Marcu 2, 1903,] 
THE TliOPICAL AGRICULTl/JRlSr, 
6l3 
the table showing R12'65 in hand) which is satisfactory 
a' the end of the fiiBt finaiiciil year. 
Crop— For 1903 is estimnted at 1,255,720 lb. against 
1,243,918 lb. in 1!)02. Acreage in beaiiuK. 3,l7«!icre3 
at an average of 395 lb, per acie, and 110,000 lb. 
tea from native sardens. Nearly all estates in the 
district have fallen short of their e'^timates; the 
weather was not nearly so favourable for fiush as 191)1. 
Prices. — The tea industry has pas-seii through 
another trying period in its history, but the closing 
months of the year brightened considerably. 
While viewing the present position with satiafactiou, 
it is to be hoped that the producers may not be 
tempted by the temporary ri*e to adopt a coarser 
style of plucking. Your CommiLtee would urge 
Superintendents in this district to continue the same 
style of pluckiog which has been in vogue for the 
past year. 
OARD.'iMOji?. — The area has not been extended to any 
great extent. 
Telegraph Extension — from Rnkwana to Deuiyaya: 
— Your Committee record with great satisfaction the 
sanction, through 1903 estimates, of extending the line 
from B tkwana to Deniyaya and trust the Postmast-r- 
General will have the work pushed on with all 
possible haate as this outlying and important district 
is under great disadvantages in this respect. 
Postal Arrangement. — Since the departure on sick 
leave of the late I'ostmaster, your Committee have 
noticed a great improvement. Li^tters and parcels have 
been handed over very promptly after the arrival of 
tbe mails, which have also come in with far greater 
punctuality than previously. The new Post Office is 
Bearing completion, but in the opinion of your Com- 
mittee tbe cost of the same is rather exhorbilant. 
Jury Service. — With reference to this matter a 
resolution was forwarded to Government pointing 
out the great hardship entailed on residents in this 
remote district by their being called upon to serve 
once every year, and not infrequently twice, at the 
Matara Sessions. This resulted in the persons 
liable to serve in Tangallii being added to the list 
of jurors. Iq spite of this, however, two members 
of this Association were summoned to serve twice 
this year. Your Committee aro of opinion that some 
farther action on the part of Government is necessary 
to relieve residents of this unjustifiably heavy tax 
on their time and convenience. 
Government Cart Ro.\d from Akuressa to Vihara- 
HENA— has been in a most disgraceful state for 
several months of the year. The fault of this road 
chiefly lies in there being no foundation to it. An 
extra grant has been passed in Council for R3,000, 
but your Committee are of opinion it is insuBicient 
for what has to be done. A '' Special Report " was to 
have been made after which they hope a more 
liberal vote will be allowed. 
Minor anb Grant-in Aiu Roads. — In fair order with 
the exception of the Deuiyaya-Hayes Road, which was 
originally constructed so badly. 
Medical Arrangements.— Deniyaya Hospital : — It 
is to be regretted that Government have not thought 
tit to entertain the suggestion of erecting a Village 
Ward which, your Committee thinks, is an absolute 
necessity. 
Hospital Vi.sitoks. — Your Committee consider that 
the thanks of tbe Association are due to the Hospital 
visitors for the p»st year. 
Labour.— The Labour supply has been insufficient 
for requirements in some instances. 
Advances. — In mostly all cases, may be considered 
satisfactory, for an outlying district such as this. 
Your Committee aro happy to state advances are on a 
downward tendency. 
Pests. — Wiih the exception of Helopeltis which has 
attacked some estates rather severely, no pests have 
been recorded. 
Cevlon Nursing Associ.vtion and the Benevolent 
Fund.— An appeal ou behalf of these haviug beeu 
received, it is to be hoped members o£ the Association 
7iU give (hem their anppoi-t, 
In conclusion your committee congratulate the 
memb-rs of this Association ou the reoulls obtained 
duriug the fiist year. 
Signed. E. R. E. Geddes, Chairman, 
,, R ilaiid J. Trimeii, tlomj. Sccif, 
,, E'lw, C. Anderson, 
,, Rodney M) lius, 
,, Geo. Thain Davidson 
Committe* 
Mtmbers. 
SCIENTIFIC NOTES. 
A German newsi^aper records the following ex- 
e.nplary incident, apiopo.s of a recent act of the 
Kai.ier, in appealing to his people for .support in a 
good work. Dr. iJolirii of Naple.«, having appealed 
with I i tile result to tlie German Minister of Educa- 
tion for linancial aid in the extension of his world- 
famed biological station, sought an interview with 
the Kaiser. Kemaiking sympatheiically that he 
could not proviiie ail that Dr. Dohrii desired from 
lii.s private purse, tiie Kaiser furnished him with a 
donation form, headed by himself and a contribu- 
tion of £I,00ii, commanding that it should be 
ciiculaled .ainung ilie leaders in Berlin society, for 
return to the Kaiser in person. The result was 
that within a few days the magnificent sum of 
£15,000 was subscribed. 
A message from the Times correspondent at 
Ottawa .stales that the promoters of the Canadian 
Maracoiii Company hoije by the end of next 
.summer to have a complete system of wireless 
telegrapliy in operation throughout Canada, ex- 
tending fiom the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the 
Pacific Coast. 
iVIr. Marconi was entertained at a banquet at 
Sydney on December 30 by the citizens of Cape 
Breton Island. Keuler reports that in respond- 
ing to the toast of bis health, Mr. Marconi said 
that when his system of wireless telegraphy was 
further developed, it would be possible for ships in 
distress to signal passing ships. The cable com- 
panies, when they began, charged pounds per word ; 
they were now down to shillings, and his startiuf; 
at; ten cents might soon lead to a charge of one 
cent \\. per word and tiuis bind England and her 
colonies more closely together, 
Tiie Daily Mail states that Sir Ernest Cassel 
has olYered to give £40,000 towards the study and 
investigation of ophthalmia in Egypt. 
Prof. Robert Koch ana two assistants. Surgeon 
Dr. Kleine of the Prussian Headquarter Staff, and 
Dr. Neufeld, of the Pi ussian Institute for Infectious 
Disease, are on their way to investigate cattle 
plague in Rhodesia. To the Berlin correspondent 
of the Daily Mail, Prof. Koch has remarked : — 
" I coutemplat;e my mission with more or less 
misgiving, because the Khodesiau p'ague is of an 
absolutely mystifying cliaiacter. Sucli symptoms 
as I have so far examined indicate that the disease 
is wholly indifFereiit from any species of rinderpest 
that has ever come under medical observation. 
What is peculiarly battling is tiiat the Rhodesiau 
plague dates only from the late war. The cattle 
imparted from Egypt, Australia and South America 
which it was supposed would prove immune, have 
fallen early victims to its ravages, which threaten 
to denude the entire colony of live stock. While 
in South Ahica, I shall not neglect the opportunity 
of continuing my tuberculosis cxperimeuts with 
the view of adducing still more iiositive evidence 
of my theory of the uon-commuiiicability of bovine 
tuberculosis to human beings, which I, of courscj 
adhere to resolutely. ' 
