November i, 1889.] Supptement to iU "Tropical Agriculturist." 
373 
of the land. This man was importunate in asking me 
to permit him to have the garden fence covered with 
olas, at least that part exposed to the human eye. At 
length I allowed it, more for the sake of satisfying him 
and keeping up his ardour and interest than for any 
other reason. "When, however, the plants grew up and 
began to bear, I noticed that they were much safer 
thus covered round, than they would otherwise have 
been. The crops lay snug and secure unobserved by 
the evil-eyed, light-fingered gentry. It was hidden 
from the view of the four-footed rogues into the bar- 
gain, who otherwise would butt against the naked 
fence and try its strength when the growing crops 
tempted and attracted them with the prospect of some- 
thing rich to feed upon. And I should think that the 
covering more or less, served as a screen from blighting 
winds and vermin and insects. What an amount of 
wisdom is thus wrapped up in this now superstitious 
praotice, and how simple and effectual does it seem when 
it is all ascribed to the mysterious aswaha (blight or 
poison by the eye) ! 
We thus see that such practices were originally not 
superstitions but devices with some secret purpose in 
view, and that in process of time they assumed the 
superstitious character. 
Take again the customs observed on the threshing- 
floor. What is their ultimate motive but to admit 
only a select number of honest good workmen and to 
prevent any chance of the corn being stolen ? 
The theory about the lucky hours seems to have been 
at first intended to enforce punctuality and prevent 
delay in beginning the different operations in so far as 
the farm-laborers, co-helpers, &c, were concerned. 
There are other practices in which the motive is 
not quite clear. Yet they display good sense and 
reason when divested of the superstitious garb. For 
instance, in the Wanni, the threshing out of paddy is 
delayed for about three months after reaping, the 
sheaves being in stack all the time. When asked the 
reason 'why,' the superstitious farmers say that they 
have to wait till the lapse of a certain festival which 
is celebrated in honour of a demon, and that other- 
wise the demon would reduce the quantity of grain by 
some mysterious means. But the desirability of the 
delay is apparent when the fact is noticed that the 
corn improves in quality when allowed to remain in 
the stack for a considerable time, by undergoing a 
certain change which is called " ripening in the stack." 
(Vide Tanner's Science of Agricultural Practice, pp 
262 and 263.) 
Again the belief that certain men's hands have a 
peculiar mysterious virtue iu sowing, planting, &c, was 
intended as a sort of encouragement or flattery to cheer 
up expert farm laborers who were successful in their 
work, evidently because they did it well and were 
practised in it, and not on account of any special 
merit in them or their hands. 
So it is clear that the origin of these superstitions 
show much wisdom. But what is to be deplored is 
the degeneration that these notions and practices have 
undergone. They have deteriorated to such a vile 
extent, that the notions are strained to the extreme 
and the original motives are lost sight of. The prac- 
tices are observed indiscriminately without regard to 
time, place or other circumstances, and have thus 
assumed the gross superstitious character which 
characterize them now among the rustics of our land. 
And such degeneration of the ancient devices is now 
proving the bane of the native farmers. It has made 
their thinking powers dormant. Superstition nar- 
rows their minds and blinds their reason. They will 
persi-t in old notions and customs no matter whether 
they ,-ee their meanings or not ; and spurn or dread 
any new practice. " Conservatism at any cost " seems 
their watchword. 
There comes a good Btrangor who desires to have a 
look at gamarala's gardtn and is able and willing to give 
some useful informal ion about growing the crops. But 
yamarala's belief in aswaha forms a bar against the 
admittance of well-meaning visitor to the garden. 
Some improvement is suggi sted ; but no, yamarala 
does not care for it. It is against ancestral custom. 
The superstitious mind is blindly conservative and does 
not, and will not see any good in new methods and 
proposed improvements or reforms. 
I apprehend that the resistance offered to the use of 
the Improved Ploughs is very much attributable to the 
evil effects directly or indirectly caused by superstition 
on the rural mind. 
Superstitions then are no small impediments to the 
success of the young Agriculturists whom our Alma 
Mater has sent abroad to different parts of the Island 
to improve native agriculture. In my furture instal- 
ments, I shall therefore, endeavour, to offer some words 
of advice to them as to how their work is to be pushed 
on in spite of such hindrances, and in what directions 
reforms are desirable. 
Haputale, 16th October 1889. 
» -T- 
INDIGENOUS FOOD PKODUCTS: 
CULTIVATED AND WILD. 
CAPPABIDAOEiE. 
3. — Gynandropsis Pentaphylla. D. C. — This is a herb 
growing in uncultivated places and also as a weed in 
gardens. It is known as Waila among the Sinhalese. 
It is an erect hairy annual and not very common, 
though it grows in uncultivated places. A peculiar 
pungent smell is found in the leaves, and a slight 
gummy secretion having the above characteristic smell 
is observed on the green surface of the leaves and 
the stem. The leaves are alternately situated, and 
divided into five partitions. The flower bunch 
consisting of small white flowers is a terminal 
raceme. The general colour of the flowers is milky 
white, and occasionally we have plauts with a slightly 
pink-coloured flower. Another peculiarity iu the flower 
is that the ovary is possessed of a stalk known as 
the gynaphore. This plant bears pods and seeds 
resembling the mustard. 
The plant is not of much importance as a food 
product, neither is it generally used ; but my endeavour 
in these papers is to bring together as much as 
possible such species of plants which are more or 
less used as articles of food, and indicate the part 
or parts thus used. 
In this plant the leaves ar6 used for food. The leaves 
made into an ordinary curry form a good dish, 
having the characteristics of some of the cabbage 
tribe, but the pungent taste though not strong is 
very marked. It is also used fried in oil. Iu 
both these forms it possesses some important medicinal 
qualities. It is said that leaves of this used in food 
serve as an " excellent antiscorbutic and also an 
agreeable and invaluable medicine to seamen," pos- 
sessing the qualities of Cochlearia and Lepidum of 
the European countries. 
The seeds of this plant are similar to those of 
the mustard and possess an acrid oil wbich could 
easily be expressed. The plant is repute' i to possess 
a gooil many medicinal properties and is a favourite 
one amongst native me lical practitioners. It is used in 
cases of cobra bite and as a remedy in convulsions and 
Typhus fever. The several parts of the plant are 
used iu cases of intestinal worms and in earache, 
headache and toothache frequently with success. 
Bixineje. 
The indigenous plauts of this natural order are 
few, and still fewer are any which are eatable. The 
two plants which I am going to describe below, are 
not much used as food, but still as the berries 
of both are eaten, I shall describe thern here as wild 
products. 
4 — Phqberos i^aertneri, Thw., or Sclopia Gaertneri, 
Mo n — This is a plant growing wild and common in the 
warmer parts o f the island. It is known as Katu- 
7cwhin$bj among the Sinhalese The plants are 
covered thickly with large-pointed spines which make 
theai an effective barrier against the ravages of animals 
when used as fence sticks. The frnit is pulpy, ami 
when ripe is of a dark red colour. It has a sweetish- 
sour taste, and is commonly eaten. The roots of 
this plant are said to possess medicinal properties' 
and are used extrernally in skin diseases. 
