436 
Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist:' [Dec. 1, 1893. 
In conclusion, Mr. Elliott apologised for the 
length of his remarks, but he liad thought they 
would be of interest to the students and their 
friends and others interested in native agricul- 
ture, and would furnish them with information 
not generally available for justifying the atten- 
tion and time devoted to what must always 
remain the chief food supply of the people. 
The Rev. A. Paton who was the next speaker, 
Siaid he trusted that he was discharging his 
sacred duties here, but outside of these he was 
trying to find an interest in all the life and 
natural products of this lovely Island, and he 
could conceive of no sphere for thoughtful and 
practical minds more full of interest and general 
public benefit than that of practical agriculture, 
in relation to the sciences. In thinking of Agri- 
culture here we were not to think merely or 
ihainly of the ordinary farm products of the 
old country, but under this we were to think 
of nearly all the products of the soil in this 
luxuriant climate and what a field wag thus 
opened up. In their agricultural products most 
countries found their wealth, and this was 
essentially so in regard to Ceylon. Trojiical 
agricultural products must be her strength. And 
everything that would contribute to the greater 
quantity and better quality of them was so 
much gain to the individual and general welfai'e 
of the community. Now very many of the 
sciences could lend their aid here. Chemistry, 
Botany, Geology, Zoology were all helping hand- 
maids in this mighty industry. In the old land 
practical agriculturists had a somewliat poor 
opinion of mere theoretical farmers; and practical 
knowledge was an absolute essential. Don't let 
students here imagine that with a mere smatter- 
ing of these sciences they are equipped ; but 
with practical knowledge the intelligent mind 
that knew the laws and the general principles 
of these sciences as they bore upon i^roctical 
agriculture was much better fitted to improve 
and develope the products of the soil and adapt 
them to its varying character. There was a 
curious tendency in agriculture to be conservative, 
and slow to adopt new systems. It is specially 
so with Eastern nations. Competition and the 
very struggle for existence had forced agriculture 
to advance with leaps and bounds in the old 
home lands, and but for machinery, and improved 
culture and selection in herds and flocks, farming 
there would practically be driven out of existence. 
And no one could be in this land as he had 
been with open eyes, without realizing that 
something, that very much could be done and 
must be done in time of an improved nature 
in this industry. This was not, of course, to 
be done by merely importing our Western modes 
and conceptions, but by the application of rational 
scientific principles to the growth and culture 
of the narural products, the introduction and 
judicious fostering of new products suited to 
the island, and the improvement of native breeds 
or the prudeat selection of ther breeds of live 
stock. In all these departments there was room 
for wise men doing great service. He could not 
lielp admiring the wonderful way in which our 
industrious and thoughtful planting community 
had in such a short time adapted new growths 
as dire necessity demanded and done wonders 
in improving the culture. Yet even the most 
thoughtful of them admitted that scientific 
knowledge might be more and more demanded 
if their growth* and quality were to be Jong 
maintained on the f^ame soils. Something might 
thus have yet to be learned by all of us by 
the aid of science combined with praeticsl 
experiment. Again, although the natural products 
of the island were the wonder and the charm 
of all who visited it, yet it was fully conc«?ded 
that much might be accomplished from the 
commercial value point of view, by the more 
carefully selected seeds tliat were sown, and 
the more improved varieties of young plants 
that were grown. All this was the outcome of 
knowledge which was science. In many instances 
also something might be accf)mplished* by a more 
varied rotation of cropping than was practised, 
for science told us that diflFerent crops extracted 
different elements from the soil, and where one 
would fail another would succeed. >'o one could 
observe without positive pain, the want of care 
and selection of the cattle in Coloml>o ; it was 
little else than a public crime to seu mongrel 
herds allowed to mix and reproduce weeds and 
rags, just as they chanced to mate, when the 
least care in the selection of tlie breeding stock 
might at least perpetuate and improve such 
good qualities as they po8*essed. Even although 
we might not import and cross, which might 
be a doubtful experiment, a little scientific 
knowledge of the laws of breeding and propagat- 
ing miglit make the native breed of a much 
higher and better general qualify to the benefit 
of the countrs'. As to u)Utton he had to coutess 
that he scarcely yet could distinguish between 
the goat and the sheep: and although we could 
not expect to find here the Leicester or the 
South-down, yet a little scientific breeding might 
enable us without much effort to decide whether 
it were lamb or kid that was being served on 
the table, and without ayning at a reproduction 
of the Berkshire pig, we might get something 
better than the degenerate specimens of their 
wild ancestors of the forest. It might indeed 
with some justice be urged that flesh food might 
not be so much required in this warm clime, 
but milk was of the very essence of necessity, 
and this he believed to be one of the most 
clamant wants in Colombo, and in their dairy 
they were doing one of the highest services to 
the community; and he rather thought one of 
the greatest pecuniary- benefits to themselves. 
With milk at 3s. a gallon and butter at 2s. 6d. 
or 3s. a lb. the wonder to him was that it 
had been left to the Government to institute 
such a dairj-, and that private enterprise had 
not taken it up. When he went home to Scotland 
and told some of his folks of this, they would 
think little of their Is. a lb. for butter and their 
lOd. a gallon for milk, and there might be a rush of 
dairy-men to Colombo. There was great room here 
for scientific selection and propagation of the best 
class of milk producers. To the students he said, 
that when they left the school let them not 
think that their Agricultural education was 
complete. It was only begun, so let them walk 
humbly, observe minutely, experiment cautiously, 
and when they were old men they would only 
then feel how little even they know of the 
great principles of scientific and practical 
Agriculture. He knew no land that gave such 
