Oct, 2j 1893.] Suppie^neni to the ^^Tro2)icat AgricuUiXrist'^ 
283 
W. A. D. S. •writes from Bombay : — Under the 
Civil Veterinfery Department of India experiments 
are being carried on to show the superiority of the 
Iiorse in agriculture over cattle, and a course of 
lectures, with suitable demonstrations were made 
a few weeks ago at one of their breeding farms, 
13abugar, in the North-Western Province. From 
an account of the operations described in a paper 
read before the Bombay Veterinary Association 
at its last meeting, by an officer who was delegated 
to attend the lectures, it appears that the work is 
carried out systematically, and all operations in 
the farm of about a thousand acres are done by 
horse-power. The work mainly consists of plough- 
ing and the raising of water for irrigating the 
fodder crop.s. The promoters of the scheme are 
said to be convinced of the feasibility of replacing 
the bullock in India by the horse for agricultural 
purposes. JSo doubt the horse would do better 
work, and with the use of that animal there will 
be a possibility of more readily improving the 
methods of tillage &c. now in vogue. But the 
question is whether the ordinary ryot will be 
able to purchase, or to maintain hors«s for his 
farm work, when he finds it difficult to mnintnin 
himself or to keep the enduring bullock wliu does 
not entail on him much care or expenditure. 
Besides, what is he to do with all the cattle he 
possesses now ? Perhaps he will be required to 
sell them to the butcher or continue to breed 
them for beef. It will, however, take a long time 
to convert the Hindu to the idea of meat-eating or 
cow-killing, and the scheme on the whole would 
seem to have been undertaken without taking 
into the least consideration the conditions of the 
country or its people. These attempts at innova- 
tion are no doubt undertaken with good inten- 
tions, to better the condition of the ryot and to 
confer on him a boon, but they appear on the 
other hand to stand in the way of possible and 
more desirable improvements. 
♦ 
A PLOUGHING DEMO^'STRATION. 
At the request of the Police Vidana of Dedi- 
gomuwe in Hewagam Korale, two students and 
myself were ordered to go with two iron ploughs 
and the pair of buffaloes belonging to the School 
of Agriculture to plough a field there. We started 
on the Ilth September at 2 p.m. On our way 
thither many enquires were made as to the object 
of our jonrney and the information was given. A 
number of persons expressed their anxiety to see 
out process of ploughing. We reached our 
destination about 10 p.m., and were kindly received 
by the village headman, Don Saranaris. On the 
following morning we were taken to the field 
about two acres in extent, and found there a 
gathering of nearly two hundred people who had 
come to witness the ploughing. 
We noticed that tlie soil was of good quality 
and free from much grass, but it had become 
liard and cracked by the drought that prevailed, 
so we found it rather difficult to plough. We 
nevertheless managed to plougli over an acre 
during the two days we were there, and both the 
headman and tlie spectators expressed themselves 
as agrceubly surprised at the •work done by our 
ploughs. 
The soil of this field and others in this locality 
is a clay loam but stiff and difficult to work. 
AVe noticed that several pieces of land had been 
ploughed with the ordinary native ploughs to no 
good purpose, as the furrows were little more than 
an inch deep. 
We took advantage of the number of people 
present to explain the benefits of thorough plough- 
ing and turning over of the soil in land of that 
description. 
Some of the people to whom we spoke inquired 
about the price of the ploughs ; and the headman, 
at whose instance we were sent on this occasion, 
handed me a letter addressed to the Superinten- 
dent of the School of Agriculture applying for 
an implement. I hope that one may be secured 
soon, so that it may reach the village while our 
recent Tisit is yet fresh in the memory^ of the 
villagers. 
At the earnest request of Don Saranaris I left 
the two buffaloes and the ploughs in his charge 
for a few days, in order that he may complete 
his ploughing, and started back to our school on 
the 14th instant. 
PETEK SAMARANAYAKA, 
Agricultural Instructor, 
18th September, 1893. 
JOTTINGS FROM A TRAVELLER'S DIARY. 
ON thk Ccltitation of Gingelly in the 
Anubadhapuea Distbict. 
Gingelly is one of the most important cheua 
products in this district. Its cultivation is 
systematically can-ied on in two ways, viz., either 
as a separate crop in a clieua cleared exclusively 
for the purpose ; or as a second crop after the 
kurakkan has been gathered in. The first method 
is called yalkanne, and the second is called mai- 
kamie, signifying respectively the yala season and 
the maha season during which the chenas are 
cleared. 
As regards the first method : A suitable piece of 
land is selected and the jungle is cut down about 
the beginning of February and burnt and cleared 
about the end of March. The seeds are sown about 
the beginning of April. Mamoties are sometimes 
used whilst sowing the seeds in order to scrape the 
ground and to pick up the partially burnt twigs 
&c. that may be found scattered about the land. 
By this process the seeds are sown evenly and 
the plants grow well ; but as this method requires 
much labour and time, the seeds are often simply 
scattered about and tlie partially burnt twigs 
are picked up and tlirowu away wheu the rains 
.set in. 
As regards the second method: the chenas for the 
cultivation of kurakkuu are cleared in August 
and the seeds sown in September. The kurakkan 
crop is usually gathered in November, but as 
other products such as chillies, melons green 
gram \c. are also sown with it, the chenas are 
carefully fenced and guarded until about the 
month of March or April. In sucli chenas, with 
all the stubble of kurakkan still remaining, the 
giugelly seeds are sown in the month of Apili 
