Miscellaneous. 



54 



[July, 1909. 



areas at every opportunity, particularly 

 in connection with the much-condemned 

 •hena system, the chief objection to 

 which, from an agricultural point of 

 view, is its improvident method of culti- 

 vation. The opportunity presented for 

 enforcing certain regulations for con- 

 serving soil fertility by fixing rotations 

 for different districts and requiring the 

 periodical manuring of land is one that 

 should not be missed by Government, 

 which, while it is obliged to countenance 

 a primitive system of land tenure and 

 cultivation, could at the same time teach 

 agricultural economy and discipline. 

 Arrangements have practically been 

 completed foi carrying out demonstra- 

 tions in the continuous cultivation of 

 chena lands at a few centres with the 

 help of the Government Agent of the 

 North-Western Province. 



School Gardens. 



The report of the Superintendent of 

 the School Gardens for last year records 

 continued progress in this department. 

 The number of gardens working under 

 the scheme is 180, and, what is most 

 encouraging, teachers are entering fully 

 into the spirit of the movement. The 

 desice on the part of aided schools to 

 participate in the scheme goes to indi- 

 cate that it is appreciated as an edu- 

 cative factor. The best work, generally 

 speaking, is to be seen in the Kurunegala 

 District, though individual cases of 

 special excellence are found in the 

 Western Province. In Uva, Matara, 

 Kandy, Matale, and Kegalla Districts, 

 progress is satisfactory, in other parts 

 there is still much up-hill work to be done. 



The proposal to specialize in agricul- 

 ture, in schools where special facilities 

 exist, has been approved of tentatively. 

 One monitor is at present under-going 

 a training at the Government Stock 

 Garden and the Royal Botanic Gardens, 

 Peradeniya, with a view to being appoint- 

 ed to the School Garden at Mirigama. 

 Sericulture. 



There is no progress to report as 

 regards mulberry silk worm culture 

 through the silk farm which, indeed, has 

 temporarily suspended operations to 

 allow time for the growth of mulberry 

 plants. 



As regards eri silkworm culture, pros- 

 pects are better. A French firm of 

 spinners have made an encouraging 

 report on a 50-pound sample from which 

 an excellent specimen of yarn was 

 turned out. It is found that mulberry 

 and eri silk will not dye uniformly in 

 the same bath. The firm referred to 

 has offered to finance an experiment in 

 the rearing of the eri worm on a com- 

 mercial scale, and negociations Regarding 

 this proposal are still in progress. In 



the meantime another firm (Swiss) has 

 sent a quotation, which, for the sample 

 submitted, is decidedly encouraging. A 

 small order for 200 lb. for purposes of 

 experiment has already been filled, and 

 if the trial is a success, an annual demand 

 of some 200,000 lb. will be forth-coming. 

 An enterprising Sinhalese gentleman is 

 arranging to establish a silk farm on a 

 commercial basis with a view, if possible, 

 to ultimately meet this demand. 

 Bee-Keeping. 



Bee-keepiug continues to make, neces- 

 sarily, slow progress. Through the kind 

 help of Mr. Herbert Campbell, late of 

 Nuwara Eliya and now in Englaud, it is 

 hoped that comb foundation for Apis 

 indica bees will very soon be available. 

 Among the foreign bees that are being 

 tried are Carniolans and Cyprians. With 

 the new miniature double hive designed 

 by Mr. Shanks for the native bee, the 

 complete domestication of this excellent 

 honey-gatherer is much nearer at hand. 

 Hives have been established at three 

 school gardens. 



Live Stock. 



The Government Dairy continues to 

 be the chief organized agency for the 

 improvement of our local breed of cattle. 

 Its influence, though slow, has spread 

 far. It is through the Veterinary 

 Department that any further measures 

 to hasten such improvement can be 

 satisfactorily controlled, and the expan- 

 sion of that Department is much to be 

 desired for this and other reasons. 



Castration work was carried on system- 

 atically for two years, but owing to a 

 strong prejudice on tlie part of cattle 

 owners, who believe that the operation 

 spoils bulls for ploughing, it is now done 

 only by special request, 



The provision of adequate pasture, 

 and the cultivation of fodder plants, 

 must also be looked to for the improve- 

 ment of cattle for agricultural purposes. 

 In South India, where there is practi- 

 cally no pasture, and no wasteland to 

 speak of, the cultivator is forced to 

 grow fodder crops— chiefly sorghums — 

 to meet the difficulty. Here the village 

 bull is allowed to wander about seeking 

 what he may devour, proving a fruitful 

 source of litigation, and from his peri- 

 patetic nature making the control of 

 contagious disease a herculean task for 

 the Government Veterinary Surgeon 

 and his small staff of Stock Inspectors. 



The year was marked by a serious 

 outbreak of rinderpest, which has unfor- 

 tunately not been stamped out as yet. 

 Stock Inspectors, 



In addition to their veterinary duties 

 the services of these officers, when not 

 otherwise engaged, are available for 

 agricultural work, Mr. Wijenayake 



