October, 1911.] 



305 



Edible Products. 



special purpose of raising seed for the 

 next year. All black grains should also 

 be picked out, as they tend to spoil a 

 sample of yellow paddy, and they soon 

 increase to such an extent that the 

 paddy can only be classed as 'mixed.' 

 When these specially selected rices come 

 into ear, they should again be gone 

 through, and all the heads having unde- 

 sirable characters should be cut out. 

 All red-grained rices, black rices, and 

 barley rices should be removed. If this 

 is done, an excellent sample of paddy 

 will be obtained for the next sowing and 

 a more uniform crop will result, whilst, 

 most probably, increased yields and an 

 improvement in the paddy to be offered 

 for sale will be accomplished. If every 

 grower would attempt to improve the 

 rice to be used for seed-purposes, a great 

 improvement would soon result and 

 rice of a much more uniform character 

 would be obtained. Increased yields 

 and increased prices for any kind of crop 

 can only be obtained by a careful atten- 

 tion to the selection and propagation of 

 material for seed purposes. Rice is in 

 need of just such care, if better results 

 are to be looked for. The Board of 

 Agriculture supplies pure strains of high 

 class paddy. They should be made the 

 starting point for growers to improve 

 their seed paddy and thereby increase 

 their returns and their profits. 



J. B. Harrison, 

 P. A. Stockdale. 



4TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS 



OF RICE-CULTURE, 

 And International Exhibition of 

 Rice- Culture and Irrigation 

 at vercelli. 



(Translated from the Italian Notice by 

 J. C Willis.) 



At Vereelli, chief town of a rice-grow- 

 ing district par excellence, and lying 

 conveniently near to other Italian rice- 

 growing districts, there will be organised 

 the Fourth International Congress of 

 Rice-culture to be held in October, 1912. 



There will be dealt with vital questions 

 of fact regarding rice culture and its 

 technique, rural and social economy, 

 hygiene, and commerce, as well as simi- 

 lar subjects relating to irrigation. 



The Exhibition will be of particular 

 interest in that it proposes to collect all 

 that concerns rice-culture or irrigation, 

 to give an idea of the progress made, and 

 of the present state of affairs. 



Italy, where rice-culture has a great 

 importance, and where the most ancient 

 30 



and classic, as well as the most peifect 

 examples of irrigation are to be seen, 

 and where such problems are most 

 urgent for its arid regions, may justly be 

 the initiator of such special exhibition. 



In the Exhibition will be collected as 

 much material and machinery as is 

 necessary for cultivation, harvesting, 

 drying, commercial preparation and 

 working ; there will be shown commer- 

 cial rices, rices selected from seed, rices 

 worked up and destined for export, or 

 for internal consumption, and of pro- 

 ducts derived from rice ; there will be 

 exhibits illustrative of fish culture in 

 rice districts, of hygiene, of the com- 

 bating of malaria, of agrarian associ- 

 ations, organisations for collocation of 

 work, for rice-cultural industry, and for 

 technique. 



It is proposed to have a show retro- 

 spective of the cultivation and industry 

 of rice. 



In the exhibition of irrigation it is pro- 

 posed to show the various systems of 

 irrigation, of derivation of water, ani- 

 cuts, wells, lifts, water-measuring, 

 machines applied to irrigation, mono- 

 graphs, etc. The detailed programme 

 will be published early. 



FADDY CULTIVATION IN CEYLON 

 DURING THE XIXTH CENTURY. 



By E. Elliott. 



(Continued.) 

 The Second Period, 1838-56, opened with 

 a series of important measures intended 

 to improve the welfare of the people 

 and advance the interests of the Colony 

 as proposed by the two Commissioners 

 already referred to. In 1831 Sir Wilmot 

 Horton, Bart., assumed the Government, 

 and shortly afterwards effect was given 

 to several measures, such as the establish- 

 ment of a Legislative Council, a new 

 Charter of Justice and abolition of 

 Rajakariya. The Governor had accepted 

 the office on a reduced salary (£8,000), 

 and was further instructed to effect 

 reductions in the Civil expenditure to 

 the amount of £40,000. In carrying out 

 this, important changes were made in 

 the arrangements of the Executive 

 offices entrusted with agricultural in- 

 terests, that it will be convenient to 

 notice them at this stage. 



In 1816 the Civil Service was consti- 

 tuted as follows : First-class— consisting 

 of the Chief Secretary to Government, 

 £3,000 ; Commissioner of Revenue, £3,000 ; 

 Accountant-General, £2,000; Civil and 

 Military Paymaster-General, £2,000; Civil 



