/ 



July, 1911.] 



out the bananas or plantains. It has 

 often been held that Long Top coffee is 

 the only method of training our coffee 

 trees in some parishes — I doubt this. The 

 advantages to be had in training our 

 trees to the short top system are too 

 great to be lightly passed over, and the 

 school garden should be the testing 

 field. It would be most interesting to 

 establish both systems in the gardens 

 and record carefully the results. Grow 

 for instance the short top in the plan- 

 tain section, and the long top in the 

 bananas, or where the entire crop is 

 grown in the plantain section, then 

 divide this section. 



Much useful work may also be done iu 

 showing the effect of the mulch which 

 is so absolutely necessary in some 

 parishes. I should advise that one-half 

 of some of the beds be mulched and 

 the other not. It will generally be 

 found that this is the determining factor 

 in the yielding capacity of most of our 

 soils. 



I had the pleasure of visiting a school 

 garden at Top Hill on the border of the 

 Pedro Plains in St. Elizabeth, in com- 

 pany with Mr. J. P. Palache. For two 

 years the people of this district have 

 been put to the greatest straits for want 

 of food due to the severe droughts which 

 have visited them, many having to 

 tramp for long distances over bad l'oads 

 even to secure the corn and breadfruit 

 which formerly was so plentiful among 



61 Miscellaneous. 



them. What was my surprise then, on 

 passing through the desert, if I may so 

 express it, to find just on the borders 

 a regular oasis of healthy, vigorous 

 vegetation iu which cassava, yams, corn, 

 potatoes, &c, were all growing in pro- 

 fusion. This had continued all through 

 the drought, and had been one of the 

 main supplies, combined with 2 or 3 or 4 

 acres iu similar condition in the district. 

 One had to see this plot to fully realize 

 its significance. 



This condition was brought about by 

 the combined forces which should be iu 

 strong evidence in all our gardens, viz,, 

 deep and thorough forking and the 

 application of a heavy and continual 

 mulch. 



I shall touch upon the last feature of 

 a garden before I close, and that the 

 ornamental or flowering section. 



Ornamental Section, — This, in my 

 opinion, should be the ornamental sec- 

 tion, and should therefore be kept 

 separate and distinct. Its proper and 

 correct place is, therefore, the border 

 running around the lower or annual 

 section. 



I would suggest that in this section, 

 the permanent and ornamental shrubs 

 be planted, such as the shoeblack, the 

 croton, &c, all being kept to a height 

 of 3 feet. This will give colour to the 

 garden, and at the same time in no way 

 interfere with the major or economic 

 section. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



CEYLON AGRICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY. 



Mintjtes of Annual General 

 Meeting, June 20th, 1911. 



Minutes of a General Meeting of the 

 Ceylon Agricultural Society held at the 

 Council Chamber at 12 noon on Tuesday 

 the 20th June, 1911. 



His Excellency the Governor presided. 



The others present included : — The 

 Hon. Sir Hugh Clifford, Hon. Messrs, 

 Senior, C. T. Vigors, P. Arunachalam, 

 Solomon Seneviratne, A. Kanagasabai, 

 Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranaike, Drs. 

 Willis and Lock, Messrs. R. W. Smith, 

 E. B. Denham, W. D. Gibbon, Francis 

 Beven, James Peiris, A. E. Rajapakse, 

 Dan. Joseph, J. D. Vanderstraaten, and 

 the Secretary (Mr. C. Drieberg). Visi- 

 tor ; Mr. C B. Brodie. 



The minutes of the meeting held on 

 June 8th, 1910, were read and confirmed. 



The Hon'ble Mr. Arunachalam moved 

 and Mr. W, D. Gibbon seconded the 

 adoption of the Report for 1910-1911. — 

 Carried. 



Commenting on the Report, His Excel- 

 lency announced that negociations were 

 proceeding with the Bombay Govern- 

 ment for the training of Agricultural 

 Instructors at the Poona Agricultural 

 College, and that Government proposed 

 to offer four Scholarships for this pur- 

 pose. 



Statement of Revenue and Expen- 

 diture for the year ended December 

 31st, 1910, having been previously cir- 

 culated, was tabled. 



Mr. James Peiris moved, and the 

 Hon'ble Mr. Solomon Seneviratne second- 

 ed, the adoption of the Report of the 

 Committee appointed to deal with th« 



