February, 1909.] 



177 



Miscellaneous. 



THE DUMBARA AGRICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY AND THE CO-OPERATIVE 

 CREDIT SOCIETY OF DUMBARA, 



Progress Report 1907-1908. 

 (Submitted at a General Meeting held 

 on 6th February under the presidency 

 of the Hon'ble the Government Agent, 

 C P.) 



The Dumbara Agricultural Society 

 was established in April, 1906, and the 

 Co-operative Credit Society in August, 

 1906. There are 230 members in the 

 Register of the Agricultural Society, of 

 whom 50 are members of the Credit 

 Society. 



Two general meetings and six com- 

 mittee meetings were convened during 

 the year 1907-1908. 



The following experiments were con- 

 ducted by the members of the Society :— 



1. Artificial manure on tobacco under 

 the supervision of the Hon. Secretary. 

 The manure was applied to a plot of 

 three acres ; and two other plots, one 

 with cattle manure and another with- 

 out any manure, were also planted 

 for the purposes of comparison. The 

 results were very satisfactory. Although 

 the application of cattle manure was 

 effective in producing leaf of the 

 same size as those in the artifici- 

 ally manured plot, yet the leaf in 

 the latter plot was finer in texture 

 and of uniform colour and quality. The 

 tobacco grown with artificial manure 

 fetched better prices, nearly double the 

 price for which the tobacco grown on 

 unmanured plot was sold. 



The Korale of Pallispattu West is now 

 making an experiment with artificial 

 manure supplied by Messrs. Freudenberg 

 & Co. on paddy. The manure has been 

 applied to a field of two pelas in extent, 

 while a plot of similar extent has been 

 sown without any manure. 



Large quantities of vegetable seed 

 ordered through the Parent Society, and 

 grafted mango and orange plants have 

 also been distributed in the district. 



Of the Exhibits sent by this Society 

 to the Mysore Dassara Agricultural and 

 Industrial Exhibition last September, a 



Balance Sheet, 1908. 



Cash Account. 



bronze medal was awarded for tobacco 

 supplied by the Hon. Secretary, a prize 

 of Rs. 10 for jaggery supplied by the 

 Arachchi of Wattegama, and an honour- 

 able mention for cardamoms. 



The most important practical aid to 

 agriculture has beeu given by the 

 Co-operative Credit Society. The paddy 

 in the Madugoda store was increased by 

 30 bushels during last year, and there 

 were at the end of the year 105 bushels, 

 including interest. About 150 persons 

 have participated in its benefits, and the 

 people who at first looked at the venture 

 with suspicion are now beginning to 

 understand its benefits. The Lekam- 

 mahatmeya of Talaguue, who is in charge 

 of the paddy store, deserves the thanks 

 of the Society for the unselfish interest 

 with which he has been doing the work 

 of distributing and collecting paddy, 

 without any remuneration. The success 

 of a Credit Society, as of any organisa- 

 tion for that matter, mainly depends on 

 the self-sacrificing work of one or two 

 individual members, and the Society was 

 lucky in obtaining the services of the 

 Lekammahatmeya when the original 

 storekeeper, W. W. Tikiri Banda, who 

 successfully pioneered the movement, 

 died last year. 



Twenty-six persons have received cash 

 loans to the extent of Rs. 1,275 for 

 the purpose of planting tobacco. In- 

 stances .ire not wanting where persons 

 who were unable to get out of the 

 clutches of the money-lenders every 

 year they planted tobacco have been 

 able to pay off their former debts 

 after borrowing money from the 

 Society. The material prosperity of at 

 least a portion of the district is mainly 

 due to the Tobacco industry, and it 

 therefore deserves lo be helped and 

 fostered in every manner possible. 



The balance sheet prepared to the end 

 of the year 1908 is a very satisfactory 

 one. The gross profits of the Society 

 were Rs. 172'20, out of which Rs. 56'40 

 has been paid as interest to depositors, 

 a paddy bin was erected at Madugoda 

 costing Rs. 45, and, after deducting 

 cost of printing, &c, there is a nett 

 profit of Rs. 38-31. 





Rs. 



cts. 





Rs. 



cts. 



To Amount of deposits 



810 



00 



By 80 bushels of paddy 



140 



00 



,, Agricultural Society's funds ... 



96 



41 



,, Cost of printing and books 



23 



49 



,, Agricultural Show, 1907, balance 



107 



21 



,, Paddy bin at Madugoda 



45 



00 



,, Interest recovered on loans 



122 



00 



,, Interest on Deposits 



56 



40 



,, Interest due to Depositors 



42 



60 



,, Extras 



02 



00 









,, Loans outstanding 



250 



00 









,, Amount in Ceylon Savings Bank 



50 



00 









,, Cash in hand 



611 



33 



Total...Rs. 



1,178 



22 



Total... Rs. 



1,178 



22 



