Identity area
Reference code
LK LK-NA LK-NA/53
Title
Department of Agriculture
Date(s)
- 1820-1981 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
Files 1-90, publications 217, manuscripts, typed and printed
Context area
Name of creator
Department of Agriculture
(1820-1981)
Administrative history
Prior to the establishment of the Department of Agriculture, agricultural activities were carried out by the Royal Botanical Gardens which was established in 1822.
In 1899 the governor appointed a commission to report on the advisability of establishing a Department of Agriculture. Report of the Committee was published as Sessional Paper No. 12 of 1900. The other sessional papers on the subject were No. 7 of 1911, 13 of 1913, 23 of 1926 and 10 of 1928.
The Department of Agriculture was established on 20th May 1911 as a separate department at Peradeniya with the following divisions: Botanical Gardens, Experimental Gardens, Laboratory and Scientific. The duty of the director would be to advice the government in matters concerning the improvement of agriculture and extension of cultivation.
The department functioned under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands during 1936-1952, thereafter under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food during 1953-1958 and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land during 1959-1961. Thereafter it was under the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Irrigation and Power during 1962-1963. In the year 1964 it was under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. During 1965-1970 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and during 1971-1978 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. In the year 1979 it was under the Ministry of Agriculture Development and Research.
The following are the functions of the department: agriculture research, agricultural education, agricultural publicity, crop production, processing and certification. Experiments have been conducted on cocoa, rubber, coconut, tea, citronella, green manure, soybean and various other products. The results have been published from time to time as circulars, the administration reports and the magazine Tropical Agriculture.
In 1899 the governor appointed a commission to report on the advisability of establishing a Department of Agriculture. Report of the Committee was published as Sessional Paper No. 12 of 1900. The other sessional papers on the subject were No. 7 of 1911, 13 of 1913, 23 of 1926 and 10 of 1928.
The Department of Agriculture was established on 20th May 1911 as a separate department at Peradeniya with the following divisions: Botanical Gardens, Experimental Gardens, Laboratory and Scientific. The duty of the director would be to advice the government in matters concerning the improvement of agriculture and extension of cultivation.
The department functioned under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands during 1936-1952, thereafter under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food during 1953-1958 and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land during 1959-1961. Thereafter it was under the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Irrigation and Power during 1962-1963. In the year 1964 it was under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. During 1965-1970 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and during 1971-1978 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. In the year 1979 it was under the Ministry of Agriculture Development and Research.
The following are the functions of the department: agriculture research, agricultural education, agricultural publicity, crop production, processing and certification. Experiments have been conducted on cocoa, rubber, coconut, tea, citronella, green manure, soybean and various other products. The results have been published from time to time as circulars, the administration reports and the magazine Tropical Agriculture.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Diaries: diaries of director Royal Botanical Garden (1908-1918)
correspondence with Chief Secretary: Chief Secretary to government veterinary surgeon (1909) corr.re. general orders (1917-1943), correspondence re.matters raised in Legislative Council (1921-1930), letters from Chief Secretary to the supdt.of Royal Botanical Gardens, (1850, 1863, 1879), letters received miscellaneous (1901-1927), outward letter book of director Royal Botanical Gardens (1841-1854, 1863-1971, 1900-1911)
native branch: native rank (1892-1921)
personal: pensions and gratuities (1894-1931)
commissioners: agricultural commission (1899-1900)
reports: report on the growth of tea industry & the general accounts Royal Botanical Gardens (1850, 1909, 1912) report on agriculture on the northern province (1897-1938)
cultivation: corr.re.suger cane cultivation (1848-1925), tobacco cultivation (1910-1911) corr.reg.imperial institute on agriculture and other products (1891-1910), information for the territory of papaw, drying of coconut etc.(1908-1922), corr.between Ceylon agricultural society and the Kandy agricultural society (1904-1909)
land: corr.re.lease of Peradeniya race course land (1883-1920)
building: general correspondence (1884-1925), director’s bungalow (1891-1944), buildings at Hakgala (1888-1939), corr.re.laboratory building R.B.Gardens (1888-1915), buildings at supdt.R.B.Garden (1891-1938) fumigation at Kochchicade (1848-1914)
water supply: water supply at Royal Botanical Gardens (1895-1914), corr.re.water Hyawenth (1907-1926)
royal visits: (1901-1922) peace celebration: 1919-1920) miscellaneous papers on R.B.Gardens, extract of the Kandyan Board of Commissioners (1881, 1899, 1925), publications 1934-1981)
correspondence with Chief Secretary: Chief Secretary to government veterinary surgeon (1909) corr.re. general orders (1917-1943), correspondence re.matters raised in Legislative Council (1921-1930), letters from Chief Secretary to the supdt.of Royal Botanical Gardens, (1850, 1863, 1879), letters received miscellaneous (1901-1927), outward letter book of director Royal Botanical Gardens (1841-1854, 1863-1971, 1900-1911)
native branch: native rank (1892-1921)
personal: pensions and gratuities (1894-1931)
commissioners: agricultural commission (1899-1900)
reports: report on the growth of tea industry & the general accounts Royal Botanical Gardens (1850, 1909, 1912) report on agriculture on the northern province (1897-1938)
cultivation: corr.re.suger cane cultivation (1848-1925), tobacco cultivation (1910-1911) corr.reg.imperial institute on agriculture and other products (1891-1910), information for the territory of papaw, drying of coconut etc.(1908-1922), corr.between Ceylon agricultural society and the Kandy agricultural society (1904-1909)
land: corr.re.lease of Peradeniya race course land (1883-1920)
building: general correspondence (1884-1925), director’s bungalow (1891-1944), buildings at Hakgala (1888-1939), corr.re.laboratory building R.B.Gardens (1888-1915), buildings at supdt.R.B.Garden (1891-1938) fumigation at Kochchicade (1848-1914)
water supply: water supply at Royal Botanical Gardens (1895-1914), corr.re.water Hyawenth (1907-1926)
royal visits: (1901-1922) peace celebration: 1919-1920) miscellaneous papers on R.B.Gardens, extract of the Kandyan Board of Commissioners (1881, 1899, 1925), publications 1934-1981)
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
- English
- Sinhala
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Department of Agriculture (Creator)
Description control area
Description identifier
LK-NA/53
Institution identifier
LK-NA
Rules and/or conventions used
ISAD(G)
Status
Final
Level of detail
Minimal
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
- Latin
Sources
International Council on Archives Guide to the Sources of Asia History Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka II (Vol 1), National Archives of Sri Lanka, 1996