

 seen came from Jamaica, but these fibres 

 lacked uniformity. Some of them were 

 strong, while others were very weak. I do 

 not think that it would be possible to 

 prepare the fibre from banana plants 

 produced in the American tropics at a cost 

 that would permit them to enter the 

 American market so as to compete with 

 abaca and sisal now used by our manu- 

 facturers. It might be possible, however, 

 with the different labour conditions of India, 

 to produce these fibres so as to be used in 

 the local market there, and it is also quite 

 possible that you have varieties there 



