Oct.  1,  1806.] 
Supplemmt  to  the  “ Tropiml  Agricnlturht!''' 
293 
tiiR  instriictorp.  Siifli  are  t,lie  appointments  of 
tlie  instructors  in  tlie  Province  of  Sabaragamiiwn. 
The  application  for  an  agricnltnral  instructor 
hy  a revenne  officer  may  be  taken  as  a guar- 
antee tliat  the  operations  of  the  instructor  will 
be  closely’sniiervisecl,  with  the  resnlt  that  effii- 
cient  work  of  a special  kind  will  bedone.  There 
are  some  instructors,  however,  who,  having  per- 
haps been  originally  appointed  on  the  a])plicaion 
of  an  Agent  or  Assistant  Agent,  are  at  present 
(owing  to  changes  in  the  service)  left,  so  to 
speak,  witbont  a patron,  and  the  work  of  such 
has  generally  little  to  commend  it.  The  posi- 
tion of  an  instructor  is  a difficult  one.  He  is 
appointed  on  a salary  of  about  R30  or  R40  a 
month,  and  is  expected  to  establish  a model 
garden,  getting,  if  possible,  the  help  of  the  boys 
of  the  nearest  village  school,  where  be  has  also  to 
teach  the  Agricultural  Primer  published  by  the 
Department ; the  place  to  which  he  is  appointed 
is  generally  a remote  one,  and  without  strong 
official  patronage  there  is  little  opportunity  for 
bis  doing  useful  work ; he  frequently  ex- 
periences difficulty  in  obtaining  a suitable  site 
for  bis  garden,  and  having  secured  one,  all  the 
necessary  expenses  of  cultivation  have  to  be  met 
by  him;  there  is  generally  no  market  for  his 
produce ; and,  what  with  lodging  and  boarding 
himself,  he  finds,  if  he  attempts  to  maintain  a 
well-stocked  garden  of  any  pretensions,  that  he 
is  out  of  pocket  at  the  end  of  each  season.  But 
when  an  instructor  receives  no  help  or  encour- 
agement from  the  higher  officials  and  villagers 
show  no  interest  in  his  work,  and  when  be  finds 
that  bis  garden  is  not  regularly  inspected,  be 
would  appear  to  lose  heart,  and  begin  to  think 
that  it  would  be  best  to  try  and  save  something 
for  himself  from  his  salary,  while  keeping  up 
an  inex]>ensive  show  of  a few  plots  stocked 
with  easily  grown  native  vegetables.  The  experi- 
ment of  sending  out  Government  paid  agricultural 
instructors  has,  I think,  in  the  main  proved  a 
failure,  and  been  the  indirect  means  of  bringing 
ranch  discredit  on  the  School.  Whatever  may 
have  been  ‘the  original  intention  of  the  appoint- 
ments (presumably  the  popularizing  of  an  im- 
proved system  of  paddy  cultivation)  and  the 
provision  for  maintaining  the  work  of  the  in- 
structors at  a satisfactory  standard,  it  cannot 
be  denied  that  their  continuance  is  not  justified 
by  present  circumstances.  In  saying  this  I do 
not  mean  to  deprecate  the  appointment  of  in- 
structors for  special  work  under  the  direct 
control  of  revenue  officers.  It  is  for  the  present 
sufficient,  I think,  that  the  Government  provides 
the  means  of  a cheap  agricultural  education  to 
the  natives  of  the  country  without  also  pro- 
viding .so-called  instructors,  who,  with  vaguely 
defined  duties  of  doubtful  utility,  need  special 
arrangements  for  the  inspection  of  their  work. 
The  expenditure  on  maintaining  instructors  would, 
in  my  opinion,  be  better  utilized  in  the  encourage- 
ment of  native  agriculture  by  the  offering  of 
awards  for  superior  produce  and  stock  and 
careful  cultivation,  in  connection  with  a scheme 
for  bolding  .agricultural  shows,  which  are  re- 
cognized in  rural  economy  as  strong  incentives 
to  activity,  a ready  means  of  testing  the  possi- 
bilities of  soil  and  climate  and  the  capabilities 
of  the  cultivator,  and  as  convenient  centres  of 
communication  where  much  useful  knowlede  is 
disseminated. 
The  Government  Dairy. 
On  1st  January  the  dairy  herd  was  composed 
of  79  cows,  40  calves,  1 stud  bull,  and  2 draught 
bullocks.  During  the  year  7 Sind  cows  and  a 
stud  bull  of  the  same  herd  were  turenased 
locally  for  Rl,250. 
At  a public  sale  held  at  the  dairy  on  12tb 
July  the  following  animals  and  utensils  were 
sold  : 12  cows,  15  calves,  a butter  churn,  and  a 
milk  churn.  The  amount  realized  by  the  sale, 
after  deducting  all  expenses  connected  therewith, 
was  Rl,267-23. 
During  the  year  the  number  of  calves  was 
increased  by  44,  and  10  succumbed  to  ordinary 
calf  ailments.  So  that  on  31st  December  the 
herd  was  composed  of  74  cows  (64  Sind  and 
10  Coast  COW'S),  65  calves  (33  male  and  32 
female),  2 stud  bulls,  and  2 draught  bulls,  the 
total  number  of  animals  in  the  herd  thus 
aggregating  143. 
The  net  profits  on  dairy  produce  for  the  first 
half-year  were  only  about  R/0,  the  working 
during  some  of  the  months  resulting  in  heavy 
loss,  as,  for  instance,  in  March,  when  the  loss  was 
nearly  R280.  This  is  solely  to  be  attributed  to 
tbe  effects  of  the  outbreak  of  “ murrain  ' in  the 
previous  yejir,  which  threw  the  ruftchinery  of  the 
dairy  completely  out  of  gear,  both  by  the  loss 
of  cows  and  calves,  and  by  tbe  large  number  of 
abortions  which  follow'ed  the  outbreak. 
During  the  second  half-year  tbe  net  profits  on 
dairy  produce  per  month  exceeded  R300,  and  it  is 
fair  to  assume  that  in  ordinary  working  years 
under  normal  conditions  the  annual  profits  should 
be  about  double  what  they  were  last  year. 
Indeed  the  profits  of  the  year,  a little  over  R2,000, 
are  practically  the  profits  on  the  second  half- 
year’s  working,  and  approximate  to  the  net 
returns  during  the  first  seven  months  of  the 
dairy’s  existence  (June  to  December,  1893),  nearly 
R2,500.  It  will  in  many  ways  b^  interesting  to 
compare  the  working  of  the  Ceylon  Government 
Dairy  wdtb  that  of  the  Poona  Government  Dairy. 
The  Superintendent  of  the  latter  Institution,  Mr. 
James  Molli.^on,  rendered  me  much  help  in  the 
first  stocking  of  onr  dairy,  and  I have  also  taken 
the  Poona  Dairy  ns  my  model  in  many  particulars 
It  is  strange  to  find  how  similar  have  been  the 
experiences  of  the  two  institutions,  as  will  be  seen 
on  perusal  of  the  extracts  from  Mr.  Mollison  s 
last  report  given  below  : — 
The  financial  results  are  shown  in  the  appended 
balance  sheet.  The  profit  for  the  year  isK266-ll- 
6,  as  against  R2, 254- 13-2  last  year.  _ 
The  reason  wdiy  the  margin  of  profit  is  so  small 
is  due  to  a very  serious  outbreak  of  rinderpest 
during  the  year.  If  reference  is  made  to  appendix 
V.,  it  will  be  seen  that  54  cattle  died  during  the 
year  ; of  these,  1 cow  (our  best  Aden)  was  poisoned 
(intentionally  I believe),  1 cow  died  from  in- 
flamnuition  of  the  lungs,  and  a few  calves 
lost,  as  they  ordinarily  wdll  be.  There  were  .->4 
deaths  due  directly  to  rinderpest,  and  some  calves 
w’hicli  recovered  from  disease  died  from  aftci- 
cftects.  They  never  recovered  their  strength 
though  well  cared  for.  The  indirect  loss  due  to 
diminished  milk  ydeld  in  the  healthy  cattle  vas 
probably  moreth.an  that  from  death.  The  di.seasc 
first  broke  out  amongst  iinweaned  calves,  a,nd  tliese 
had  necessarily  to  bo  separated  from  their  dams. 
