72 
Supplement to the " Tropnoal Agriculturist.'" 
[July 2, ]!50C. 
AN AGlilCULTUKAL DEPARTMENT 
I FOR UEYLON. 
KEPORT OF COMMISSIONERS.* 
In obedience to the Comniis-iion to us directed, 
w# have inquired into the advisability of estab- 
lishing a Department of Agriculture. 
We advise the establishment of such a Depart- 
ment, and we recommend the appointment of a 
Director of Agriculture. 
The officer selected for this appointment should 
have local experience and knowledge of local con- 
ditions and acquaintance with the people. His 
office should rank in the First Class, and he 
should be a Member of the Executive and Legis- 
lative Councils. 
The duty of the Director would be to advise the 
Government in matters concerning the improve- 
ment of agriculture and the extension of cultiva- 
tion. It would be within the scope of his labours 
to direct inquiries into the suitability of soils tor 
certain pioduct^ ; to cause inquiries to be made as 
to the origin and causes of diseases affecting useful 
plants, and as to the best means of arresting and 
destroying sucii diseases ; to cause measures to be 
adopted for the improvement of the various de- 
scriptions of products now cultivated, either by the 
introduction of new seed or by the application of 
special manures or otherwise ; to take measures 
for the establishment of Schools of Agriculture ; 
and to suggest action forthe improvement of native 
cattle and horses. 
He should be assisted by an Advisory Board, of 
which he should be President, analogous in its con- 
stitution to the Central Board of Irrigation. Boards 
similar to the Provincial Irrigation Boarils, and 
having the same relation to the Central Board, 
should be established at the provincial centres. 
The establishment of these Boards would enlist 
local influence and local headmen in the work of 
the Department. 
There should be attached to the Department of 
Agriculture the Director oi the Bot inic Gardens, a 
Mycologist, Agricultural Chemist, Entomologist and 
Veteiinary Surgeon. 
The intimate connection between Agriculture 
and Irrigation renders it, in the opinion of a major- 
ity of the Commiiision, advisable that the Irrigation 
Department should be combined with the Depart- 
ment of Agriculture. 
It has been suggested that the Departments of 
the Conservator of Forests and of the Director of 
the Botanic Ga'dens, and the future Department 
of Mines (including the Geological Survey), should 
be combined with the Department of Agriculture, 
in so far that the business of these De- 
partments with the Government should 
go through the Director of Agriculture, who 
would be adviser of the GoverumenS in relation 
to the afiairs of these Departnients, and relieve 
the Governor and the Colonial Secretary of minor 
administrative details relating to them : but the 
majority of the Commission doubt the expediency 
of giving effect to this suggestion. 
To the Department of Agriculture would be 
assigned the preparation of statistical information 
relating to agriculture and the areas of cultivation. 
* Commissioners appointed by H.E. the Gover- 
nor : — 
Mr. Jttstio.e A. C. Lawrie, Chairman ; Hons. F. R, 
Ellis, 1j. F. Lee, A. de A. Seneviratne, and John N. 
Campbell; and Messrs. A, F. Broua, S. D. Bandara- 
Eike, Maha Mudaliyar, P. Coomaraawamy, John 
rguHOu, F. G. A. Lane, .1. H. Stiirey, J. C.Willis, 
and C. Drieberg (Secretary), 
The immediate' expenditure necessary to carry 
out the suggestions of the Commission would 
include the salaries of the Director and of his 
expert advisers and the funds required for the 
payment of the clerical establishment. A lump 
sum should also be provided to enable the Director 
to give immediate effect to approved proposals 
for the improvement of agriculture. 
As the Department extends its operations and 
gives evidence of its usefulness further expend- 
iture will be required ; and the Commission de- 
sires to record its opinion that it will be futile 
to adopt its suggestions as to the establishment 
of a Department without recognition on the part 
of Government of its duty to provide the fundi 
to give effect to its proposals. Its initial work 
must be largely experimental, and its expenditure 
cannot be justly submitted to the test of its 
pecuniary productiveness. 
A. C. Lawrie 
L. F. Lee 
A. De A. Seneviratne* 
J. N. Campbell 
A, F. BrDun* 
October 31st, 1899. 
' See their remarks. 
S. D. Bandaranaike* 
P. Coomaraswamy* 
F. G. A. Lane 
J. H. Starey 
J. C. Willis.* 
We dissent from the above report on the fol- 
lowing points ; — 
The appointment of a Director of Agriculture 
is in our opinion unnecessary. The duties detailed 
in paragraph 4 of the report should be exercised 
by a Board of Agriculture analogous in its con- 
stitution to the Central Irrigation Board, and 
having a Member of the E.'iecutive Council as 
its President. Until the Government is in a posi- 
tion to judge of the working ot the nesv Depart- 
ment the expense of a paid Director need not be 
incurred. 
The interests of the paddy cultivation will, we 
thiuk, suffer by combining the Irrigation Depart- 
ment with the Department of Agiicultuie. The 
object of the Irrigation Department is the irriga- 
tion and cultivation of paddy lands, and that 
Department is worked under the immediate and 
personal supervision and control of His Excellency 
the Governor. The withdrawal of the Governor's 
personal supervision from that De|iartrnent cannot 
but be prejudicial to paddy cultivation, and the 
proposal to combine that Department with an- 
other, which deals with not only larger and more 
Tsried interests, but such as at times may 
be conflicting, cannot meet with the approval 
of the paddy cultivator. There is also tko 
possibility, however remote, that such 
combination may lead to the use of irri- 
gation funds for purposes other than irrisration. 
A. de A, Seneviratna | S. D. Bandarnayake 
P. Coomaraswamy. 
I agree with the above gentlemen's views as 
regards the proposed ap|iointment of a Director ot 
Agriculture. — A. F. Broun. 
I agree with the views above expressed as to 
the proposal to create a De|)artnient with a 
Director. I think a Board should first be tried, 
with, if possible, His Excellency the Governor as 
Chairman, In this event I sliould not object to 
a combined Board of Agriculture and irrigation 
(with Sub-Conimittee.s for each Branch) ; other- 
wise I agree with the views of Mr. Seneviratna 
that these two departments of work should be kept 
separate.— John C, Willls, 
