July 2, 1900.] iSupplement to the " Tropical Agriculturist.'" 
73 
MR. JOHN FERGUSON. 
The views of Mr. John Ferguson will be 
found in the followino Draft Keport drawn up hy 
him at the request of the Chairman, prior to his 
degariure for England in August, 1899. — 
The Commission appointed by His Excellency 
the Governor to inquire into and report on the 
advisability ot establishing a Department of Agri- 
culture have the honor to submit the following 
report with appended papers. 
1. The Commission have only held four meet- 
ings, but careful consideration has been given 
by the meraoers to a series of papers on the sub- 
ject of an Agricultural Department, ilrawn up 
especiallyby the Director of th"^ Botanic Gardens at 
an early stage of the p-oeeedings and in addition 
the opinions of the several Government Agents and 
tneir Assistants have been invited, and obtained, 
of certain specified questions bearing on tlie sub- 
ject of inquiry. 
2. The Commission would direct attention 
to the several papers and answers appended to 
their report, and would confess to a considerable 
diversity of opinion, both among the members 
and Revenue Officers, on the advisability of 
establishing a Department of Agriculture. 
3. It seems clear to the majority of the Com- 
mission that any step taken at this time should 
be primarily with a view to the improvement 
and expansion of native agriculture, and that 
whatever be the directing, supervising, and ad- 
vising body, the Kevenue Officers of Provinces 
and Districts should be the medium for reaching 
and influencing the people. 
4. That the great defect hitherto attending ex- 
periments for the improvement of native agricul- 
ture has been — in the words of the Government 
Agent for the Northern Province — " the absence 
of continuity of work at any one subject." He 
tells us one Provincial or District Officer's fad " is 
irrigation ; another's, gardening; another's, stock 
improvement or horses ; another's paddy or coco- 
nuts ; and so on. Owing to the frequent changes 
in Administration (Provincial), each man s scheme, 
good in itself, is gradually dropped by his succes- 
sor, and so the changes are rung to little or no 
ultimate benefit. It was the discovery of this as 
regards Irrigation which led to the formation of 
the Irrigation Boards, with the best results." 
5. The Commission have no doubt that all 
branches of Agriculture in Ceylon — those of grain 
and palm-growing, equally with the tea, cacao 
and other industries of the planter — stand in 
need of scientific aid and advice from time to 
time, and that this can best be afforded by t he 
Director of the Botanic, Gardens and a staff of 
scientists at Peradeniya. 
6. The Commission have also no doubt as to 
the value of experimental gardens or model 
farms being opened, with the full concurrence of 
the Government Agents and under their con- 
trol, in every Province and ultimately in every 
Revenue District of the Island ; and they con- 
sider it desirable that an Agri-Horticultural 
Snow, suited to the importance or necessity of 
the Province or District, should be held once a 
year either at the capital of the Province or in a 
district town. 
7. The Commission further think the Agricul- 
tural School should be placr-d on a new basis and 
that its transfer to the neighbourhood of Kandy, 
as recommended by the Director of the Botanic 
Gardens, is desirable. 
8. In order to secure uniformity in controlling 
and direecing improvements in different branches 
of Agriculture in the various Provinces, and to 
consider the special needs of particular industries 
from time to time, the Comnassion would recom- 
mend the estahlishment of a Central Board 
of Agriculture, with a member of the Executive 
Council as President, with one or two Govern- 
ment Agents and the Director of the Botanic 
Gardens as official members, and with two or more 
unofficial members while all Government Agents 
and their Assistants should be corresponding 
members. This Board would receive reports of 
all improvements in existing branches of Agri- 
culture of experiments with nevv products, of in- 
quiries into diseases or other enemies of plants, &c., 
and would furnish Government once a year with 
a full and comparative report as to the work it 
the different Provinces, while advising from timn 
to time on any agricultural question that mighe 
arise. To such Board might be left for consider- 
ation and report the question if further scien- 
tists should be temporarily or permanently attached 
to Peradeniya at this time ; also the details and 
working out of several other improvements sug- 
gested in the Memoranda, Notes, or other papers 
of the Director of tlie Gardens, the Government 
Agents and other writers, which will befound in the 
Appendix to this report. 
9. As the agricultural resources and prosperity 
of the Colony develop, the Commission would 
like to see a special Agricultural Department gra- 
dually evolved, the Board being presided over by 
the most efficient of the Government Agents (who 
should also be a member of the Executive 
Council), with Provincial and District Boards to 
correspond with the central institution. But at 
the ou's^t, the Commission think a start may well 
fce made with one Central Board (utilizing existing 
means), and having for its main object the main- 
tenance of continuity of attention by the Bevtnue 
Officers and Headmen to any well-considered 
schemes for improvement in cereal or garden cul- 
tivation, or in live stock, which have once been 
fairly started in their Provinces or dist icts, 
while also taking cognizance of the great planting 
industries, of diseases affectingthem, or of proposals 
of tor their improvement, or for adding to the list 
new products deserving of practical attention, 
10. Finally, the Commission would recommend 
that some encouragement be held out to young 
Civilian Cadets to qualify for their duties by a 
course of agricultural study in Europe before 
coming to Ceylon. 
