May i, 1890.] Supplement to the ''Tropical Agriculturist." 
109 
the tendril is young it moves round as it were in 
search of a support ; but whenever its under-side comes 
in contact with a solid body, an expulsion of water 
from the cells of the irritated side occurs, and a con- 
traction of the cell-wall follows, which causes the 
tendril to curve round the support which has stimul- 
ated it : as a result of this curvature a new part of 
the under-side is brought into contact with the support. 
Expulsion of water and contraction of cell-wall follows 
and results in a continuation of the curvature which 
thus goes on 8B long as the tendril grows in length. 
The periodic movements of leaves are due to unequal 
growth caused by diminution or increase of light and 
temperature. Such movements are illustrated by the 
opening during day and closing at night of many 
flowers, and the expanding and drooping of leaves, and 
are caused by unequal growth of the upper and under 
s urfaces. Floral leaves open by epinasty, that is by 
the more rapid growth of the upper or inner surfaces, 
and c'osc at night by hyponasty, that is by the more 
rapid growth of their lower or outer sides. Exposure 
to light renders the petals epinastic, to darkness 
hyponastic. Sometimes the reverse is the case, and then 
he flowers close by day and open bv night. 
t 
The cabbage produces flowers epinastic by day and 
hyponaetic by night. 
Examples of flowers which are hyponastic by da^ 
and epinastic by night are the convolvulus and balsam 
Besides the movements of plants due to the pheno- 
mena of growth, there are other movements — some- 
times called movements of variation — exhibited by 
mature leaves, or portions of mature modified leaves 
These movements are due to stim lation, and when the 
sensitive organ is irritated, an expulsion of water 
from the cell-cavities of one side of the organ into 
the intercellular spaces occurs; the result is a con. 
traction of the cell-walls of the irritated portion 
But these movements in mature organs may also be 
spontaneous. 
In the following plants the movements are due to 
irritation : — The sensitive' plants (Mimosa pudica) which 
brings its oppo>ite leaves together. Sundew (Drosera) 
exhibit these movements in its tentacles or modified 
eaves. 
Spontaneous movements in plants are such as ar g 
not due to external irritation. The lateral leaflet 
o f Desmodium (Hedysarium gyrans) commonly called 
the telegraph plant, belonging to the order Legumin 
08se, show a constant slow motion both in darknesg 
and light. This is an East Indian plant which grows 
freely in Ceylon. These spontaneous movements are 
due to rep'd charges in the state of lurgidity 0 f 
he colls. 
NOTES FROM A TRAVELLER'S DIARY. 
Th.^ cu'tieation of the cotton plant bus not yet of 
widely spread in places where it ought to, and the 
existence of a ready market in thu island now for it a 
lint does not seem to be generally known to the poorer 
classes of agriculturists in the interior parts of the 
island. The interviews 1 had with these classes of 
natives during my travels, bore evidence to this fact. 
Provision has been made, I believe, for buying up 
cotton grown by the villagers, through local agents; 
but I am afraid that it will not be an easy matter 
to induce these interior people to take up the culti- 
vation of the plant unless "the Moorman" comes to 
our aid. It is generally known that the Moorish traders 
are most industrious, and they go far into the interior 
villages in search of native products, such as arecanut, 
pepper, &c, and give in exchange clothes, curry stuffs- 
&c, which the villagers are greatly in need of. These 
traders often pay money for these products. The 
Moormen must be encouraged to hunt for cotton also 
and I am sure they will not fail to find a few pounds 
of cotton lint in almost eveiy house in the interior. 
Much of the la id in the Seven Korales in the North- 
Western Province appear to be wtll adapted for cotton 
cjliivition, At a place cUl d Munemile, which is about 
14 miles distant from Kurunegala, I saw soma beauti= 
ful specimens of kidney cotton plants growing almost 
wild. The plants were ioaded with blossoms and gave 
promise of a good crop. 
Balala, which is about 32 miles distant from Kuru- 
negala, seems to have once been a centre of the cotton 
industry. Cotton of the Tiunevelly variety is grown 
here iu chenas, and it is spun and woven into cloth 
in native looms. A man at this place had several 
bags of the lint which he was keeping for spinning 
and weaving into cloth. The fact of his pos-essing 
so much cotton is not known to many, as he keeps 
it a secret. 
Much is being done for the spread of cotton culti- 
vation through the village schoolmaster. Theoretical 
agriculture is now taught in every Govternment Boys' 
school, and much valuable information published in the 
local Agricultural Magazine is also imparted to these 
boys. I was greatly pleased to find that several intelli- 
gent schoolmasters have attached small experimental 
gardens to their schools with a view to giving the 
boys lessons in practical agriculture. Cotton, Dhall, 
&c. are cultivated in these gardens. Education of this 
nature cannot but be of much use to the boys and of 
great benefit to the general community. 
Many people say that the schools of agriculture 
and the schools for training teachers should go to- 
gether. This, I think, is a very good idea, for then 
every trained teacher would be a scientific agricul- 
turist as well. It is very important that every school- 
master should have an elementary knowledge of Agri- 
culture in all its branches, without which I fail to 
see how he can satisfactorily teach agriculture to his 
boys. 
Iu Upper Hewaheta, I watched with interest some 
I native looms at work. The cloth woven in those loom 
