Miscellaneous. 



52 



[July, 1909. 



aided schools, and, through them, reaches 

 a large proportion of the school-going 

 population. It is to be regretted, how- 

 ever, that it does not, as it should, reach 

 every headman in the Sinhalese districts 

 to whom it is available at the almost 

 nominal rate of 50 cents per annum. The 

 Society wculd do well to allow an in- 

 creased vote for illustrating and other- 

 wise improving this publication. 



The Tamil magazine (''Kamat Tholil 

 Valakkam" is, I am sorry to say, very 

 badly patronized. 



Occasional Publications. 



Leaflets dealing with the following sub- 

 jects published in English, Sinhalese, and 

 Tamil were issued from time to time : — 

 Transplanting and Manuring in Paddy 

 Cultivation ; Tobacco Cultivation, Dis- 

 ease, and Treatment ; Cultivation and 

 Preparation of Arrowroot ; Further notes 

 on Transplanting Paddy ; Continuous 

 Cultivation of Chena land ; Rice Bug or 

 Paddy Fly ; Nitrogen-gathering crops ; 

 the Silk Cotton Tree. 



In addition, Agricultural Calendars 

 were published in English and Sinhalese. 

 Subjects discussed before the Board. 



The following list indicates the sub- 

 jects of papers, lectures, and discussions 

 that came before the Board at its regu- 

 lar meetings, together with the names 

 of the authors, lecturers, or leaders in 

 each case : — 



Recent researches into the cause of 

 infertility in Soils (C. Driberg). 



Castration of Cattle (G. W. Sturgess). 



Possibilities before the Agricultural 

 Society : its Board and Branch Associ- 

 ations (the Hon. Mr. J. Ferguson). 



Improvement in cultivation, and the 

 curing of tobacco for foreign markets 

 (Dr. J. C. Willis). 



Introduction of Agricultural Instruc- 

 tion into the curriculum of Rural Schools 

 (the Hon. Mr. Obeyesekere). 



Plant Breeding and Tropical Agri- 

 culture (R. H. Lock). 



Alkali Soils and Water-logging in Irri- 

 gated Lands (R. W. Smith). 



Beautiful Tropical Trees and their 

 uses (H. F. Macmillan). 



The Village Cultivator and Paddy 

 Cultivation (A. Dissanaike). 



Vermin Destruction (F. West), 



Cassava cultivation as a Local Indus- 

 try (Dr. Willis). 



Native Agriculture, and how it might 

 be improved (W, A. de Silva). 



Loans to Paddy Cultivators (A. Dissa- 

 naike). 



Recent researches regarding the germi- 

 nation of the Coconut and its Products 

 (C. Drieberg), 



Relation of weather to crop in the 

 Coconut Palm (J. D. Vanderstraaten). 



Cotton cultivation in Kurunegala 

 District (Dr. H. M. Fernando). 



Agriculture in Ceylon and its improve- 

 ment (Dr. Willis), 



Loans to Native Agriculturists (Dr. 

 Willis). 



Agriculture in the North-Central Pro- 

 vince (Dr. Willis). 



Distribution and Exchanges op 



Seeds and Plants. 

 A considerable amount of work was 

 done in the distribution of plants — 

 chiefly improved varieties of fiuits and 

 seeds of rice, maize, cotton, fodder, 

 green manure crops, and vegetables — 

 during the year. In this connection I 

 should wish to acknowledge the assis- 

 tance rendered by Mr. Alex. Perera and 

 Mr. D. D. Fernando of the School Garden 

 staff. The seedsman's records for 1908 

 show that approximately 7,000 packets 

 of seed and 1,000 plants were distributed 

 during that period. 



The following list indicates some of 

 the introductions, made ic many cases 

 at the special request of members: — 

 CencTirus biflorus, Chou moellier, 

 Senbania aculeata, Soy bean, Teff, lemon- 

 scented Eucalyptus, Mysore Coffee, 

 Buckwheat, Diudigul Tobacco, Jute, 

 Cowpeas, Moulmein Paddy, Logwood, 

 Safflower, Casuarina, Carolina Golden 

 Rice, Indigo, Senna, and Sea Island 

 Cotton. 



In this connection it should be men- 

 tioned that the Society was able to 

 meet a large demand for paddy and 

 vegetable seed for distribution in the 

 distressed areas in the North- Western 

 Province. 



A variety of seeds (paddy, cacao, 

 papaw, teak, tobacco, shade trees, &c.) 

 were sent to the West Indies, United 

 States of America, Philippine Islands, 

 Java, Portuguese East Africa, Bengal 

 and Madras Presidencies, the Maldives, 

 Burma, New Hebrides, and West 

 Australia. Locally a system of exchange 

 has beer* carried on by means of the 

 School Garden organization. 



The thanks of the Society are due to 

 the Royal Botanic Garden, Peradeuiya, 

 for grants of seeds and plants* 



Agricultural Education. 

 The Committee appointed by the 

 Society to report on this subject, and 

 consisting of the Director of the Royal 

 Botanic Gardens, the Director of Public 

 Instruction, Sir Solomon Dias Bandara- 

 naike, the Hon. Mr. S. C. Obeyesekere, 

 the Hon. Mr. P. Arunachalam, Dr. H. M. 



