Miscellaneous. 



378 



[October, 1908. 



of tube is driven into the ground, 

 another length is screwed on until water 

 is reached, when an ordinary pump head 

 and handle is fitted to the piping, and 

 water is pumped in the usual way." 



Resthouse Gardens. — Among resthouse- 

 keepers who are interested in the upkeep 

 of gardens are those in charge of the 

 Kurunegala and Polgahawela resthouses. 

 At the former place English vegetables 

 have been successfully grown, at the 

 latter place, efforts are being made to 

 establish fruit trees as well as a vege- 

 table and flower garden. 



Demonstrations in Transplanting 

 Paddy.— Mr. L, A- D. Silva, Agricultural 

 Instructor, was sent to the Ambalangoda 

 district, at the invitation of the local 

 Society, to give instructions in trans- 

 planting paddy in connection with a 

 programme of experiments to be tried 

 in Wellaboda pattu under the supervision 

 of the vidane arachchies and headmen. 

 The necessary instructions were given 

 at 14 centres. The Instructor will again 

 visit the district at the time of trans- 

 planting. Similar demonstrations will 

 be held in the Tebuwana district, from 

 where the Assistant Government Agent, 

 Mr. J. Conroy, writing on September 

 11, says. — ''I am arranging with the 

 Mudaliyars and Irrigation Headmen to 

 have the system of transplanting paddy 

 tried in various parts of this district 

 during the coming season." 



White Ant Exterminator. — Mr. A. H. 

 Bury, of Orange Hill, Ragama, reports 

 that he has discovered a very effectual 

 remedy for exterminating the white 

 ant. He says: — "The remedy is applied 

 by hand, and can be done by any 

 cooly. As a preventive two applications 

 per annum are necessary ; cost about 

 Rs. 2 per acre. No injury whatever is 

 done either to roots or stumps, and 

 the substance is procurable locally very 

 cheap." 



Eri Silk Cocoons (further report by 

 Professor Dunstan) : — The sample con- 

 sisted of about lh lb. of pierced cocoons, 

 and, as recommended in the previous 

 report dated September 30, 1907, the 

 brick-red cocoons had been eliminated, 

 leaving only the white which are 

 much more readily bleached and dyed. 

 Apart from this difference in colour 

 the cocoons were similar to those 

 previously examined. The cocoons have 

 been submitted for valuation to a silk 

 expert, who confirms the opinion 

 expressed in the previous report, that 

 it is inadvisable to encourage efforts 

 to wind or reel eri cocoons, but they 

 could be carded and spun. He states 

 that woven cloths of great strength 

 and durability could be made from 

 yarns spun from eri silk, and that if 



the cocoons could be sent over in 

 sufficient quantities, there would be 

 a great demand for them by the spun- 

 silk manufacturers of this country. 

 He values these white cocoons at about 

 Is. 6(2. per pound. Samples have also 

 been submitted to manufacturers on 

 the Continent. One firm stated that 

 the cocoons appeared to be suitable 

 for the manufacture of waste silk, but 

 they were not prepared to give a 

 definite opinion without trial. Before 

 carrying out any experiment, however, 

 they would require assurance that 

 large and regular supplies of the cocoons 

 would be available. A second firm to 

 whom samples were referred to did 

 not supply more definite information. 

 It appears certain that these white 

 eri cocoons could be utilized for the 

 production of spun-silk, and if large 

 quantities can be supplied it would be 

 dssirable to forward a trial consign- 

 ment for sale." 



Agricultural Implements and Appli- 

 ances :— The disc plough brought out 

 by Mr. M. Kelway Bamber some time 

 ago, and which has been on view at 

 the Government Stock Garden, is being 

 sent up to Maha-illuppalama at the re- 

 quest of the Superintendent of theExperi- 

 ment Station, but proves to be too heavy 

 for bulls. Similar types of machinery of 

 American make are answering well on 

 the same land. The Director of the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens reports that the 

 land at Maha-iluppalama has been 

 brought into such a state of tilth that 

 crops are now almost independent of 

 irrigation water for their actual growth. 

 60 acres have been cultivated in cosonuts, 

 cacao, rubber, cotton, etc., for 6 months 

 at a cost of one and a half inches of 

 water from a 625-acre tank. The culti- 

 vators of the district are said to be 

 amazed at the results of tillage as carried 

 on by the Superintendent. 



Messrs. Walker, Sons & Co., have in- 

 troduced a special light iron plough in- 

 tended for rice cultivation. One maybe 

 seen at the Government Stock Garden. 

 They are shortly expecting further im- 

 proved types from England and India ; 

 when they are received it is intended to 

 hold another practical demonstration of 

 implements. 



The "Soil Aerator," introduced by 

 Messrs Brown & Co., is a handy and 

 effective tool which should be found in 

 use in every flower and vegetable gar- 

 den. 



Through the courtsey of the Director 

 of Agriculture, Central Provinces, India, 

 a cheap and useful appliance for detach- 

 ing seeds of Indian corn has been secured. 

 The use of this will be demonstrated at 

 future shows. 



