Miscellaneous. 



LJuly, 1909. 



These have beeu divided into plots of 

 (50-70 trees practically one acre each, and 

 some of the treatment suggested has been 

 commenced. The nuts will be collected 

 separately fiom the next plucking so 

 that the manurial results, which will 

 hardly be apparent for two years, except 

 perhaps on the foliage, can be compared 

 with present yields of each plot as well 

 as with the control plots. 



The barbacue has been prepared for 

 copra making and the chekku oil mill 

 also repaired so that oil estimations can 

 be made from the manured plots. Owing 

 to insufficient labour it has been im- 

 possible to lemove the coconut trees from 

 the cocoa manurial plots as yet. 



Sisal,. — A plot of sisal fibre has been 

 made from suckers from the Royal 

 Botanic Gardens planted 8' x 8'. 



Several new plots of leguminous plants 

 have been established, including the 

 Berseem variety of Clover from Egypt. 

 Various beans from the Togo Islands, 

 Soy beans from the United States, &c. 



Citron ell a. — A plot of the pure Maba 

 Pengiri from Java plants has also been 

 made. It is expected that this variety 

 may replace the others used in Ceylon, 



Loss of Soil.— Five plots of one-fiftieth 

 of* an acre have been made on sloping 

 ground and planted wiih Desmodium, 

 Crotalaria, Dadaps, Albizzias and con- 

 trol. 



Paddy.— Small green manuring experi- 

 ments with native beans have been done 

 and others with Berseem Clover will be 

 commenced. 



Store. — Cocoa fermenting experiments 

 have been done with satisfactory results, 

 the best system apparently being to 

 ferment 12 hours, partly wasb, ferment 

 again 24 hours, wash, again ferment 21 

 hours, wash and dry as rapidly as pos- 

 sible. These experiments are being 

 continued. 



Some Nitro-bacteriue samples have 

 been received, and the method of appli- 

 cation will be shown. 



Label boards have been made and 

 marked with the variety of plant, date 

 of planting, manuring, &c, and others 

 will be done for all the experimental 

 plots. 



Visitors,— Several Planters and Visi" 

 torf> have been shown round the estate > 

 the former taking special interest in 

 the green manuring experiments. 



M. KELWAY B AMBER, 

 Government Chemist. 



PROGRESS REPORT OF THE EX- 

 PERIMENT STATION, PE BA- 

 DEN I Y A. 



Submitted to the Committee of Agri- 

 cultural Experiments, May 13, 1909. 



Rubber.— Plot No. 12 Manihot Di- 

 chutoma has been planted successfully 

 6' x b". 98 % good. Three blown down 

 trees of Manihot Dichotonia have been 

 cut and planted, every cutting of a 

 previous tree having struck well. 



Manihot piauhyensis plot of 07 trees 

 established 12' x 12' near the Temple 

 on the Papaw plot. All stumps re- 

 moved and land ploughed. 



Measured Para Rubber on Lemon 

 grass plot. 



Tapping experiments on Castilloa 

 plot 129 in progress on the bottom row by 

 Mr. Roth well. 



Ceara tapping also tried with vary- 

 ing results. 



Tea,— Plot 111 mulched with fresh 

 jungle material 508 lbs. up each line as 

 before by 36 lines — about 18,300 lbs. 



Plot 142 had alternate lines forked 

 and crotalaria and indigofera sown up 

 the lines. 



Assam hybrid plots re-supplied from 

 Seaforth estate, Dolosbage. 



All the boundary dadap trees pruned 

 to 4'. 



Rested bushes on plots 151 to 155 are 

 being pruned and have formed good 

 wood- 



Plucking has been to the fish leaf for 

 six rounds on the indigenous and hybrid 

 plots, and four rounds on the single 

 indigenous, when whole leaf plucking 

 was resumed, 



The yields from plots 149 and 150 have 

 been very good, viz., 731 and 749 lbs. in 

 April, while plots 145 to 118 have given 

 over 500 lbs. green leaf, 



The indigenous plots are being sup- 

 plied with Manipuii from Mr. J. R. 

 Fair weather, Mabopitiya Estate, Kegalle. 



Cocoa. — 5 acres all planted and sup- 

 plied dadaps, all taking well. 



Lind all ploughed. One-half acr e 

 sown with mixed crotalarias and indigo- 

 fera on steeper portion. 



All stumps have been removed and 

 Ai ecanuts cut out. 



Canker excision continued as usual, 

 very few trees being affected."" 



All suckers removed every two 

 months. 



Mr. Rettie sent two coolies to be 

 taught the process of Canker excision. 



Remaining plots 94 to 96 A & B have 

 been manured, and all experimental 

 plots labelled. 



