Oct. 1, 1900.] Supplemmi to the " Troincal Agriculturist" 
289 
failures ia the attempt to establish cacao gardens 
inludia, Mr. Thompson says that notwithstanding 
the abortive attemp s referred to, there can be 
little doubt that in Southern India numerous 
sites could be selected for the establi.shment of 
plantations of this important product. 
There is perhaps no plant more peculiar in its 
relation to soil, temperature, rainfall, aspect 
and such natural conditions than is cacao, as 
■witness the very restricted area in Ceylon in which 
cacao flourishes. However, we sincerely hope 
Mr. Thompson is right in his conjecture, which 
coming from a man of his experience is worthy 
the notice of the Imperial authorities, and we 
thrust that a fair trial will be given by the Indian 
government to cacao culture under the conditions 
indicated by the writer in question. 
The Superintendent of the Calcutta Botanic 
Gardens, referring to Ehea, mentions in his report 
that a machine which is said to meet all require- 
ments, and which certainly meets the needs of Rhea 
CTTOwers better than any hitherto offered, has now 
been put upon the market, and its advent appears 
likely to give a fresh inpetus to rhea cultivation. 
It is a pity the machine in question is not more 
definitely referred to, for there are a number of 
people ill Ceylon possessing stocks of rhea, who 
would be glad to have further particulars. 
Dr. Reginald Ashe, the Superintendent of the 
Jail at Myniensing, has lately used with much 
success, in the treatment of diarrha?a and dysen- 
tery, flour made from the plantain. Any variety 
of 'plantain, he informs the Indian Medical 
Gazette, will do, but the J^utch Mia ( musa sapien- 
tum) from its size is the best to use. The 
plantains are cut just before ripening, they are 
skinned with a sharp wooden knife, so as to 
avoid blackening, then cut into thin slices, sua 
dried, pounded in a mortar, and sifted through 
muslin. The fine powder or flour should be 
stored in air-tight glass bottles. The issue is 2oz. 
for each meal, cooked in a brass vessel with a 
little water. Dahi, -or butter milk, can after- 
wards be added. The taste of the plantain 
powder is slightly astringent, but fruity and 
palatable. 
In the last published report on the Department 
of Agriculture, Bombay, tlie following occurs 
under the head of Agricultural Education : — As 
a step towards reviving the agricultural cld,<-c.< 
which were languishing for want of students, 
the scholarships attached to the classes Inve 
been reduced in number and raised in value. 
The University have recently agreed to the 
conversion of the diploma in Agriculture into a 
deo-ree, and Government have also been pleased 
to^direct that the licentiates of Agriculture 
should have a preferential claim to District Inspec- 
torships of Agriculture before other officials of 
the Revenue Department or those of the Survey 
Department who do not know English, and that 
they should also be placed on the same footing as 
licentiates of Civil Engineering for admission to 
the Forest Department, provided they undergo 
the special course of training in forest subjects 
and pass the same tests in those subjects, 
The same report, under the head of cattle 
disease, gives tlie following interesting statemeufc 
showing the percentage of deaths from Rinderpest 
and Foot and Mouth disease in the Bombay Pre- 
sidency. Rinderpest — attacks 1, 230, pei ceniage of 
denths 68"85 : Foot and Mouth disease — attacks 
2,679, percentage of deaths 4*23. It is remarked 
that this shows a decease in the number of attacks 
as well as in the percentage of deaths. 
PROFESSOR ROBERT WALLACE. 
After a considerable interval of time we have 
had the pleasure of hearing from the Professor 
of Agriculture at Edinburgh University, who 
has always taken a keen interest in Tropical 
Agriculture, while he has already visited Ceyloa 
three times in the course of his travels to India 
and the Australian Colonies. Professor Wallace, 
who is possessed of remarkable energy and great 
power of observation, has made it a point of 
studying the agriculture of the British posses- 
sions on the spot. His first visit was to Canada, 
and later on he traversed India, Australia, and 
the Cape, dealing with the agriculture of each 
of these countries in a book or pamphlet, or 
a course of lectures. In the letter received by 
last mail, he writes : — 
" I am now busy writing my new Indian 
lectures, and find the work most interesting. 
Of course I include Ceylon in my new course, 
and anything of importance you think should be 
noted, I shall be glad if you will let me know. 
I may go out again some day to Australia, 
so there is a more or less remote chance o£ 
my looking in upon you. My brother from 
Egypt (where he is Director of Agriculture) 
who is staying here (Thornhill, Dumfriesshire) 
has just returned after a trip 'round the world,' 
but went by Japan instead of your way." 
Professor Wallace encloses a syllabus (issued 
as a supplement to the Edinburgh University 
Calendar) of the new course : The Garton lectures 
on Colonial and Indian Agriculture. The course ia 
dealt with in the following manner : Section 
1. (Session 1900-1901, 20 lectures) India and 
Ceylon, Egypt, South Africa. Section 2. (Ses- 
sion 1901-i902, 20 lectures). The Dominion 
of Canada, Australasia, the smaller Crown Col- 
onies (West Indian Islands, Brii;ish Guiana, the 
Straits Settlements, Uganda, and other African 
Continental possessions and Islands ; Islands in the 
South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.) The agri- 
culture of India and Ceylon is treated of, under 
the following heads, which are again divided 
into a large number of subheads : Introduction, 
Tillage Implements, Cultivation of Crops, Irri- 
gation, Manures and Live Stock. As showing 
the interest which the Professor still takes in 
the East, we reproduce, on another page, a 
letter written by him to the Scotsman on 
the subject of Indian Forestry. Query : Is, the 
Ceylon Forest Department more considerate of 
the Forest rights of the natives? 
