July 2, 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
17 
THE CEYLON GOVERNMENT DAIEY. 
We have to go to the official papers of a I 
neighbouring Colony to learn what is taking plaoe 
at our very doors 1 The Eeport whioh Mr. 
Bellamy has furnished to the Se'angor Adminis- 
tration, on the Dairy in our Cinnamon Gardens will 
be perused with much interest by a large number 
of our readers. To planters especially who 
generally have milching cows on their estates, the 
information afforded ought to bo of considerable 
praotioal value. Colombo residents too — especially 
the ladies who as hou3e-keepers, have mo3t to 
do wub the cattle and milk supply— cannot fail 
to gather hints from the accounts of the oows, 
whioh do best for milking, the dietary soale, &a. 
It is very satisfactory to find that this local Dairy 
experiment besides securing for the Hospitals, the 
great boon of an ample supply of pure rioh milk, 
is proving a profitable investment— indeed ehewing 
profits so large per mensem that the whole cost 
of the building, cattle, &c. will very quickly be 
repaid to the publia exchequer. This being the 
case, we would urge that a similar experiment be 
commenced for the benefit of hospital patients 
in connection with all our chief towns. What 
has succeeded so well in Colombo, should surely be a 
success at Gallc, at Kandy, Badulla, Batnapura, 
Trinoomalee, Jaffna, Kurunegala and other of our 
towns and principal station?. We do not expeot 
all th ss establishments to be set agoing at once. 
The " Managers " and attendant ooolie3 should 
be gradually trained at Colombo, and the Btock 
utilise d from those bred in the headquarters 
premises, with an occasional cow from Scinde. If 
the Government plead that no more money can 
be spared, ihe public interested may well reply 
that it will only require the expenditure of the profits 
of the Colombo Dairy, to seoure ell that is 
required— the gradual establishment of Dairies at 
eaohofthe towns named, for the benefit, primarily, 
of the hospital patients. 
We obeerve that Mr. Bellamy was so well 
satisfied that he strongly recommends the 
opening of a similar Dairy at Kuala Lampur. 
It may seem strange to find our visitor pro- 
nouncing the site of our local Dairy to have been the 
bed of a considerable river. No doubt the 
Kelaniganga, at one time had its mouth considerably 
to the south of its present debouchure into the 
sea. The Colombo Lake is probably part of a 
lagoon or back-water at one time oonnected with 
the river and this lagoon no doubt extended through 
the Cinnamon Gardc-ns, until the river gradually 
shifted Northwards. There is a marked difference in 
level now, however, between the river and the 
Colombo lake or Dairy site, although in a big 
flood, occasionally, the Kelani rises almost to the 
level of the lake at St. Sebastian. 
REPORT ON CliYLON GOVERNMENT 
DAIRY. 
District Offioe, Kuala Selangor, 5th March, 1894- 
To the Acting Government Secretary, Selangor. 
Sir.— In accordance with instructions on your No. 
333-94 requesting mo to devote a portion of my 
, e cent vacation leave to au enquiry into the working 
the Government Dairy in Ueyion, I have the 
honour to report as follows : — 
2. I waited on His Fxoellenoy the Lieutenant- 
Governor, Sir Noel Walker, and explained the wishes 
oi the Selangor Government. His Excellenoy offered 
every assistance in the matter and gave me » letter of 
introduction to Mr. Drietertr, the Principal of the 
School of Agriculture, to which the Dairy is attached. 
On Wednesday, the 28th ultimo, I drove to the Dairy 
and spent some considerable time inspecting the place 
and getting information. 
3. The Diiry is situated in the neighbourhood of 
the Cinnamon Ga'dens at Colombo, on a plot of ground 
which was evidently at one time the bed of a consider- 
able river. Tbefoilis ci mpofed entirely of fine loose sand 
with scarcely any vegetation in its immediate vicinity 
and judging from appearances the place seem' alto- 
gether unsuitable for dairy purposes. It was started 
in Jute, 1893, principal'y witli tne objeot of supplying 
Govf-rnmeut Hosp'tals and oth r public institutions 
with fresh milk. Only a small q isntity of milk ia 
supplied to the general public, as there is a dedre ou 
the part of Government to avoid eompeti'im with 
private enterprise. A sum of R3.300 was voted for 
the construction of the buildiDg, R4.50O were allowed 
for purchase of cattle, while materials, etc , coal 
Rl.OOO. 
4. The buiMing is of brick and tile, and while 
of ihe plainest possible description it is con- 
structed on highly sanitary prii ciples. In shape it is 
oblong with a large open space inside the four walls. 
At oue end, adjoining the entrance, are the quarters of 
the Manager and the offices. The c ittle are arranged 
ia the long sheds at the sides, which open on to the 
central spice. The floors are of brick and oement, 
slight y sloping so as to allow all objectionable matter 
to run off quickly into the brick drains which convey 
it to a cistern placed outside the further end of the 
building, where it is all colleoted with a view to utilis- 
ing it as liquid manure. All droppings from the oattle 
are carried away at ones and everything is done to 
keep the place sweet and give it n tidy appearance. 
5. The Dairy is stocked principally with cows from 
Soinde and what are usually known as Coast cows, 
obtained from Trichicopoly and Tuticorin. The cost 
is about R120 each, hut the Scinde cittle are far 
superior to the other variety. The bulls, which were 
until recently us^d for fetnd purposes, numbered 
three, one being of the Sciude breed, another from 
Aden and a third, which proved an unsatisfactory 
animal, was a cro^s betweeu tha Nellor and Aden 
breeds. Contrary to the generally received idei, I 
found thit cattle of tne Nellor breed were not 
favourites in Oeylon. They appear to require a good 
deal more! att n»iou and fodder than other varieties 
ofca'tle. Of late toe Government Dairy has had the 
loan of a very fi ie (Jape bull, which covered twenty- 
six cows. The arrival of ths calves of this mixed 
breed is awaited with considerable interest. 
6. The staff engaged at the Dairy consists of a 
Manager, on R40 per mensem, and eight eiolies, on. 
salaries varying from R8 to Rl5 per mensem each 
according to their qualifications. The food allowance for 
each cow is 50 ceu's (Rupee) per diem. The acoounts 
for the month of June, when the dairy was first started, 
shewed an adverse balance of R148, but only a fevv 
of the cows were giving milk. In July there was • 
or«dit balance of R83 for the month, and at the pre- 
sent time, when forty-two cows are in good milking 
order, the profits are no less than R580 per mensem. 
The aotual receipts for Jauuary last amounted to 
RI.379'80, while the working expenses wera R798'67. 
These figures will of themselves prove how profitable 
dairying work can be. 
7. The routine of work at the Dairy is as follows: — 
Milk is drawn at 3 a.m. and 1 p.m.. and as soon as it 
is all c dleoted it is weighed by the "Dairy Herd Ro- 
corder." which shews piDts and pounds, so that the 
richness of the milk is at once ascertained. It is then 
poured into a large tin vessel inside which there ia a 
graduated soale and the hospitals, etc, are supplied 
according to the amounts recorded ou the scale. The 
idea being tint the milk uodergoes less handling and 
cau be more rapidly distributed in this way. Sack 
milk as may be left over is then passed through the 
cream separator, a very clever contrivance, but too 
well-known to require description. 
