Miscellaneous. 



The Hon. Mr. Ferguson observed that in cultivated districts, where the 

 coconut plantations were well eared for, illuk was exceedingly rare, because of 

 the cultivation, but he could show Dr. Willis some beautiful coconut plantations 

 into which illuk had unfortunately got, and, as Mr. Jardine, who went back 50 

 years as a coconut planter, had said, many sleepless nights were spent in thinking 

 how the pest might be got rid of. 



Mr. Francis Beven said he had seen illuk on good land and poor laud, and 

 he thought the only way to get over it was by digging out the roots. It was most 

 difficult indeed to get rid of it once it was established. In the North- Western 

 Province the method was to tie up bullocks to pasture on the grass, and their 

 constant trampling was said to get rid of it in time. 



Dr. Marcus Fernando said a method adopted at Kurunegala was to burn 

 oft' the grass, afterwards allowing the buffaloes to eat the young shoots, and in 

 that economical way 100 acres of illuk had been stamped out. 



EL E. the Governor mentioned that a planter in Batticaloa had told him 

 that the method adopted by him was to cut lanes in the grass and plant a certain 

 creeper. His Excellency said : I do not know what the result has been. It is over 

 12 months since I heard of this method. The papers read by Mr. Ferguson have 

 been very valuable, and no doubt they will assist people who are trying to get 

 rid of the pest, especially in the Eastern Province. 



The Work of a Local Agricultural Society, 



BY J. A. WlCKREMERATNE, MUDALIYAR. 



This paper deals with the aims and scope of the local Agricultural Society of 

 Telijjawila in the Weligam Korle, and of local societies in general. It includes a 

 brief resume of the work clone. It is necessarily of a prosaic character, devoid 

 of any matters of historical or scientific research. This deficiency perhaps may 

 be made up by the earnestness which, as will be seen, has characterised the 

 work. The Society owes its origin to the suggestion of the Ceylon Agricultural 

 Board. On a persual of the proceedings of that body it will be seen that there 

 was a mandate issued to all headmen to interest themselves in the cause of 

 agriculture ; and it also occurred to the headmen themselves that an opportunity 

 was here offered them of signalising their tenure of office by improving the 

 condition of the labouring classes, which would go further towards their social 

 and moral well being than any legislation. 



The first public meeting of the residents of the Korle was held on the 

 3rd January, 1905. A branch Society was formed with the Mudaliyar of the 

 Korle as Vice-Chairman and Hony. Secretary. Fifty-eight members were enrolled, 

 and the annual subscription, which was fixed Rs. 2 a head, was paid on the spot. 

 The number of members has since increased to 123. The objects of the Asso- 

 ciation, as laid down then, were "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 briug 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 cultivation of fruit trees, 

 and introduce new products, and to improve our stock." 



To achieve these objects a working Committee was appointed consisting 

 of the nineteen Vidane Arachchies of the Korle, and the Mudaliyar as Hony. Secre- 

 tary. This Committee meets on the 15th of each month, and in order to keep 



