THE 



TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF THE 



CEYLON AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Vol. XXXIII, COLOMBO, OCTOBBE 15th, 1909. No. 4<. 



THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, 

 COIMBATORE. 



Although the work of the abovenamed 

 College has been in progress for more 

 than a year, the formal opening cere- 

 mony only took place on the 14th of 

 July last. A full account of the pro- 

 ceedings on this occasion will be found 

 on another page, together with a descrip- 

 tion of the buildings and of the origin 

 of the institution itself — both taken 

 from the "Indian Patriot" for July 

 15th, 1909, We have already reprinted 

 in the Tropical Agriculturist for June 

 an article from the Madras Agricultural 

 Calendar for 1909, in which the objects 

 and work of the College are dealt with 

 by the Principal, Mr. C. J. W. Shep- 

 person. 



Prom the accounts received it is 

 evident that the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment of Madras proposes to deal with 

 the problem of disseminating agricul- 

 tural knowledge on a liberal and suffi- 

 cient scale. For this purpose a farm of 

 450 acres in extent is attached to the 

 block of buildings said to have cost 

 eight lakhs of rupees. Additions are 

 being made to the staff of experts, and 

 a suitable curriculum has been drawn 

 up. Similar developments are taking 

 place in other parts of India, and it is 

 evident that Ceylon— which showed the 

 way to India in the matter of plant 



sanitation and insurance against disease — 

 is being temporarily left behind so far 

 as Agricultural education is concerned. 



The course of training for the Agri- 

 cultural Diploma at Coimbatore Col- 

 lege is to extend over three years, and 

 in every subject theoretical and practi- 

 cal training are combined. The first 

 year's courses are mainly confined to 

 an elementary study of the different 

 pure sciences upon which modern agri- 

 culture is based, whilst in the second 

 aud third years, practical and theoreti- 

 cal agriculture, entomology, agricultural 

 engineering, veterinary science and 

 other subjects of practical utility are 

 to be taken up. 



The Coimbatore Agricultural College 

 may thus shortly be expected to turn 

 out twenty students annually, duly 

 trained in all that appertains to modern 

 scientific agriculture as applied to the 

 products of Southern India. Some of 

 the diplomatists will doubtless come to 

 occupy inspectorships and other posts 

 comprised within the general scheme of 

 Government supervision, whilst others 

 may employ the information they have 

 acquired in farming on their own ac- 

 count. It cannot be doubted that the 

 knowledge thus disseminated will have 

 an important influense in promoting the 

 prosperity of a purely agricultural com- 

 munity. 



The Institute provides, however, not 

 only for education, but also for research. 



