November, 1909.] 



442 



Miscellaneous. 



Kathiravelly, Kalmunai, Karavaku, 

 Sammanturai, Akkaraipattu, and Kallar, 

 holding ploughing demonstrations with 

 the " Meston" plough and establishing 

 school gardens. 



Mr. W. Molegoda has been touring in 

 the Matale District, visiting Nalanda, 

 Galewela, Yatigalpotta, Talakiriyagala, 

 Moragalla, Beliyakanda, Dandubendi- 

 ruppa, Mamaluva, Kimbissaa, Sigiriya, 

 Talkota, Dambulla, and Naula. He is 

 now in Matale East, and will shortly 

 be proceeding to the North- Western 

 Province, where the Government Agent 

 is arranging a programme for ploughing 

 demonstrations. 



Branch Societies and Shoivs. — The 

 Telijjawila Show, held under the 

 auspices of the Weligam Korale Branch, 

 took place on August 25, when His 

 Excellency the Acting Governor was 

 present. The arrangements were excel- 

 lent, and the products of the korale 

 well represented. The collection sent 

 from the school garden at Paraduwa is 

 worthy of mentiou. The show was the 

 fifth held in the korale, and the credit 

 of inaugurating and carrying it through 

 is entirely due to the enterprise of Mr. 

 James Wickrauiaratne, the Mudaliyar, 

 and Honorary Secretary of the local 

 branch. 



A school garden show, under the 

 auspices of the Government Teachers' 

 Association, will be held at the Hiirifjama 

 Boys' School (close to the Railway sta- 

 tion) on October 30. The show will be 

 confined to produce from school gardens, 

 and should prove particularly interest- 

 ing, as indicating the progress of garden- 

 ing among village school boys. 



A village show was held at Pannala 

 on August 21, when the Government 

 Agent, North- Western Province, the 

 Secretary, Ceylon Agricultural Society, 

 and Mr. N. Wickremaratue, Agricul- 

 tural Inspector, were present. This was 

 the fourth of the series of similar shows 

 held in the Province. A fifth takes place 

 in December at Hettipola. A visit to 

 one of these village shows will convince 

 any one of thier value in encouraging a 

 healthy competition among the actual 

 growers of vegetable produce, and of 

 the interest which the rural population 

 find in them, while enabling the pro- 

 moters to discover the possibilities and 

 requirements of each district. 



It has been decided to hold a show 

 in May next year at Bandar agama iu 

 Rayigam korale. 



The Harispattu Branch held a meeting 

 in August. The Agricultural Instructor 

 stationed in the Central Province has 

 placed a light iron plough at the disposal 



of the Society, and members can get it 

 on loan on application to the Honorary 

 Secretary. A supply of yams was 

 secured from the Government Stock 

 Garden for distribution. There is a 

 likelihood of a district show being held 

 next year. The Ratemahatmaya (Mr. 

 P. B. Nugawela) has undertaken to 

 provide a suitable site for an experi- 

 mental garden to be worked by the 

 Society. 



A special general meeting of the Dum- 

 brira Agricultural Society has been sum- 

 moned to consider the arrangements tor 

 holding a show next year. 



It is likely that the show to be held 

 at Ambalangoda at the end of the year 

 will be postponed for early next year. 



The catalogue of the Nuivara Eliya 

 Show fixed for March, 1910, is in the press, 

 and will be issued shortly. 



Experimental and other Gardens. — I 

 paid a surprise visit to Weragoda garden 

 on September 10. It is worked under the 

 auspices of the Wellaboda Pattu (Galle) 

 Branch, and is 25 acres in extent, of 

 which 18 are planted. Originally worked 

 by a syndicate of members, it is now in 

 sole charge of Mr. N. A. S, Jayasuria, a 

 member of the local Society, who 

 finances it and takes all risks. He has 

 already expended a good deal on road- 

 ing and draining, and is about to erect a 

 small building. 1 believe that it is the 

 intention of the Mudaliyar (who is 

 Chairman of the Society) to utilize this 

 building for holding Gansabhawa court 

 as a means of bringing the garden 

 directly under the notice of villagers. 

 This is an excellent idea, as the garden 

 is not situated on the high road from 

 Ambalangoda. The land consists of two 

 hillocks, which are given to fruit cul- 

 ture, the intervening depression being 

 utilized for growing vegetables. The 

 lowland is liable to inundation during 

 heavy rains, but this, 1 understand, 

 may possibly be avoided in future by 

 arrangements for regulating the flow 

 of storm water. The work of the garden 

 is being carried on in a systematic 

 manner, and I have hopes of its de- 

 veloping into a useful distributing 

 centre for the spread of fruit culture 

 iu the district. It is to men like Mr. 

 Jayasuriya that the Society must look 

 for voluntary effort in furthering its 

 objects. 



Not far from the Alubomulla school 

 (in the Panadure district) is an interest- 

 ing garden started by the teacher, his 

 assistant, and two villagers, who have 

 combined in an undertaking to cultivate 

 snake-gourds on a commercial scale. The 

 total iuitial outlay was about Rs. 400. 



