THE MAGAZINE 
'I 
OF 
TI)G mWOL OF AGKKJULTUKG, 
COl-OMBO. 
^(^rfetZ as a Supplement monthly to the " TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST.'* 
The following pages include the contents of the Magazine of the School of 
Agriculture for October : — 
Vol. v.] OCTOBER, 1893. [No. 4. 
MEANS OF IMPROVING NATIVE 
AGRICULTURE. 
N another column we publish a 
report sent in by Mr. Samara- 
nayake, Agricultural Instructor, 
on a ploughing demonstration at 
Dedi. nmuwe near Hanwella. The 
fact of a native cultivator voluntarily apply- 
ing for the services of an instructor, and 
expressing his anxiety to see something of 
the so-called new systen of cultivation by the im- 
proved plough, is a significant one. The village 
which was the scene of the demonstration is situ- 
ated some 18 miles from Colombo, and it may be 
mentioned that the owner of the field which was 
ploughed offered to pay all the expense involved 
in the transport of implements, buffaloes and 
operatives, and the upkeep of the two latter while 
at work. We have never advocated the system of 
forcing the " Cingalee plough," which was speci- 
ally designed by Howard and Sons for Ceylon, on 
any and every description of land in the Island. 
There are numerous types of ploughs which have 
been designed for different soils and conditions of 
culture, and it would be absurd to try to argue that 
Howard's "Cingalee Plough" can totally replace 
the primitive "Cultivator" of the goyiya: but at 
the snnio lime we do maintain that there is nearly 
iu every case in native agriculture the opportun- 
ity of conveniently and satisfactorily improving 
tha soil by the use of a more effective implement 
than the so-culled native plough. Wheie the 
" improved " implement comes in is in replacing 
the slow and tedious though efiBcient work of the 
" niamotie " (the digger or "earth-chisel") and 
curtailing tha monotonoui repetition which of 
necessity occurs in the use of the native one- 
tined cultivator. The turning up of the soil 
in paddy land at such times when it is free 
from water, and under circumstances when no 
objectionable subsoil is worked up, is a most 
desirable operation. And even where it is not 
advisable to turn over, a more effective stirrer or 
subsoil plough is surely to be preferred to the 
impotent native implement, when the latter is not 
being used for mud stirring. Some two years ago 
an Agricultural Show was held at a village called 
Dalugama, under the auspices of the local Grama- 
ralcsha Samaffmna, where an improved plough of 
native make was exhihitpd. and elicited much 
curiosity and interest, 'llie implement was sub- 
sequently sent to the School of Agriculture 
through the kindness of the Committee of Manage- 
ment. The special qualities of this " Dalugama 
Plough " are that it is light and simple in make. 
The native workman who made it evidently in- 
tended to strike a medium between the (perhaps 
loo highly) improved "Cingalee Plough" of 
Howard and (he real Sinhalese implement, and he 
has succeeded well. The "Dalugama Plough" 
which has been used for a considerable time at 
the School has proved to be well suited to the 
needs of the native cultivator. As applications 
have been made for the purchase of the imple- 
ment, we have already addressed the Secretary 
of tlie Graniarahsha Satnagcma, at Kelaniya, en- 
quiring whether the maker of the exhibit at the 
late Show could turn out a few ploughs for us, 
and at what price. We remember being told at 
the time of the Show that the implement cost a 
very moderate eum. 
Another thought that has been suggested by 
the recent ploughing demonstration i's. tliat iu 
addition to tlie urgent necessity there is for pro- 
viding v.n itinerating inspector for Agricultural 
Instructors, tliere is aleo the need for providing 
means by whicli an instructor, with (if necessarj') 
