Miscellaneous. 



58 



[July. 1909. 



quality, Yams and Onions were not 

 well represented. 



Pomegranates, in the fruit section, 

 were the best I have seen anywhere, and 

 the oranges, limes and plantains were 

 good ; mangoes, papaws and piues (of 

 the common " rock" variety) were not so 

 good as they might have been, and the 

 custard apples were altogether poor. 

 Grapes were represented by three small 

 bunches. 



In the class of Commercial Products, 

 there were some fairly good bunches of 

 ordinary and king coconuts, gingelly, 

 margosa, coconut and mi ( iluppai) oils of 

 fair quality. The different products of 

 the Palmyrah palm naturally took a 

 prominent place in this section, and 

 "Odiyal" flour, jaggery and " Pinnadu" 

 were well represented, A large quantity 

 of tobacco was shown, as well as some 

 cigars; all of poor quality. There were 

 several bottles of wild honey, and some 

 combs of A pis florea, as well as a few 

 varieties of gums and resins, and only 

 two "hands " of betel of poor quality. In 

 a place like Mannar the exhibits of pre- 

 served fish was expected to be large and 

 varied, but it was rather disappointing. 



The products of the Palmyrah again, 

 in arts and manufactures, were well 

 represented. Mats, baskets, hats, ropes 

 of good workmanship, and other articles 

 of every day use were shown in fair 

 quantity. A few pieces of wood and 

 coconut shell carvings, as also a fairly 

 good collection of lace and drawn-thread 

 work, were exhibited. Agricultural im- 

 plements were represented by some 

 native ploughs, and the fishing industry 

 by a few specimens of fishing lines and 

 nets. Iron work, pottery and tin work 

 were very poorly represented. 



The collections of paddy and dry 

 grains were interesting. Of paddy there 

 were eighty-two varieties, and about 

 fifteen to twenty from the district. Dry 

 grains chiefly consisted of Kurakkan, 

 Ulundu, Kampan Pillu, Indian Corn, 

 Kadai Kanni, etc. 



Live stock was represented by some 

 seven pairs of cart bulls, a Sindh bull 

 and cow, six buffaloes of good average 

 quality. Native bulls and cows were 

 poorly represented in every way. There 

 were besides eight pairs of goats, three 

 pairs of sheep, one sow, seventeen entries 

 of poultry, six of ducks, two each of 

 turkeys and Guinea fowls, three Mannar 

 ponies and three donkeys were also 

 shown, and the following wild animals, 

 viz., deer, pea fowl, monkeys, parrots, 

 squirrels, mungoose, jackals, hare, 

 cranes, pole-cats and canaries. 



Dairy produce consisted of about 

 sixty bottles of buffaloe and cow ghee, 



butter of poor quality, milk, curd, 

 fowls ' eggs and ducks' eggs. 



Some good fruit preserves, jellies, 

 pickles and milk-wine were also shown, 

 as well as cakes, bread and native sweet- 

 meats. 



I helped in the arrangement and judg- 

 ing of the vegetables, fruits and live 

 stock and dairy produce — the latter in 

 conjunction with Dr. Tillakaratne. 



A meeting of the local Agricultural 

 Society was held on the following day 

 under the presidency of the Assistant 

 Government Agent. I was present at 

 this meeting by request, and spoke a few 

 words on behalf of the C. A. S., 

 regarding its aims and objects, I under- 

 stood from the remarks made by the 

 Chairman that, although there had been 

 a long interval between this meeting 

 and the last one, with this Show it was 

 expected that a new era in matters 

 agricultural had dawned. The success 

 of this Show was chiefly due to the 

 keen interest taken by Mr. Stevenson, 

 Assistant Government Agent of Mannar, 

 in whom agricultural interests find a 

 warm supporter. It is to be hoped that 

 this successful Show may be the 

 forerunner of many more. 



Alex. Perera, 

 Assistant Superintendent, S. G. 



ANURADHAPURA SHOW, MAY, 1909. 



Report by Mr. N. Wickremaratne. 

 Agricultural Instructor, 



A Show in Anuradhapura cannot of 

 course be judged by the same standard 

 as Shows held in Colmobo, Galle, or the 

 larger towns. But, considering the cli- 

 mate of the North-Central Province, the 

 nature of the produce aud the distances 

 from which exhibits have to be brought, 

 it must be admitted that the Show was 

 a success. The numbering of exhibits 

 was carefully done, and the exhibits 

 themselves were representative of all 

 products of the Province, except live 

 stock, the addition ot which would have 

 made the Catalogue complete. 



The demonstrations of the improved 

 implements were greatly appreciated by 

 the villagers who had the good fortune 

 to be present. This shows that even the 

 most conservative " goiyas" can be lifted 

 up from his apathy if he is given practi- 

 cal and ocular instructions. 



The exhibits themselves were good, 

 and, except for one or two items in 

 the vegetable class, all sections were 

 represented. The quantity of paddy 

 and rice required for exhibit might have 



