80 
Magazine  of  the  School  of  Agriculture. 
The  grain  tax  is  no  more,  but  the  cause  still 
exists  which  retarded  and  which  would  prevent 
any  improvement  being  effected  in  the  methods  of 
cultivation,  or  any  amelioration  of  the  condition  of 
these  unfortunate  people  who  work,  but  the  fruits 
of  whose  labours  are  reaped  by  others. 
The  conditions  in  Ceylon  are  more  favourable 
for  introducing  an  agricultural  loan  system,  and 
would  result  in  greater  benefit  than  it  has  already 
done  in  India,  for  our  goyiya  borrows  practically  for 
agricultural  purposes,  with  the  result  that  he 
has  often  to  give  up  almost  the  whole  crop.  Any 
system  of  agricultural  loans,  if  introduced,  would 
obtain  seed-paddy  or  seed-grain  for  the  cultivator, 
it  would  enable  him  to  have  his  own  plough  and 
cattle,  or  hire  animals  for  work  at  a reasonable 
price ; it  would  enable  him  to  purchase  manure  for 
his  land,  without  paying  double  its  worth,  and 
above  all,  when  the  day  comes  for  reckoning,  it  will 
bring,  him  his  proper  reward  for  his  work,  and 
will,  best  of  all,  engender  energy  instead  of  the 
apathy  and  laziness  of  which  he  is  so  often 
accused.  Moreover,  it  would  be  the  only  means  of 
bringing  about  improvements  in  his  methods 
of  culture  and  the  undertaking  of  new  enter- 
prises. 
The  advancing  of  money  for  this  purpose  will 
not  in  the  least  prove  to  be  a burden  to  the 
revenue,  and  a charge  of  three  to  four  per  cent 
interest  would  amply  cover  the  expenses  of  dis- 
tribution and  recovery,  as  officers  for  that  purpose 
are  more  than  available  now,  after  the  abolition  of 
the  grain  tax. 
There  might  no  doubt  be  initial  difficulties. 
The  persons  who  are  more  or  less  benefited  as 
things  stand  today  would  work  heart  and  soul 
to  prevent  the  successful  issue  of  such  a scheme. 
Unscrupulous  men  entrusted  with  the  work  might 
abuse  their  powers,  and  even  a few  of  the  goyiyas 
themselves  might  try  to  obtain  money  under  false 
pretences.  These  are  minor  difficulties  which 
could  be  overcome  by  proper  administration,  and 
should  not  overshadow  the  actual  merits  of  such 
a. system, 
W.  A.  D.  S. 

OCCASIONAL  NOTES. 
A lava!  “ Baby  ” cream  separator,  kindly  lent 
by  the  Eastern  Produce  and  Estates  Co.,  the  Agents 
for  the  Dairy  Supply  Co.,  of  London,  has  been 
worked  with  success  at  the  School  of  Agriculture. 
By  means  of  a separator  it  is  possible  to  remove 
the  butter  fat  from  milk  in  a very  short  time, 
and  the  necessity  of  “ setting  ” for  cream  is  thereby 
done  away  with.  The  new  milk  is  allowed  to  run 
into  a bowl  which  is  made  to  rotate  on  its  own 
axis  several  thousand  times  per  minute.  The 
heavier  particles  of  the  watery  part  of  the  milk 
hy  to  the  outer  circumference  of  the  bowl,  the 
lighter  particles  of  butter  far  being  forced  to  travel 
an  an  inner  zone.  By  a simple  arrangement, 
the  separated  or  skim-milk  is  forced  out  at  one 
tube,  and  the  cream  passes  out  at  another. 
The  following  are  given  as  the  advantages  of  this 
; the  skim-milk  and  the  cream  are  obtained 
perfectly  sweet,  and  the  separation  is  much  more 
rapid  than  that  which  takes  place  naturally.  While 
by  shallow  setting  about  80  % of  the  butter  fat 
is  secured,  by  means  of  the  separator  from  92 
to  98  % is  removed. 
Separators  are  made  of  all  sizes,  from  small 
machines  dealing  with  12  to  15  gallons  per  hour, 
and  worked  by  hand,  to  large  machines,  separating 
350  gallons  per  hour,  and  worked  by  steam  or 
horse  power.  In  all  the  machines,  however,  the 
principle  is  the  same.  The  separation  is  found 
to  be  most  effective  at  high  temperatures,  and 
.these  range  from  80°  F.  to  98°  F.  in  different 
machines. 
The  Refrigerator  is  a simple  apparatus  for 
cooling  milk  by  causing  it  to  trickle  in  close 
proximity  to  a current  of  cold  water.  The  milk 
can  thus  be  safely  transported  to  a distance 
without  turning  sour  or  otherwise  deteriorating. 
As  has  been  noted  before,  the  Government  dairy 
building  are  now  quite  complete,  and  all  minor 
arrangements  are  being  made  for  the  reception 
of  the  cattle,  which  will  have  arrived  before 
our  present  issue  is  circulated. 
Mr.  R.  Atherton,  the  well-known  agricultural 
correspondent,  sends  us  the  following  note  on  the 
“ Tumbancai": — On  every  plot  of  newly-cleared 
or  deserted  land,  on  every  newly-cleared  coconut 
estate  and  chena  in  the  Eastern  Province,  there 
grows  on  a small  vine,  a pod  full  of  seed  called 
the  “Tumbum”  or  “ Tumbancai,”  which  is  a great 
favorite  with  all  classes  of  people  and  fetches  a 
ready  sale  in  every  market  it  is  taken  to. 
The  root  of  the  vine  is  a large  tuber  differing 
in  shape  in  nearly  every  vine,  and  resembles  a 
root  of  short  thick  cassava.  The  fruit  or  pod 
resembles  exactly  that  of  the  plant  commonly 
known  as  “ Indian  Shot,”  with  flowers  both 
yellow  and  scarlet,  and  the  seed  within  the 
prickly  husk  is  held  in  much  the  same  manner. 
The  whole  pod  curried  or  fried  is  indeed  a 
great  delicacy  and  makes  a pickle  equal  in 
flavour  to  that  made  from  “Nastartium”  seed, 
and  some  people  think  it  superior.  There 
is  one  peculiarity  about  the  root  or  tuber. 
Under  the  impression  that  it  would  bear  trans- 
planting to  village  or  town  gardens,  and  improve 
in  condition  if  put  into  better  or  richer  soil  and 
well  watered,  many  people  have  had  it  dug  up 
and  planted  afresh,  but  strange  to  say,  it  always 
deteriorates  and  either  dies  away,  rots  or  bears 
much  smaller  pods ! This  I have  observed  with 
jungle  flowers  as  well  as  jungle  fruit.  For 
instance,  you  may  transplant  a “ gloriosa  superba” 
from  the  jungle  into  your  own  garden,  and 
notwithstanding  all  the  care  and  attention  you 
bestow  upon  it,  it  will  inevitably  dwindle  away. 
Its  own  peculiar  “ habitat  ” is  the  best  situation 
for  every  tree  and  shrub  that  grows  on  the  face 
of  the  wide  earth.  The  marvellous  clumps  of 
giant  bamboo  which  develop  themselves  into 
vegetable  marvels  of  height  and  girth  on  the 
Islands  of  the  Eastern  seas,  invariably  suffer  from 
a change  of  residence.  It  may  after  being  trans- 
planted and  acclimatised  grow,  and  grow  well, 
but  it  never  comes  up  to  its  ancestor  of  the 
vegetable  world,  It  would  seem  that  a wise  aud 
