Jan. 1007.] 



47 



Ceylon Board of Agriculture. 



The twenty-seventh meeting of the Board of Agriculture was held in the 

 Council Chamber at 12 noon on Monday, 7th January, 1907. 

 His Excellency the Governor presided. 



Others present were :— The Hon. Messrs. H. W. Brodhurst, C. T. D. Vigors, 

 S. C. Obeyesekere, J. Ferguson c.m.g., W.M.Abdul Rahiman, Dr. J. C. Willis, Mr. 

 L. W. Booth, Mr. E. B. Denham, Mr. H. T. S. Ward, the Maha Mudaliyar, Mr. G. W. 

 Sturgess and the Secretary. 



Visitors :— Messrs. Joseph Whitehead and S. Weerackody. Mudaliyar. 



Business Done. 



1. The Minutes of the last two meetings were read and confirmed. 



2. Progress Report No. XXVI was circulated. 



3. The Secretary read a letter from the Hon. Mr. Francis Beven, regretting 

 his inability to attend. 



4. Reports on the Wellaboda Pattu (Galle) Agri-Horticultural Show, held at 

 Ambalangoda on December 20th, were laid on the table. 



5. Letter from the Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, re 

 supplying the Philadelphia Commercial Museum with specimens of various products 

 exported from Ceylon and photographs illustrating them, was laid on the table. 



6. Mr. S. Weerackody, Interpreter Mudaliyar of the Court of Requests, 

 Colombo, read a paper on "Experiments in Rotation of Crops and Cultivation of 

 Paddy." Dr. Willis followed and Mr. Weerackody replied. 



7. The Secretary, read a letter from Mr. C. V. Brayne, Assistant Government 

 Agent, and Chairman Mullaittive Agricultural Society, re establishing a Central 

 Agency to deal with agricultural and garden produce from the Branch Societies 

 with a view to their disposal in Colombo at regular intervals. A discussion 

 followed, in which His Excellency the Governor, the Hon. Mr. J. Ferguson and Dr. 

 Willis took part. The Secretary was instructed to write to the General Manager 

 of the Railway in the matter of a reduction in the rates on cattle. Dr. Willis then 

 proposed that a sub-committee be appointed to enquire into and arrange means for 

 the co-operation of Local Agricultural Societies and arrange for the disposal of 

 produce in Colombo. Dr. H. M. Fernando seconded the motion, which was carried 

 and a sub-committee consisting of Hon. Mr. C. T. D, Vigors, Hon. Mr. J. Ferguson, 

 Hon. Mr. S. C. Obeyesekere, Mr. L. W. Booth, the Maha Mudaliyar and the Chair- 

 mafi of the Municipal Council, was formed. 



8. His Excellency announced with regret that Mr. Kelway Bamber, after full 

 consideration, did not feel it expedient to accept the post of Secretary to the Board. 



The Meeting terminated at 1*15 p.m. 



Agricultural Society Progress Report. 



1. Secretary.— My, A. N. Galbraith, c.c.s., Secretary to the Society, having 

 been appointed to act as District Judge, Ratnapura, with effect from the 19th 

 December, the duties of the Secretary are now being carried on by Mr. T. A. Carey, 

 c.c.s., pending the appointment of a permanent Secretary. 



2. Members.— The membership of the Society at date is 1,131. The 

 following new members have joined the Society since its last meeting in December : 

 — Gangaboda Pattu (Matara) Branch Society, Superintendent of Betworth Estate, 

 Messrs. R. E Paranagama, F. E. Pattison, P. G. Spence, Aitken, Spence & Co., 

 T. Reid c.c.s., Willoughby Bullock, and the Hinidum Pattu Branch Society. 



