June 1, 1899. J THE TllOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
847 
within that zone. He mentions "Wolfram" 
— Tungstin metal — as one which is valuable 
and ought to be developed. All this is very 
inteiestinfr, although merely indicative of 
how much we have yet to learn of the 
Mineralogy as well as Geology of Ceylon. 
Has any one of our Mining Engineers ex- 
ploring from the Kalutara district into the 
Province of Sabaragamuwa come across 
large deposits of iron ore 'i i We ask, because 
Dr. Gygax's "fifteen miles" of iron ore of a 
very pure quality in Sabaragamuw^a or its 
neighbourhood, — reported over fifty years 
ago — has to be rediscovered; and we were 
assured a few years ago in London that if 
it existed anywhere near the Kaluganga, 
it would at once command the attention of 
English capitalists in the iron ore trade. 
In connection with the required Geological 
Survey of Ceylon, the following paragraph 
from a London daily is both interesting and 
significant : — 
" For more than a year now the Egyptian 
Government has been carrying on an important 
geological survej'' in the mountains along by the 
Red Sea and in the Sinai Peninsula. English 
geologists are engaged in the work, and their 
duty is to investigate the mineral possibilities 
of the country, report on matters of archseo- 
logical interests, draw new maps, &c. The places 
they explore have not, in some cases, been visited 
for perhaps 2,000 years, and they are finding 
many evidences of mineral wealth, including old 
emerald mines." 
Now, if "English geologists" can be got to 
do the work of the Egyptian Government, 
surely Sir West. Ridgeway need have no 
diflSculty in securing a competent man to 
begin the Geological Survey of Ceylon ? 
STOCK BREEDING AT DELFT. 
HLSTORY AND PROGRESS OF THE 
EXPERIMENT. 
Intkrvieav with Dr. G. W. Sturgess. 
In view of the approaching departure on leave 
of Dr. G. W. Sturgess, the well-known Gov- 
ernment Veterinary Surgeon, and the interest 
that is naturally excited by the Government 
scheme of 
STOCK-BREEDING IN THE NORTH, 
we were kindly afforded an interview with 
the gentleman mentioned, who shares with 
Mr. levers, of the Northern Province, the 
responsibility for the success of the work at 
Delft as at present carried on. 
After we had asked a few preliminary 
questions, Dr. Sturgess expressed his readi- 
ness to tell in its seciuence the story of the 
experiment. His narrative included the an- 
swers to om' interrogatory remarks and dealt 
with the subject with such fulness that little 
further (piestioning was wanted. Hence we 
shall (iu()t(> the Doctor's woi'ds without mate- 
rial alteration. 
"At the begimiing of the centui'y there 
was at Delft a In-ccd of ponies which supi)lied 
the native cavalry in some degree. This breed 
has since been 
C( )NT I N U ALLY DETER lOR .VTI NO, 
and, not receiving proper attention and care, 
the nonics (hvindled down until at length they 
reached their present snniU size, Th(>re used 
originally to be a very large (>stal)lishHicnl , 
— a resident's bungalow, comi)OUud and court- 
bQUse, ami a reguluv bvteding system whs 
carried on. But for some reason or other these 
were allowed to run down, until the ponieswere 
gradually crushed (jut of the grazing grounds 
by cattle and at last had very gi-eat 
difficulty in getting nourishment. Since then 
it has been the custom to run across to 
Delft once or twice a year, catch a few 
ponies and sell them at Jaffna. 
"When Mr. levers was appointed Govern- 
ment Agent for the Northern Province, he 
took note of the then existing state of 
things, and said that the best things to do 
— the only humane alternatives — iii fact- 
would be either to 
AMELIORATE THEIR LOT 
or to do away with the thing altogether. That 
was how the interest came to be taken in the 
matter. Mr. levers decided to try and im- 
prove them, seeing that they were very 
useful ponies. Mrs. level's took as much in- 
terest as her husband — possibly, indeed, even 
more — in the proposed step. 
"There were 60 or 70 mares on the island. 
From these we weeded out the least suitable 
and sold them, and the others we branded 
with a regular series of a numbers and en- 
tered in a stock-book. The Delft stallions 
^^'ere removed, and 
AN ARAB WAS PURCHASED 
and placed on the island so that now the stud 
comprises 60 mares, and one stallion "Raeburn." 
" During the first year or two there were 
considerable losses amongst the young stock 
especially among the foals. And very great 
diliiculty was experienced in finding out the 
cause to which these losses were due. The 
discovery of that "was important because It 
depended upon the kind of stock one reared 
whether the experiment was to be a success 
or not. It has been found that the principal 
CAUSE OP DEATH 
amongst the young foals is the gi-eat 
general debility and blood disease due to the 
ravages of ticks. If this can be prevented 
of course it will materially add to the suc- 
cess of the breed. There is every reason to 
hope that it will. 
" At the close of the year tlie voung year- 
lings are removed to another island, 
IRENETIVU 
where there is better pasture— about 
:S0 miles away. About ten or twelve are 
taken at the end of every year. On Irene- 
tivu there are now .3;^ yoiing horses, colts 
and fillies, all fit and well and very nice 
ponies indeed. 
" When I was there this year we took about 
12 fresh ones and put them on the 
island. Thirteen of the big colts now on 
Irenetivu have been operated upon and will 
be ready for sale in about two vears. These 
will be the first, but there are several other 
colts by "Raeburn" which look like making 
very good little horses. 
In connection with " Raebiu n " it mav bo 
mentioned that two foals by this sire have 
been racing at home this Vear. queex" ok 
THE ISLES, a filly, ran last month in the 
Ashley Plate at Newmarket, and Ramei.ton 
Lassik. a colt, in the Newmarket Uiennial 
Stakes a day or two later, -though both went 
witln.ut success. 
"It is a mistaken idea to suppose (hat the 
Delft ponies are really the lillk auiuial that 
is seeu ii|hout the goiiuti j-, 
