Miscellaneous* 



445 



[November, 1909, 



heavy unseasonable rains at the time 

 the grain was setting resulted in the 

 flooding of the field and a good deal of 

 damage to the crop. I estimate the loss, 

 judging from the spoilt ears, at about 

 33 per cent. At the time of» my visit, 

 however, there was a fine crop still left, 

 and the sturdy well-tillered paddy plants, 

 with their full ears, standing side by 

 side with the dwarfed and hence almost 

 entirely damaged crop grown from 

 broadcasted seed, furnished an excellent 

 object-lesson for the passer-by, who doe 5 ? 

 not fail to notice it, and will, it is to be 

 hoped, profit by the ocular demonstra- 

 tion afforded of the advantages of the 

 transplanting system. Particulars of 

 the resulting crop and the cost of raising 

 it will be sent to me after the harvest. 

 The cost of transplanting the acre is 

 said to have been just under Rs. 4 50. 

 This experiment was carried out by 

 Mr. Jayasuriya, to whom reference has 

 already been made in my report on the 

 Weragoda Experimental Garden. 



Arrangements are being made to carry 

 on systematic paddy cultivation as near 

 Colombo as possible for convenience of 

 control, with a view to testing methods 

 of sowing, tillage, and manuring. 



The following statement shows the 

 results of the paddy cultivation by trans- 

 planting by the teacher and boys of the 

 Paraduwa Boys' Vernacular School in 

 Weligam korale :— 



Field So. 1. Field No. 2. 



Sowing extent ... 1 bushel .. | bushel 



Variety of paddy .. Wedirata-vi .. Wedirata-vi 



Manure applied . . Keppetiya leaves and Keppetiya 

 citronella ash leaves and 



citronella ash 



Amount of seed paddy 

 sown in nursery . . 4 measures .. 1 measure 



Date of transplant- 

 ation . . April 2, 3, and 5 . . April G 



Results . . 19 bushels . . b bushels 



CorTON. 



The want of good seed has been one 

 of the drawbacks in the encouragement 

 of cotton cultivation, and with a view 

 to meet it the Society has placed an order 

 for a large quantity of both Sea Island 

 and Egyptian seed. Half a ton of 

 selected Sea Island seed, from the British 

 Cotton Growing Association, has been 

 received. Applications for this seed 

 should be made as early as possible to 

 save disappointment. They will be met 

 in the order of receipt. 



The ginning plant established by a local 

 firm has ceased working, but arrange- 

 ments are likely to be made, as the result 

 of correspondence between this Society 

 and the British Cotton Growing Asso- 

 ciation, for work to be resumed so that 

 there may be no difficulty in the way of 

 preparing cotton for shipmeut. 



One of the Society's hand gins has been 

 forwarded to a planter who is growing 



cotton in Wellawaya. He reports that 

 the gin is working satisfactorily, though 

 the outturn is not as large as he would 

 wish. A large sample of ginned cotton, 

 which has been valued at 72 cents per 

 pound, has been sent to the Society, and 

 may be inspected at the Government 

 Stock Garden. 



Encouragaing reports on cotton grow- 

 ing have been received from the Eastern 

 Province. 



With the arrival of good seed a fresh 

 effort will be made to interest the 

 cultivators of the north in the product. 

 The conditions in the Jaffna peninsula 

 appear to be particularly favourable, 

 and cotton might well take a place in 

 the rotation of crops. 



The fact that there are no local firms 

 purchasing cotton is a decided draw- 

 back. On this subject the British Cotton 

 Growing Association is being addressed. 



The following letter from Messrs. 

 Douald J. Ross & Co- offers the best 

 terms available :— 



"At present we are not purchasing 

 cotton, either ginned or unginned ; but 

 we would be pleased to receive samples 

 of ginned cotton from you for valuation. 

 We have our own people in England and 

 Bombay, and could get you valuations 

 from both markets. Then, if agreeable 

 to yourselves, we would ship, on your 

 own account and risk, charging a small 

 commission for our services. We do not 

 gin cotton, having no machinery for 

 that purpose, and as for cotton seed, it 

 is of little interest unless there is some 

 very good quantity. In the case of 

 small quantities it would be better to 

 dispose of it locally for cattle food. If 

 in large quantities we have the best 

 people in the United Kingdom for dis- 

 posing of same." 



Fodder Crops. 

 Congayam grass (Cenchrus bijlorus) 

 has been well established at the .Govern- 

 ment Stock Garden. Bandarawela has 

 been found too high for it. Reports 

 from all the districts to which seed was 

 forwarded have yet to be received. In 

 one or two cases it was reported that the 

 seed i lid not germinate. This, in view of 

 their large size and strong vitality, seems 

 strange, A plot was lately dug up at 

 the Stock Garden, and from its tuberous 

 character it would appear that this grass 

 should stand drought well, but at the 

 same time it would most likely prove- 

 like the tuberous Cyperus (kalandiira or 

 " nut-grass ")— a troublesome weed on 

 cultivated land. Clumps of the grass as 

 dug up were forwarded to different 

 parts of the Island, and should help to 

 establish it where the seed failed, The 



