848 
IHE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[June 1, 1899. 
THE REAL DELFT PONY 
is move like a little Aiab, the improved 
ones being especially so. That there ha.s been 
a considerable improvement in the breed is 
shown by the fact that the averag(M>rice at the 
sales in Jaffna has gone un from llooto lil.50. 
None, however, of the Delft colts by Raelmra 
have been sold yet. 
THE PASTURE 
on Irenetivn is excellent, the grass (dotib) 
being up to the ankles. Irenetivn is a 
much smaller island than Delft, being only 
two or three miles across. The land oii 
Ii'cnetivu moreover, is entirely open. The 
Eonies are quite quiet, and if "any of them 
ave to imdergo treatment they are driven 
into a kraal and dealt with. They are by no 
means hai-d to manage. 
" All the foals are bianded, and the dates 
of this, and of their birth are entered in the 
stud-book kept for the purpose— .so that the 
ages of all are known. It is to be hoped there 
will be a few for sale in a year, or a year and 
a half. If anyone wishes to obtain a Delft 
pony they should apply in good time to Mr. 
levers who will send one, or give them the 
offer of one, as soon as he has them for sale. 
They are very useful little animals for tra- 
velUng and for driving." 
"Not for racing?" we enquired. "Oh no! 
they were never intended to be used as race- 
horses." 
" It is a pity," Dr. Sturgess went on, " that 
tliiese ponies shoidd have been neglected, and 
left to keep themselves alive under such 
hard conditions as they have hitherto en- 
dured. The present Government Agent's 
idea was either to ameliorate their lot or to do 
away with them altogether. Seeing that 
they have responded so readily to a little 
care, it was found worthwhile to go on with 
the expei-iment. The island of Delft and its 
cattle and horses have always been Govern- 
ment property, but the latter weie formeily 
left to live as best they coidd. The Delfthorses 
Avere running about promiscuously without 
any attempt at selection, or anything else 
to improve the breed ; and liberty was given 
them to roam over the whole island. 
Nothing was ever done except to catch a 
few occasionally and take them to Jaffna, 
where they were sold and the proceeds added 
to the Government revenue." 
Asked as to 
THE SIZE OF DELFT 
Dr. Sturgess said it was about 12 miles 
long, by about two broad. The island, 
too, was traversed along the middle by 
one dividing wall, which in turn was 
crossed by parallel walls across the 
breadth of the island, thus forming a num- 
ber of enclosures of which [60 or 70 acres 
are devoted to the horse-rearing. Delft is 
about 30 miles from the mainland at the 
nearest point, and the passage across in a 
dhoney, said Dr. Sturgess, " takes five or six 
hours when the weather is favourable, but 
on rougher occasions it has taken me as 
much as twenty-foiirs and more." There 
are very few trees on the island, which is 
mostly covered with the thick doiib grass, 
its gi'owth being especially rich towards the 
centre of the isle. 
In conclusion Ave asked if any Delft stallions 
yrouW be introtl^^c*^ itjto ^tvids in the fVQ- 
vinces as in the case of cattle. To this Dr. 
Sturgess i-eplied that at present there wm 
no intention of doing so. and he thought it 
unlikely that Government would ever take 
that step. 
CATTLE nREEDINO AT DELFT. 
Before leaving and thereby bringing to a 
close a vei-y plea.sant inte'rvie\n', we wei-e 
favoiirecl w ith further information resiK'ct- 
mg similar measures that were IxMng t^ken 
to improve the Delft breed of cattle. 
"There haA^e been " said the Government 
Surgeon, "scA'eral ideas mooted with i-efer- 
ence to the improvement of Delft cattle. 
One suggestion 1 made Avas the establish- 
ment o^stud bulls at each Kachcheri in the 
island." 
Here Di-. Sturgess looked tip the Adniinis- 
trati»)n Report for 1897 in which his sugges- 
tion had appeared. There it Avas stat*^! that 
" good bulls, suitable for native cows, which 
might be obtained from the (JoA'ernment 
dairv, should l)e kept, one at eaeh Kachcheri, 
in charge of some pei-son ajjpfiinted by 
the (i<n ernment Agent ; probably the 
Kachcheri Mudaliyar would Like charge 
and interest himself in the uiatter. 
The cows served should suhiect 
to his approval. a.s lieing coaa-s that A\'ere 
likely to breed strong healthy stork. Some 
encouragement might also be'given to breed- 
ers to rear the offspring properlA% and this 
might Avcll take the fonn of a small money 
prize once a year— for the Ix'st-reared one- 
year-old animal of each sex." 
"This was in 1897, and I drew up a num- 
ber of rules to be obsei-A-ed in keeping the 
bull, and having reference also to the cows 
that he was to be allowed to serA'e. A small 
fee for each cow would cover the cost 
of keeping a coav. These rules are 
now under consideration. Another sugges- 
tion Avas that instead of holding a sale of 
the calves bred at the Government Dairy 
in Colombo, they .should be sent to outsta- 
tions for sale Kurunegala was the first place 
selected, as it AAas easy of access. But 
OAving to the outbreak" of the pest, it 
was not thought advi.sable to send 
them. Next, they Avere sent to Galle. 
" That AA'as in March, and there (at Galle) they 
Avere a success. They aA-eraged Ri58 at each 
sale, six being sent. They will hereafter be 
sent to other Kachcheris— some, indeed, are 
going to the Northern Pi-orince this year. 
There will, however, be 
A SALE IX COLOJfBO 
onthelothof this mouth— at the Government 
Dairy. By one or other of the means above 
suggested, it is hoped to proA'ide some really 
good cattle for the island." 
In every Avay the Government Agent for 
the Northern ProA'ince and the Government 
Veterinary Surgeon deserve the greatest credit 
for the care and attention Avith which the 
stock breeding experiments are being carried 
on under their auspices. Dr. Sturgess leaves 
Ceylon this day week by the P. & O. ss. "Aus- 
tralia," by which steamer he will be making his 
first trip home for a holiday since his arrival 
in Ceylon fiA e years ago. The period of his 
present leave is three months. 
"About yourith or 5th (Delft) visit from 
now, I suppose you will be journeying 
