iii 



T may add that the gentlemen interested in Poultry Breeding are doing 

 excellent work. This branch of live stock work has already been ably supervised 

 by the Ceylon Poultry Club, which publishes an excellent magazine. 



1 now come to the last proposal in our original scheme. I see by the Progress 

 Report that it is proposed by three of the local Societies to start credit societies 

 in their districts, and I observe that Mr. Wickremaratna is to-day reading a paper 

 in which this subject is dealt with. I shall reserve any observations for the discus- 

 sion on the paper. Mr. Wickremaratna is one of our most active and useful 

 members, and anything that he has to say will be listened to with much interest. I 

 will now only remark that no more useful step in advance is possible thaii the 

 formation of such co-operative Societies, provided that they are formed on a 

 .sound business basis. 



I Avill now, gentlemen, approach two important questions that I propose to 

 lay before you to-day. I have mentioned the valuable assistance voluntarily 

 rendered by the Director of the Botanic Department and others. The time has 

 come when ic is necessary to increase our staff. I am not in favour of the 

 creation at present of an agricultural department as a regular branch of the 

 Government Service, for the creation of such a Department would inevitably 

 destroy the control of this Board, and ultimately deaden the active co-operation 

 of the local branches. But I desire to secure for the Society the continued 

 services of Dr. Willis and the Peradeniya staff. Dr. Willis has been 

 editing "The Tropical Agriculturist" and no one knows more intimately than 

 the Hon. Mr. Ferguson who is present to-day, what heavy labour that 

 entails. I propose that in addition to his present duties, Dr. Willis shall take 

 over not only the Editor's work but the general supervison of the 

 Botanical work of the Society, and that he shall receive from this Board an 

 honorarium to be settled by the Finance Committee. I hope you will agree 

 with me that the labourer is worthy of his hire. 



Now and again I have heard it stated that the Society is not sufficiently 

 active, and that nothing has come of our efforts. I venture to think that the com- 

 plaint is not well founded. We have been ploughing the furrow and sowing the 

 seed. The harvest is not yet, and what that harvest will be depends upon the soil 

 over which the seed has been cast. But if the crop is to grow it must be tended with 

 the husbandry of instruction, and watered with the waters of example. To do this 

 we must engage at least three instructors, of whom two will be Sinhalese and one 

 Tamil, who will undertake the active supervision of experimental plots, and who will 

 by lectures and personal advice assist in accelerating the movement for improvement. 

 I suggest that names should be^submitted by the parent and branch Societies from 

 which the Instructors can be selected. They would go to Peradeniya for a six months' 

 course, and pursue their workfof instruction for a time under the personal super- 

 vision of an experienced member of the Botanic Staff. 



Again, the time has come when something should be done for the important 

 tobacco industry, and I propose that an experienced tobacco-grower and curer shall be 

 engaged, who will not alone grow a crop from selected seed, but who will be available 

 for visits of instruction to those engaged in the cultivation in the Central and 

 Northern Provinces. I am aware that ventures in tobacco-groAving for the European 

 market have been tried before and failed. To my mind that is not sufficient reason 

 why we shall not try again. Tobacco grows here, and grows well. We desire to 

 improve its quality with the botanical and chemical talent now at our disposal. 

 I cannot admit that this desire is unattainable, and I submit that we shall not 

 be doing our duty by the large number of tobacco growers in the North and 

 Central Provinces if we decline to experiment in their behalf. There is at present 



