91 Mit'ccllo.veovS' 



the opinion that certain land was (from a cultivator's point " of view) of 

 minimum value: "it will not grow even tea." Generally speaking, tea- 

 planting proved a success ; and for a considerable period high prices 

 were obtained. It gradually took the place of coffee, and prosperity reigned. 

 It was, however, not long before unfavourable signs asserted themselves. Prices 

 persistently declined, until a point has been reached which fails to yield the 

 barest margin of profit, and many an estate seems to be "on its last legs." 

 But, as the darkest hour precedes the dawn, so there is hope for the future— a 

 hope which has lately been intensified by the "lucky find" made. Just now 

 people are buoyed up with the potentialities of rubber ! A sort of speculative 

 mania has established itself, and brought about an extraordinary "boom" 

 in land, which is being sought after, and acquired, in every promising 

 neighbourhood. The new industry engrosses attention. The "craze" is at 

 its height ; and temporarily eclipses everything else. The rush for rubber land 

 has greatly inflated prices. Prospects are bright ; for capital will be attracted, 

 Avhile the paying capabilities of the new enterprise are — for some time, at any 

 rate, fully assured. The more distant future is highly enigmatical, and may be 

 put of sight, it being the " living present " which more immediately interests 

 the bulk of mankind.— Ceylon Standard. 



A TYPICAL LOCAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The most interesting and instructive feature of Monday's meeting of the 

 Agricultural Board to our way of thinking was Mudaliyar Wickremeratne's des- 

 cription of the work of arousing interest in agricultural reform among the villagers 

 of Telijjawila in the Weligam Korle. It was an excellent paper, well-expressed 

 and poiuted the situation as we imagine it actually exists. It is important as 

 marking the first report of a serious attempt to diffuse the benefits of the 

 Association to the villagers. There is no attempt to underestimate the difficulties 

 in the way. They are great, but we gather from the general tone of the Mudaliyar' s 

 paper that he does not regard them as insuperable, neither are they, though 

 the effort to awaken the villagers out of their lethargy may be a slow and laborious 

 one and tend to discourage all but the most earnest and persevering. To those who 

 make the iniquity ot headmen their pet theme we would cite the example of the 

 headmen of this Korle under the leadership of their enterprising Mudaliyar. The 

 progress at first was naturally slow, but the promoters seem to have been fully alive 

 to the difficulties which they would have to surmount and persevered with the 

 excellent results described in the paper. We cannot do better than repeat the 

 objects of the association which might well serve as an example and encourage- 

 ment toother district associations. The objects Avere " to enable the villagers to 

 add to their necessaries of life by the means already at their disposal, to improve 

 the existing methods of cultivation so as to bring better returns, to extend the 

 cultivation of vegetables and other products that form the daily diet of the 

 villagers to such an extent that every villager will not only have enough stock for 

 his own use, but also something to spare for the market, to encourage the cultiva- 

 tion of fruit trees and introduce new products, and to improve our stock.' 



Could anything more advantageous to the villagers in this particular Korle 

 have been adopted ? No wonder that for a time they were spell-bound at the 

 suddenness of such a change, all the more so as the principal agents for bringing 

 these benefits within the reach of all belonged to the despised class of headmen. 

 There has been no intimidation and no threats. The Society has both in a literal 

 and metaphorical sense had to operate upon virgin soil. Persuasion has been 

 resorted to where persuasion was needed numbers have been reproved for their 



