Sc in itiffic Agrictilhire. 71 



Canada pea, Cuthbert raspberry, gooseberry, currant (White Dutch). orange, 

 quince, cherry, Burbank Japan plum, American linden. American elm, sweet 

 alyssum, mignonette, nasturtium, balsam, pansy, poppy, and sweet pea. The 

 crops were not only greater in many cases, . but they were ready to be marketed 

 much earlier where the soil had been limed. Tobacco not only made a better 

 growth when limed, but the ash was much lighter in colour. 



So far as concerns potatoes, the total crop is frequently not materially 

 increased by liming, but the percentage of tubers of merchantable size is usually 

 increased if the soil is quite acid, thus adding greatly to the total value of the 

 crop. On account of the fact that liming increases the injury caused by potato 

 "scab" care must be taken to treat the "seed" tubers with corrosive sub- 

 limate solution, formalin, or other fungicide* capable of destroying most of the 

 germs of the disease before the tubers are planted. Furthermore, lime should 

 be applied aftei the removal of the potato crop, except in ease of land that 

 has not been previously limed. 



PLANTS BUT LITLE BENEFITED BY LIMING. 



There are many plants winch, when supplied with sufficient potash, 

 phosphoric acid, and nitrogen in immediately assimilable combinations, such as 

 nitrate of soda and nitrate of potash, show but little if any benefit from liming 

 even upon quite acid soils. Among these plants are the following : Indian corn, 

 spurry, rye, carrot, chicory, Rhode Island bent, and redtop. Upon a very acid 

 soil some of these plants might show greater benefit from liming provided 

 the nitrogen were supplied in sulphate of ammonia, blood, tankage, fish, cotton- 

 seed meal, plant roots, or other nitrogenous substances, the decomposition and 

 nitrification of which would be hastened by the presence of lime. 



(To be Continued.) 



The Agricultural Wants of Jaffna. 



By S. Sabaratnam. 



Jaffna is an agricultural country, and the people have a reputation for 

 their industrious and persevering character. This character is clearly seen in their 

 agricultural pursuits, and the knowledge that they possess of the industry com- 

 pares very favourably with that of auy of their neighbours. The people do not 

 of course have any systematic or scientific knowledge of agriculture, but they may 

 be said to possess a good deal of practical knowledge worthy of being learnt by 

 other people of Ceylon. In the selection of soils suited for different products, in 

 the art of improving and manuring them, in the selection of manure for the 

 different varieties, in the knowledge of the seasons best suited to grow the different 

 crops, in the choice of crops to be cultivated in rotation, in the idea of the require- 

 ments of a plant at different stages ; in short, in everything required in the culti- 

 vation of the products that are now grown in Jaffna, the Jaffnese may be said to 

 possess ample knowledge that does great credit to them. 



But it is not to be understood from this that they have nothing more to add 

 to their knowledge, and that the ways and means adopted by them in the matter 

 of agriculture are perfect. They have a good deal more to learn, and they have 

 a great many wants to be supplied. Taking as they do a keen interest in the 

 agricultural industry, the Jaffnese should be more forward than the rest of the 

 Ceylonese in adopting measures that would advance the cause of agriculture. 

 But it is to be regretted that such is not the actual state of things. The Jaffna 



* For method of treatment pes U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui: 91. 



i 



