August, 1911.] 



159 



Miscellaneous- 



Rerukana, Kindelpitiya, and Potuwila, 

 The Assistant Government Agent speci- 

 ally requests that the demonstrations be 

 pressed at the second, third, fifth, and 

 eighth centres, and hopes that a circuit 

 taking them in will be arranged for 

 September. 



The improvement, or rather the adap- 

 tation, of the plough to suit the condi- 

 tions of the paddy cultivation continues 

 to receive attention, and there is just 

 now a very effective though light imple- 

 ment on the market priced at Rs. 6 for 

 the ironwork only, the pole and handle 

 costing a couple of rupees extra. It is 

 sold by Messrs. Hunter & Co. 



With the gradual adoption of steel in 

 place of the wooden plough, there is 

 every possibility of the harrow being 

 taken up. A cheap type of the trian- 

 gular harrow, as used in India, may be 

 seen at the Government Stock Garden, 

 and as the construction of the imple- 

 ment is quite simple, anybody can get 

 one made for his own use for a few 

 rupees. 



Cotton. 



The following extracts are taken from 

 a report made under date March 7, 1911, 

 by the Director of the Imperial Institute 

 on samples of cotton grown in Ceylon 

 during the 1910-11 season through the 

 efforts of this Society :— 



(1) Sea Island, grown in Dumbara. 

 Lint fairly clean, soft, rather deficient 

 in lustre, of cream colour with a slightly 

 reddish tint. Yield of lint on ginning 

 27'3 per cent. ; yield of lint per 100 seeds 

 3*8 grams. The lint was very easily 

 detachable from the seeds by hand. 

 Strength uneven ; some portions weak. 

 Length of fibre 1'5 to 2 in., but mostly 

 from T7 to 1'9 in. Commercial value 

 about 12£d. per lb. ginned, with choice 

 Georgia Sea Island at 15£d. per lb. This 

 sample is rather more coloured than the 

 best Sea Island cotton ; it is also less 

 lustrous, and is of somewhat irregular 

 staple. 



(2) Caravonica, grown in Delft Island. 

 This is rather harsh, lustrous, white to 

 pale cream, and free from stains. 

 Strength normal. Leneth of fibre from 

 1*1 to 1-5 in., mostly 1'2 to 1*3 in. Com- 

 mercial value about 9|d. per lb., with 

 middling American at8'02d., and good 

 moderately rough Peruvian at lOAd. 

 The lint is harsh and the staple short, 

 but the cotton is of good quality, and 

 would be readily saleable in the English 

 market. 



(3) Sea Island, from Hambantota. 

 Lint rather dirty, soft, of good lustre 

 and pale cream, with a few pale yellow 

 and brown stains. Yield of lint on 



ginning 28*4 per cent. ; yield per 100 seeds 

 3-85 grams. Lint very easily detachable 

 by hand. Strength uneven ; some parts 

 very weak. Length of fibre somewhat 

 irregular, from 1-7 to 2'0 in. Value 

 about lid. per lb. ginned, with choice 

 Georgia Sea Island at 15£d. The cotton 

 is of good but rather irregular length. 

 Its somewhat dirty condition and uneven 

 strength and the presence of stains tend 

 to reduce its value. It is important to 

 see that no cotton bolls are mixed with 

 seed cotton, as in ginning they would be 

 broken, and render the lint "leafy." 



(4) Sea Island, from Batticaloa. Lint 

 soft, of good lustie, pale cream colour, 

 with some yellow and brown stains. 

 Some fragments of capsules were pre- 

 sent. Yield of lint on ginning 30 per 

 cent. ; yield per 100 seeds 3'24 grams. 

 Lint very easily detachable by hand. 

 Length of fibre irregular, from 1-3 to 

 2'3 in., mostly 1 8 to 2'2 in. About lid. 

 per lb. ginned, with choice Georgia Sea 

 Island at 15|d. The lustre and fineness 

 as well as length of staple are good. Its 

 comparatively lew value is largely due 

 to its irregular length and the presence 

 of stained and immature fibre. 



(5) Sea Island, from Chilaw. Lint 

 soft, of good lustre, and of pale cream 

 colour, with a few yellow and brown 

 stains. Some fragments of capsules 

 were present. Yield of lint 28-6 per- 

 cent. ; yield per 100 seeds 4>06 grams 

 Lint very easily detachable. Length of 

 fibre 1-5 to 2'0 in., mostly 17 to 1'9 in. 

 Strength generally good. Value about 

 13d., with choice Georgia at 15|d. Cotton 

 of fair quality, and would be more 

 valuable if f ree from stains and leaf. 



(6) Caravonica, from Wellawaya. 

 Gmned cotton clean, but harsh and 

 rough, fairly lustrous, of cream colour, 

 and free from stains. Strength fair- 

 Length of fibre from 12 to 1'7 in., but 

 mostly 1-3 to V5 in. Value about lOd. 

 pei lb., with middling American at 8'02d. 

 and good moderately rough Peruvian 

 at lOJd. This cotton is of good quality, 

 and would be readily saleable in the 

 English market. 



In his general remarks Professor 

 Dunstan says that nearly all the cottons 

 appear to have suffered from the attack 

 of insect pests ; which probably accounts 

 for the presence of stains and fragmeuts 

 of seeds and husks. It is important that 

 attention should be given to this matter 

 and suitable remedial measures adopted. 



With a view to preventing the pre- 

 sence of immature fibres in the cotton 

 only fully ripe bolls must be picked, so 

 that several pickings may be necessary 



