and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— November, 1911, 477 



[INTENSIVE CULTIVATION IN JAPAN. 



Negombo, Nov. 4th. 

 Sm,— I have read two or three letters in your 

 paper re intensive cultivation, but in an arti- 

 cle headed " Agriculture in Japan " and in 

 para 3 line 7 it speaks of intensive cultivation. 

 I don't think that intensive cultivation is there 

 used to mean as cultivation under glass, so 1 

 shall thank you or your numerous readers to en- 

 lighten me what is meant by intensive cultiva- 

 tion there. 



Can you please inform me where I can get a 

 copy of the Report of Agricultural Department 

 of Japan ? — Yours truly 



S.W.A.N. 



[The term intensive cultivation as applied to 

 agriculture (and as opposed to extensive culti- 

 vation) is the raising of crops on comparatively 

 limited areas of land which is given the most 

 liberal treatment, as regards tillage and manur- 

 ing, so that the soil is made to return maxi- 

 mum yields. 



The work on The Agriculture of Japan was 

 issued by the Bureau Agriculture, Tokyo.] 



INTENSIVE HORTICULTURE. 



November 1st. 



Sib, — With reference to the letter by "Eco- 

 nomical Householder " in your last issue 

 the term " intensive horticulture,'' or "French 

 Gardening," as it is also called, can hardly 

 be applied in the tropics. It was a good 

 deal talked of in England some two or three 

 years ago, chiefly through the efforts of the 

 Daily Mail. Its interpretation refers not so 

 much to magnified crops from a given area 

 or to their improved quality, as to the securing 

 of crops of both fruit and vegetables as early 

 as possible in their respective seasons, or even 

 out of their normal season. Thus strawberries 

 produced at Christmas may fetch from 5s to 8s 

 per lb. or more, and new potatoes or peas in 

 March will command almost any price. In 

 France, cloches (large invented earthenware 

 vases) are extensively employed for forcing 

 vegetables, for which there is always a large 

 demand. While this, however, is a profitable 

 business in France, it is not so in England, ex- 

 cept on a limited scale. In the former country 

 the consumption of vegetables for salads, &c, 

 is enormously greater in proportion to the 

 population than in the British isles ; labour 

 also is cheaper, and transport less costly than 

 in England. 



Obviously, therefore, the conditions for '* in- 

 tensive horticulture " do not at present exist 

 in Ceylon. It is possible, however, that one 

 might secure certain crops here out of their 

 normal season by means of an extensive re- 

 frigerator ; but while the average native pro- 

 cures his supply of herbs or salad material 

 from the nearest jungle or marshes, without 

 money or price, it is doubtful whether such a 

 venture would pay. — Yours faithfully, 



SYMPATHISER. 



PATENT FLEXIBLE HARROW. 



Wauwe, Beliatte, Oct. 27. 

 Sir,— I have used the patent flexible harrow 

 of Messrs. Hunter & Co., Colombo, for pre- 

 paring the soil of ploughed land for sowing 

 paddy, and I find that it answers the purpose 

 very well. Three acres of ploughed land can be 

 prepared for sowing in a clay by a pair of buf- 

 faloes, work being generally done by eight pairs. 

 The field, further, is thoroughly levelled by the 

 process and requires no weeding. This imple- 

 ment will prove beneficial to rice cultivators in 

 saving time and expense with good results. — 

 Yours faithfully, 



J. B. RATNAYAKL. 



Beliatte, Nov. 8th. 

 Sir,— Re my article dated 27th ultimo on 

 the above named imploment, I beg to state 

 that I have received several letters asking for 

 further particulars of it, and I shall thank you 

 to give insertion to this in an early issue of your 

 widely read paper, • 



I may add that this implement was recom- 

 mended to me by the Secretary of the Agricul- 

 tural Society on my enquiring of him whether 

 he knew of any implement that would level and 

 clear off the grass on the surface of ploughed 

 land. He would, I dare say, be able to give 

 better particulars on the subject than I. 



The Harrow consists of twenty one triangular 

 links of round wrought steel with teeth bent 

 downward horizontally and adjusted in a 

 triangular form in sections. The Barrow could 

 be adjusted by the removal of a whole row of 

 links or two so as to reduce the size to suit the 

 cattle being used. 



In its full size it is rather heavy for a pair 

 of buffaloes. By the removal of the last row of 

 links, I worked it with a pair of buffaloes, and 

 three acres of land were harrowed in a day. 

 Reducing the size yet more I have even used a 

 pair of country bulls in it. The grass is rooted 

 out,and the ground is thoroughly levelled which 

 is not otherwise the case with the usual local 

 processes. 



It besides answers very well for the second 

 ploughing. 



Two men should be employed in its working 

 — one for driving the pair of animals, and one 

 for removing the accumulations by raising it 

 side-wise and also for guiding it over ridges. 

 By the employing of a third man this last 

 could be more effectually and easily done. A 

 support should also be used to press it down 

 at times when the rows of links protrude 

 upwards. 



The results are admirable and very satis- 

 factory, for I find that the paddy plants in a 

 harrowed area look very verdant and fresh. 

 The soil is evenly levelled and broken up 

 and the removal of weeds greatly facilitated 

 by this Harrow. 



This implement could be used on soft' as 

 well as on hard land.— I am, Yours faithfully, 



J. B. RATNAYAKE, 



