Miscellaneous. 



376 



[October, 1908. 



expert with a view to instructing 

 tobacco cultivators iu curing tobacco for 

 the European market. The question of 

 opening a manure store and bank was 

 discussed, but a decision was postponed 

 till next year. 



A Committe meeting of the Co-opera- 

 tive Credit Society was held on the same 

 day, and the proposed amalgamation 

 of funds was approved. In addition to 

 the paddy bin at Madugoda it was 

 resolved to erect another at Mediwaka. 

 The President announced that several 

 planters of the district had expressed 

 their desire to join the Society, and it 

 was resolved to send out circulars to 

 intending members. 



The Jaffna Society held a meeting o-t 

 Committee on August 8. A sum of Rs. 4^ 

 was voted for an experiment with arti" 

 ficial manures in paddy cultivation, the 

 Agricultural Instructor being respon- 

 sible for its supervision. 



The Rayigam Korale Branch, thanks 

 to the efforts of the Assistant Gover u " 

 ment Agent and the Mudaliyar, is aliv e 

 to the possible improvement in the 

 present methods of cultivation, and it is 

 gratifying to know that transplanting 

 of paddy is to be taken up energetically 

 in the korale. 



The Experimental Garden at Bandara- 

 gama has been fenced and cleared, and 

 about half the entire extent planted 

 with fruit trees, pineapples, and vege- 

 tables. The fruit trees, including about 

 200 oranges, appear to be doing well. 

 The pineapples, which cover nearly half 

 an acre, are also coming up fairly well. 

 The vegetable section, apart from the 

 ground planted with sweet potatoes and 

 cassava, is as yet inconsiderable. Alto- 

 gether a fair start has been made with 

 the garden. Better progress would 

 have been made by this time but for a 

 boundary dispute which delayed the 

 fencing. 



Transplanting in Paddy. — The follow- 

 ing communication has been received 

 from the Secretary, Wellaboda pattu 

 (Galle) Society, dated September 5: — 

 "I have the honour to submit below 

 results obtained by the use of Messrs. 

 Preudenberg's special fertilizers (and 

 transplanting) : — 





Ordinary 



Special 



Special 





Manure. 



Mixture. 



jv. ixture. 



Broadcast. 



Broadcast. 



Trans- 









planted. 



Date of sowing 



29-3-8 



29—3-8 



Z9-3-8 



Extent 



i acre 



i acre 

 i bushed 



2 seers 



Quantity 



| bushed 



I seer 



Average height of 









plants 



3 to 3J ft. 



5 to 6 ft. 



Si to 7 ft. 



Average number of 









shoots 



4 to 6 



6 to 9 



10 to 12 



Harvest 



6-fold 



18-fold 



40-fold 



Kind of paddy 



Muttusamba 



Muttusamba Carolina 



Average number of 









ears 



6 to S 



16 to 21 



20 to 25 



"This land is marshy ground, and is 

 situated about a quarter mile to the 

 south-east of the Weragoda Experi- 

 mental Garden." 



Report by Mudaliyaliyar, Wellaboda 

 pattu (Galle), dated August 20, 1908, on 

 a field cultivated by Mr. J. F. de Livera 

 of Delduwa : — "In my opinion the trans- 

 planting was not sufficiently methodical. 

 The necessary distance from one plant 

 to another had not been observed. 

 Either on account of deep planting or 

 not draining the patch properly the 

 bushes were not large enough. How- 

 ever, the cultivation as a first attempt is 

 satisfactory, and it will, I am sure, show 

 a good yield. The greater credit in this 

 instance is the bringing under cultiva- 

 tion of a patch of waste land subject to 

 be flooded by brackish water." 



Paddy Experiment at Minneriya. — 

 Reference has previously been made to 

 this experiment conducted under the 

 supervision of Tank Guardian Mr. G. W, 

 Perkins. Mr. Perkins reports : — " A 

 species of paddy called ' kallunda ' (4 

 months paddy) was sown and trans- 

 planted, as per your instructions 

 received from time to time, about 

 the end of May last. The trans- 

 planting had to be done by men not 

 accustomed to the work, thereby taking 

 several days to complete the acre. The 

 field will be reaped about the end of this 

 month, and is admitted by all as quite 

 good. The transplanting was delayed 

 owing to insufficient hands for the work. 

 Out of the plants there are clusters from 

 26 to 35 from each seed. The plants are 

 also more sturdy than those of the 

 adjoining fields. A good deal of damage 

 was done to the fields by buffaloes. One 

 good thing that my experiment will do 

 for Minneri will be that some transplant- 

 ing will take place every year in future, 

 for the landlord who gave me permission 

 to work his field has decided to have one 

 measure transplanted out of each portion 

 he gives the goiyas to cultivate. He has 

 about 24 goiyas under him, and requires 

 119 bushels of seed paddy. He is con- 

 vinced of the tremendous saving in seed 

 paddy." _ A report on the result of the 

 harvest is expected shortly. 



Agri-Hortictdtural Shoivs. — Three Vil- 

 lage Shows were held in the North- 

 Western Province, at Kuliyapitiya, 

 Balalla, and Pilessa on August 15, 22, and 

 29. The drought that prevailed through- 

 out these districts during the preceding 

 five or six months somewhat marred the 

 success of the shows, but the gatherings 

 on all three occasions were good, and 

 the villagers seemed to take a keen 

 interest in the proceedings, while the 

 prize-winners went away well pleased. 

 The Government Agent, Director of the 



