592 
Supplement to the "Tropical Agriculturist." [February i, 1890. 
Bombay will soon boast of an Agricultural Farming 
Company to be formed upon the same piiuciple as 
similar institution of the kind in Europe which have 
been so successfully worked. The management will be 
entirely by Europeans, and the Agriculturist will live on 
the spot and personally superintend the Farm. The 
chief object of the company is said to be to acquire 
lands at Loni where it is intended to cultivate and 
farm vegetables, fruit, sugarcane, cereals, &c, to be sold 
in the Bombay markets, and also to deal in cattle, 
poultry, eggs, milk, butter, &c. The project is spoken 
of as one which will supply a long felt want. 
GENEEAL ITEMS. 
The banana, or plantain tree, is said to yield for the 
tame extent of ground a larger supply of food for man 
than any other known vegetable. According to Hum- 
boldt, the same space of 1,000 square yards which will 
yield only 462 lb. of potatoes, or 38 lb. of wheat, will 
produce in a suitable climate 4,000 lb, of bananas, and 
in a shorter period of time. The fruit of an ordinary 
banana tree averages about 85 or 40 lb. in a single 
season, but occasionally about 70 or bO lb. of bananas 
are taken from one tree. The banana fruit when ripe 
consists of about 74 per cent of water, 20 per cent of 
sugar, 2 per cent of gluten or flesh-forming substances, 
and the remaining a per cent of minerial matter, woody 
fibre, and one or two other substances of less signi- 
ficance. 
Says the Indian Agriculturist : — Agriculture is still in 
a very deplorable condition in many parts of Inuia. 
The Indian peasant being unfoitunately compelled by 
necessity to use the droppings of cattle as fuel, and pro- 
hibited by religious scruples from utilizing bone for the 
purpose of manure, is thus deprived of its only available 
sources of fertilization. The natural result is that the 
soil's productive power has been seriously impaired. 
Goat and Sheep breeding is suggested by the Indian 
Agriculturist as a remedy, because of their rich manure. 
Professor M'Oracken of the Royal Agricultural 
College, Cirencester, having accepted an agency under 
Lord Crewe, has resigned his lectureship at the College. 
Prof . McNab, M-D-, Professor of Botany in the Royal 
College ot Science, Ireland, died suddenly in Dublin 
last month. He was formerly Professor of Natural 
History at Cirencester, and is the author of several 
works on Botany, some of which have become standard 
text books. 
Mr. Thomas Jamieson, f.i.c, Fordyce lecturer on 
agriculture in the University of Aberdeen, has been 
created a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by the 
French Government in consideration of meritorious 
work in connection with agricultural research. 
* 
SCHOOL NEWS. 
School reopened on the lEth January. Nine new 
students have been admitted to fill the places of 
those who passed out and left at the end of the last 
session. 
Mr. J. S. de Saram has been gazetted acting Police 
Magistrate of Galle, and Mr. P. S. Rodrigo continues 
to ably fill his place in the School. 
The following is the list of prizemen to whom H. 
E. the Governor distributed prizes at the end of last 
sessions : — 
SENIORS, — Agriculture, T. VV. Gunawardene; Prac- 
tical Agriculture, T. W. Guuawardana ; Chemistry, 
T. W. Guuawardane ; Botnay, T. Guaratce; Veteri- 
nary Scieuoe, V. Kumaravdu ;English, X. Gunaratne j 
Mathematics T. W. Gunawardne ; History and 
Geography, T. Gunaratne. 
Special Phizes, Seniors and Juniors. — Geology, Mr. 
Muttiah's prize (R25), J. Koddippily ; Field Survey- 
ing, Mr. Grenier's Prize, T. W. Gunawardene. Prize 
by Mr. de Soysa for Agricultural Chemistry, T. W. 
Gunawardene. 
Juniors. — Agriculture, J. A. Kodippily ; Chemistry, 
H. D. A. Gunasekra and J. Kodippily; Botany, H. D. 
A. Gunasekere; English, J, Kodippily; Mathematics, 
J. Kodippily ; Historyand Geography, J. Kodippily ; 
Entomology. J. Kodippily ; Geology, A. Drieberg. 
NOTES FROM EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS. 
Mavadi Munmabi, 16th Dec. 1889. 
My experimental station is situated in Manmunai 
Pattu, South- West, about 15 miles from Puliyantivu. 
The adjacent village consists of little over a dozen 
native dwelling-houses, but the extent of paddy land 
this little, village includes amounts to more or less 
a thousand acres. The soil is of a sandy nature, and 
the crop most largely cultivated (as indicated by the 
name of the village) is " Munmari." 
" Kalavellamai " can only be raised on a very few 
low lands where there is a sufficient supply of water ; 
for as there are unfortunately no large tanks in this 
part of the country, capable of irrigating the fields, 
" Kalavellamai " is little raised. 
We have a small tank here wholly dependent on 
rain, and as all the fields are sown with six months' 
paddy called Vellaikaruppon, Kallurndai and Perm 
Vennaiyan, any Water stored in the tank is used, and 
is only sufficient for the growing crop during the 
months of January, February and March. Cbena cul- 
tivation also is carried on by the villagers during the 
months of October and November. 
I have taken up for experimental cultivation about 
30 acres, 26 acres of which are reserved for paddy and 
the rest set apart for cotton, dholl, &c. Cotton seed is 
cow being planted, while the dhoH is going through 
the nursery. 
Owing to the unusual drought which prevailed 
during the last four or five months the paddy plants 
were stunted to some extent, but since the recent 
rains they have made a fresh start and appear much 
healthier, giving promise of a better yield than the 
crops of adjacent lands. During a late visit the Govern- 
ment Agent expressed his satisfaction at the result 
of the work at this station, and pointed out to the 
villagers the superior results of improved methods of 
cultivation. The fact; that cultivators are appreciating 
the work done by the improved plough is evidenced by 
their requesting a loan of these ploughs for use on 
their own lands. This has been granted by the G. A. 
for once with the injunction that after having proved 
the thoroughness of their work for themselves, they 
should purchase implements for their own use. 
B. M. Chinivasagam, 
Agricultural Instructor. 
Kuliapitiya, 6th Dec, 1889. 
I completed ploughing my field with the improved 
plough on the 30th September for the mahe seasons 
and cross-ploughed with the native implement after an 
interval of six weeks. It has since been sown with 
Murunga wee, a paddy of three months' duration. 
The field is unfertile sandy land irrigated by a small 
tank about J of an acre in size. The tank being a 
small one, and as I was pressed for time after my 
arrival, I was only able to prepare about 1 1-5 of an 
acre of paddy land. 
I have laid down 8 plots with onions which are thriv- 
ing well. 
Three varieties of Tomato were planted in September, 
and though a few of the plants were destroyed by bugs 
which bored into the main stem, the crop, which is 
ready for plucking is a promising one, I am at pre- 
sent engaged in felling three acres of jungle land to 
be reserved for cotton, and another half acre of forest 
close to the school for arrowroot. 
The weather continues dry. 
Lawrence Pereea, 
A gricultural Instructor, 
