COLOMBO. 
Added as a Supj^Iement Monthly to the ^'TROPICAL AaUICULTUBIST r 
The following pages include the Contents of the Agricultural Magazine for 
December : — 
Vol. XII.] 
DECEMBER, 1900. 
[No. 6. 
REPORT OF MR. C. DRIEBERG, b.a., f.h.a.s., 
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE COLOMBO 
SCHOOL OF AGRICULTLJRE. 
HE condition of the Sohool of 
Agriculture remains the same as 
before, no provision having been 
made for giving effect to the 
improvements suggested|by me in 
previous reports. 
The Commission appointed by His Excellency 
the Governor " to inquire jnto and report on the 
advisability of establishing a Department of 
Agriculture " has made no recommendation with 
reference to the re-organization of the school, so 
that the long-deferred question of setting it on a 
better footing has still to be dealt with. At the 
request of the new Director of Public Instruction 
I have just drawn up a lengthy special report on 
the school. 
The largest number of students on the roll in 
1899 was 22, the average for the year 16. This 
is rather below the usual number (about 20), and 
is to be attributed to the uncertainty of the 
future of the school. 
Ou the results of the final examination held in 
November, three students became entitled to the 
first-class certificate granted by the Department : 
E. Jayatilleke, G. Jayasi ighe, and P. C. F. 
Fernando. 
The third batch of Forestry students ti-ained 
here passed out in February, and consisted of the 
following :— iMessr?. J. S. Perera, M. B. Senevi- 
ratn;i, G. Rnjapakse, W. B. Rowlands, W, 
Ferdinands, and D. E. Tiathonis. With their 
departure a new class was formed, composed of 
Messrs. O. M. M-ick, F. .Tayatilluke, E, C. Fer- 
nando. L, B. Tennekoon, D. C. de Silva, and 
J. F. Cooray. 
The staif of the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon 
has been increased by the appointment of Messrs, 
D. Dias and A. M. Fernando (old boys of the 
School of Agriculture) as stock inspectors. 
The Government Veterinary Scholarship for 
the study of veterinary science in Bombay was 
awarded to .J. E. Fernando of the School of 
Agriculture, who left for India in November, 
The previous scholar, Veterinary Surgeon 
Chinniah, elected with commendable enterprise to 
start work on his own account, and now commands 
an extensive practice in Colombo. 
I have nothing special to report as regards the 
Training School and Practising School. 
The Government Dairy is now in its seventh 
year. The dairy herd was free from any form of 
contagious disease in 1899, and there were but six 
deaths for the twelve months, three among the 
cows and three among the calve?. This is aa 
excellent record considering the size of the herd. 
Thirty cows and three bulls were purchased at a 
costof Rl,564*86, while.twenty-nine cows and two 
hulls and fifty-six young animals bred on the farm 
were sold for R4,3.37-26. 
Milk to the value of R3I,89.5 64 was supplied, 
of which R4, 823*07 worth liad to be purchased 
to meet the demand from the hospitals, which 
at different periods required more milk than the 
Dairy was able to supply. The necessity for the 
purchase of milk remains a serious defect in the 
