July 1, 1900.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
45 
The opening lines o£ the author's preface rendered 
into English would read thus : — " The necessity for 
the improvemeut of agriculture in a country like 
India where it forms the mainstay of the people 
will he evident to all. An attempt at such improve- 
ment is, however, beset with difficulties. Neverthe- 
less I have ventured to set forth in the following 
pages, for the benefit of the ryots, some information 
which has struck me as essential to agricultural re- 
form after fifteen years' personal observation of the 
agricultural customs in different countries and a 
study of English works on 
SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE. 
" Although this little book may not be protluctiva 
of any marked benefit, I hope it will, at least, 
create an interest in ngrioultural matters in the 
minds of the ryot?. Such an interest once engen- 
dered will ultimately lead to agricultural improve- 
ment. Byots, who are desirous of attempting the 
improved methods suggested here, would do well 
first to try them on a small scale and, after they 
are satisfied that they would . suit the conditions 
of their soil, climate, Ac, carry them out exten- 
sively." 
The author displays a deal of good sense 
and caution by giving this last piece of advice, for 
in a large country like India where the conditions 
of soil, climate, &o., differ rather widely in various 
parts, an experiment, on a small scale, would be 
very prudent, before the general introduction of a 
new method that has been found to succeed else- 
where, even in another part of India itself. 
The first chapter is introductory and shows the 
dignity and importance of agriculture and the need 
for agricultural reform. The second is about the 
different kinds of soil. The third chapter treats of 
certain preliminary operations and auxiliaries to agri- 
culture such as levelling, fencing, the dillerent kinds 
of tre'es used for live fences and boundaries, irri- 
gation and the sinking of wells. The author's re- 
marks under the last heading show that he is free 
from the usual oriental superstitions which many 
natives of India and Ceylon, even of the educated 
classes, find difficult to get rid of. He says — " It 
is a common custom in this country to consult an 
astrologer in selecting a site for sinking a well. This 
is like the blind leading the blind. For we do not 
find either astrologers or Brahmins who ascertain the 
truth and impart it to others. Many have been 
ruined by trusting false astrologers who make a 
vain profession, merely for the sake of earning a 
livelihood. But Europeans use a borer, called the 
' Anger,' in order to find out whether water can be 
obtained at a certain site or not. When this instru- 
ment is inserted in the ground and worked, so as 
to reach deep enough, the different strata under- 
ground can be ascertained, and we can not only 
find out at what depth water is obtainable, but also 
whether the water is fresh or brackish. "When this 
test is made use of we can kuow with something 
like mathematical certainty, the best sites for wells 
and dig them without undergoing loss or disappoint- 
ment." The fourth chapter which deals with 
AGEICULTUEAL IMPLEMENTS 
compares the ordinary native plough of the ryots 
with the improved plough, and shows the superior- 
ity of the latter by means of facts, figures and 
illustrations. 
In India where unlike Ceylon, dry' cultivation is 
done on an extensive scale, there are several native 
implements used to economise manual labour and 
to expedite work in the cultivation of dry crops. 
The seed drill, an illustration of which appears on 
page 44 is one of these. This implement which can 
be easily drawn by a pair of ordinary country bullocks, 
goes on sowing three rows at a time. It is said 
that Sir James Caird, one of the famine commis- 
sioners appointed in 1876, was agreeably surprised 
at the woik done by this seed-drill and remarked 
that it served just as well as an English seed drill 
^hjph wonl^ cpst from^five hundred to eight himdred 
rupees. The other labour-saving implements treated 
of in this book are, a leveller and clod-crusher 
used after ploughing, a weeding machine that can be 
used between the rows till the plants are about 
eighteen inches high, a sickle-shaped hand-weeder, 
a roller which can also be used for separating the 
larger variety of grains, such as sorghum from the 
stalks, and the wheel barrow. The fifth chapter 
deals at length with the different sorts of 
MANURES 
and how they can be utilized for Indian crops and 
soils. The next treats of the different kinds of crops 
such as cereals, peas and beans, fibre plants, root 
and leaf crops and several other varieties including 
fruit trees. There is a strange botanical inaccuracy 
in the classification of the grape vine, for it is said 
that it belongs to the same family as the tobacco. 
In other respects the information given about that 
plant may be useful. The following is what is said 
about its culture: — "The grape-vine is along-lived 
creeper and requires frequent manuring and abundant 
watering. It is usually grown either from layers or 
cuttings. In the latter case, cuttings of branches of 
more than a year's growth are planted in prepared 
soil, covered with straw. In Europe the vines are 
planted at a distance of tea feet apart. Fish manure 
is highly suited to this plant, i'he soil round the 
vines should be frequently stirred. During the first 
year it is customary to grow some tall-growing crops 
between them. Pruning is indispensable in grape 
culture, and it is owing to the gardener's ignorance 
of this fact that vines which bear for some^time are 
found 10 stop bearing afterwards." 
In describing the method of 
PRUNING, 
it is recommended to allow three nodes in each 
brauchlet, the shoot from the terminal node of these 
three being nipped off after having made sure that 
the other two nodes send off good, healthy shoots. 
The time recommended for pruning the grape vine 
is when the plant shews signs of wintering by the 
shedding of the leaves and by the dry grey appearance 
of the little branches. Time and space will not allow 
justice being done to this interesting chapter : but it 
may be mentioned en passant that the part dealing 
with the preserving of ripe firnit for transport con- 
tains most interesting and useful information. 
The seventh chapter apily commencing with an 
illustration of the four stages of raetamorphic insects 
shows how plants are destroyed by them and suggests 
powerful remedies such as Paris green, London purple 
and other similar preparations which, owing to their 
poisonous character, have to be used with caution. 
The concluding chapter on Live Stock treats not 
only of the more important species which are quad- 
rupeds, but also of the various domestic fowls and 
birds, including the turkey and the pigeon. The 
commoner ailments of live-stock, their breeding, rear- 
ing, management, etc., are suitably treated of in 
this ehapter. 
Altogether the book contains a good deal of 
valuable matter covering over 200 pages and will 
well repay perusal. Notwithstanding the slight diff- 
erence in dialect from Ceylon Tamil, its language is 
easily intelligible a simple style being used for the 
most part. The price of the book (twelve annas) placee 
it within the reach of the poorest ryot, and it ii 
to be hoped that the Tamil agriculturists of Southern 
India and Ceylon will not be slow to profit by the 
fund of useful information offered to them in such 
handy form. 
No. I.— SNAKES ALIVE ! A FATAL 
ACCIDENT IN COLOMBO. 
Colombo, June 3. 
Dear feiR,— I can vouch for the followinjy 
fatal results from snakebite in reference to 
enquiry from " Constant Keader " appearing in 
yesterday's Ceylon Observer— though the occur, 
renee was nigii 40 years ago, 
