lo 
Magazine  of  the  School  of  Agriculture. 
Technical  education  is  wanted  to  pave  the  way 
for  the  utilisation  of  numerous  products  which 
are  now  running  to  waste,  not  because  they  have 
no  value,  but  because  they  would  not  pay  the 
heavy  cost  of  transport  to  countries  where  they 
could  be  utilised.  There  are  excellent  tanning 
materials  in  the  shape  of  barks,  woods  and  roots, 
of  which  as  yet  but  little  local  use  has  been  made. 
Dyeing  materials  of  many  kinds  also  exist,  some 
of  which  were  till  lately  exported,  and  even  yet 
orchella  and  sappan  continue  to  be  shipped. 
Paper-making  materials  abound  on  all  hands,  and 
there  are  numerous  fibres  that  need  only  the 
necessary  technical  knowledge  to  turn  them  to 
practical  and  profitable  account.  The  Bull's  eye 
of  science  needs  to  be  turned  upon  the  natural 
resources  of  the  Island,  and  many  of  the  commo- 
dities that  now  figure  among  our  imports  could 
be  supplied  locally,  affording  profitable  employ- 
ment for  the  rising  generation  and  a great 
economy  to  the  consumers. 
For  this  purpose  it  is  that  a local  technical 
institution  has  been  proposed,  and  for  some  time 
past  discussed  publicly  and  in  the  press.  Indeed, 
it  may  be  said  to  have  been  agreed  upon  by  the 
Government,  and  the  present  lecture  is  intended 
as  inaugurating  the  new  establishment.  In  ap- 
proaching this  part  of  my  subject,  however,  I feel 
some  difficulty,  as  I should  not  wish  to  hold  out 
any  prospects  on  this  occasion  which  would  here- 
after be  found  to  run  counter  to  the  intentions  of 
the  Government.  Although  it  is  known  that 
technical  teaching  in  some  form  will  be  commenced 
shortly,  nothing  definite  has  yet  transpired  as  to 
the  course  of  instruction  that  shall  be  given. 
What  is  desired,  however,  is  that  the  rising  genera- 
tion of  educated  youths  should  be  so  furnished 
with  technical  knowledge  as  to  enable  them  to 
utilize  the  materials  at  their  disposal,  and  to  find 
profitable  occupation  in  turning  them  to  useful 
account.  On  one  point,  at  least,  there  is  perfect 
agreement  on  all  sides,  aud  that  is  a recognition 
of  drawing  as  the  basis  from  which  the  whole  must 
commence.  Drawing  may  be  said  to  be  the  lan- 
guage of  science,  and  especially  of  mechanics. 
Let  any  one  endeavour  to  describe  a machine 
verbally,  and  he  will  at  once  recognise  the  im- 
possibility of  giving  any  intelligible  account  of 
it.  Drawing  is  indispensable.  But  mechanical 
drawing  is  a special  art.  Perspective  is  the  soul 
of  pictorial  art,  but  is  entirely  inapplicable  to 
mechanical  drawings,  seeing  that  every  part  of 
them  must  be  subject  to  measurement.  The 
practice  of  mechanicians  is  to  design  their 
machines  on  paper,  on  some  convenient  scale,  by 
means  of  drawings  of  front  and  side  elevations 
and  ground  plans.  The  design  is  thus  studied, 
and  all  the  parts  and  dimensions  approximately 
settled.  When  this  has  been  done,  the  same 
drawings  must  be  repeated  on  full  size,  and  if 
their  dimensions  exceed  the  size  of  the  usual 
blackboards,  resort  must  be  had  to  the  floor. 
Many  a time  have  I had  to  lie  at  full  length 
to  curry  out  work  of  this  description  on  the  floor. 
It  will  also  be  necessary  that  the  student  who 
has  acquired  a competent  knowledge  of  drawing 
should  acquire  the  use  of  drawings  in 
the  workshop.  He  will  also  need  to  learn  the 
principles  of  the  tools  that  are  used  in  mechani- 
cal  work,  and  of  their  construction.  For  this 
purpose  workshops  are  absolutely  necessary,  what- 
ever course  of  instruction  the  Government  may 
determine  upon.  It  has  been  suggested  that 
students  might  learn  the  use  and  construction 
of  tools  by  being  taken  to  factories  where  they 
may  he  seen  at  work ; but  that  is  not  sufficient. 
It  would  be  as  unreasonable  to  expect  to  learn 
human  physiolgy  and  anatomy  by  merely  seeing 
a man  at  work.  Tools  must  be  taken  to  pieces 
and  dissected,  and  the  principles  of  their  con- 
struction cannot  be, otherwise  fully  disclosed  or 
practically  understood.  For  this  purpose  a gallery 
of  illustration  has  always  seemed  to  me  to  be  a 
primary  necessity,  where  steam  engines  and  work- 
ing machines,  such  as  lathes  and  other  tools  could 
be  shown  in  operation,  and  also  be  taken  to  pieces 
and  thoroughly  examined.  There  the  best  models 
of  mechanical  contrivance  should  be  exhibited  to 
show  students  what  has  been  achieved  by  mechani- 
cal means.  The  steam  engine  would  be  there  dis- 
sected and  all  the  parts  and  principles  might  be 
explained.  The  gallery  would  be  furnished  with 
necessarv  appliances  for  illustrating  lectures  to 
be  delivered  by  the  head  of  the  Technical  School, 
and  possibly  also  by  local  experts. 
IXD1AX  JOTTIXGS. 
The  cultivation  of  Indian  Corn  in  Ceylon  in 
a more  extended  scale  has  been  frequently 
advocated,  but  no  great  increase  in  its  culti- 
vation has  resulted.  When  one  sees  the  area  of 
corn-fields  in  some  parts  of  India  and  the 
quantities  exported,  the  neglect  in  our  Island 
to  take  advantage  of  this  easily-grown  product 
is  appreciated. 
I have  watched  with  interest  a plot  of 
Indian  corn  about  four  acres  in  extent  grown 
here.  The  first  seed  was  thrown  in  about 
the  15th  of  May  and  cropping  commences 
early  in  August;  that  means  a period  of  only 
two  and  a half  months. 
The  method  of  planting  differs  a little  from 
our  Ceylon  style  as  well  as  that  which  is  said 
to  obtain  in  the  greatest  corn-growing  districts 
of  the  world,  the  United  States  of  America. 
In  the  first  place  it  should  be  mentioned  that 
the  land  where  the  cultivation  was  carried  on 
is  very  low,  about  three  feet  below  the  sur- 
face of  the  surrounding  ground,  and  its  level 
condition  and  situation  reminds  one  of  a Ceylon 
low-country  paddy-field,  minus  the  ridges. 
March  and  April  and  a greater  part  of  May 
are  dry  months  here,  and  the  soil  had  been 
loosened  and  levelled  in  the  early  part  of 
May.  Before  planting,  the  soil  is  divided  into 
beds  by  means  of  shallow  drains  made  parallel 
to  each  other,  having  still  smaller  ones  crossing 
them. 
In  these  beds  the  seeds  are  planted  in  re- 
gular lines,  a person  with  a mamoty  digging 
holes,  each  about  a foot  apart,  another  throw- 
ing in  a handful  of  manure  (powdered  castor 
cake),  and  the  last  man  placing  four  to  six 
seeds  in  each  of  these  holes,  not  in  the  same 
place  but  a few  inches  apart. 
When  the  plants  grow  up  the  actual  space 
between  them  is  something  less  than  a foot 
between  each  line,  and  a few  inches  between 
