March 2, 1903.J Supplement to the " Tropical Agncuiiurist." 
643 
The seeds of Dendrocalamus strictu (the male 
bamboo) widely distributed from the Eoyal Botanic 
Gardens were probably not as fresh as they might 
have been, and many persons failed to grow 
them. We are glad to say that a fair number of 
plants have come up in the Government Stock 
Garden, and that a few can be spared. According 
to the Botanic Gardens Circular, the bamboos are 
useful for rafters, battens, spear shafts, Ifencing, 
mamoty-handles, &c. 
We are obliged to the Hull Oil Manufacturing 
Co., Lid., for a sample of Homco Castor meal 
containing 10—12 % ammonia guaranteed. The 
manure besides contains phosphoric acid equal to 
about 7 % tribasic phosphate of lime, and potash 
equal to about 3 % sulphate of potash. It is 
believed that this meal is the most highly concen- 
trated vegetable source of ammonia at present on 
the market. The quotation for this excellent 
fertiliser is 12 shillings 9 pence per unit of ammonia 
perton, in double bags, c.i.f . Ceylon, but in order to 
introduce the meal the manufacturers are inclined 
to take a little less for a trial parcel. The follow- 
ing is Mr. John Hughes' analysis : — 
1. Nitrogenous organic matter 77 '64 
Water (lost at 212n<'.) ... 10'24 
Oil... ,.. ... 2-43 
Mineral matter (ash) ... 9 69 
2. 
1. 
2. 
10000 
Containing Nitrogen ... 8 74 
Equal to Ammonia ... 10 61 
Containing phosphoric acid... 8 20 
Equal to phosphate of lime 6'98 
Potash ... ... 1-59 
Equal to sulphate of potash 2'94 
Lime ... ... '82 
Magnesia ... ... 1'24 
Soda ... ... -73 
Insoluble matters &c. ... 2'11 
We have to acknowledge receipt of the following 
leaflets and pamphlets from the Department of 
Agriculture, Cape of Good Hope: — Poultry, Tobacco 
Culture, Artificial Grasses and Fodder for Stock, 
Methods of Locust Destruction, Insect Pests, 
Methods of Preserving Pish by Smoking, the 
Velvet Bean, Elementary Principles of Silviculture, 
Treatment of Worms in Domestic Animals, Poultry 
Raising, Fowl Ticks, South African Poultry Keep- 
ing, Trout Breeding and Stocking of Streams, 
The Ocean and its Resources, Ants, Diseases of 
Stock and their Treatment, and Fruit Culture. 
Prom India we have received the following 
numbers of the Agricultural Ledger series : 
Composition of Indian Cows' and Buffaloes' Milk, 
Adhatoda Vasica, Management of Dairy Cattle in 
India, Dendrocalamus Strictus, Paspnlum Dilata- 
tum, Dairy Farming and Dairy Produce, The 
Indian Aconites, and a pamphlet on the cultiva- 
tion of Sweet Potatoes in India by Mr. James 
Alollison. 
The exchanges received during the month are: 
The Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales; 
The Agricultural Journal, Cape of Good JiopeJ 
The Journal of the Dep'irtment of Agriculture, 
Victoria; The Station, Varm and Dairy; and 
Australian Products Journal, Sydney ; The Queens- 
land Agricultural Gazette; The Veterinary Journal, 
Edinburgh. 
The Sugar Beet and Swiss Char<l so highly 
recommended by the Himalaya Seed Stores are 
being grown experimentally in the Government 
Stock Garden, 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS TAKEN 
AT THE COLOMBO STOCK GARDEN DUR- 
ING THE MONTHS OF JANUARY AND 
FEBRUARY, 1903. 
January. 
February. 
1 
Nil 
17 
Nil 
I 
Nil 
15 
Nil 
2 
Nil 
18 
Nil 
2 
Nil 
16 
3 
•89 
19 
Nil 
3 
Nil 
17 
Nil 
4 1-27 
20 
Nil 
4 
Nil 
18 
Nil 
5 
1-54 
21 
Nil 
5 
Nil 
19 
Nil 
6 
Nil 
22 
Nil 
0 
Nil 
20 
Nil 
7 
•60 
23 
Nil 
7 
Nil 
21 
Nil 
8 
Nil 
24 
Nil 
8 
Nil 
22 
Nil 
9 
Nil 
25 
Nil 
9 
Nil 
23 
Nil 
10 
•15 
26 
Nil 
10 
Nil 
24 
•75 
ll 
Nil 
27 
Nil 
11 
•16 
25 
•81 
12 
Nil 
28 
1^60 
12 
■35 
26 
•80 
13 
Nil 
29 
•13 
13 
Nil 
2 
Nil 
14 
Nil 
30 
Nil 
14 
Nil 
28 
Nil 
15 
Nil 
31 
Nil 
16 
Nil 
1 
Nil 
Total.. 
..5-68 
Total... 
2-87 
Mean. 
..'18 
Mean... 
•10 
Greatest amount of rainfall in any 24 hours, on 
the 28th January, 1"60 inches. 
Greatest amount of rainfall in any 24 hours, on 
the 26th February, '8] inches. 
Recorded by Alex Perera. 
<^ 
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN THE EAST. 
The appearance of another text-book on Indian 
Agriculture draws attention to the subject 
of agricultural education in tlie East. The 
author. Prof. N. C. ]\[ukerji, is well qualified to 
write on the subject, having himself been a distin- 
guished student of Cirencester, where he passed 
with the highest honours, and spent many 
years in the study of Indian agricultural problems. 
After considering all the obstacles thut stand 
in the way of agricultural improvement in the 
East, and the means of removing such ob- 
stacles, the author makes the statement that 
he looks to education in agriculture for th« 
greatest benefit. But unfortunately, n«> he puts 
it, " neither the farm labourer, nor the farmer, 
nor the landed proprietor cares, a rule, for 
agricull uriil education. Agrienlt'.'.ial schools in 
almost every country are crammed either with 
place-seekers or town-bred men who fancy tliey can 
make their fortune by scientific farming." Mr. 
Mukerji advoc:ites inducing — by the i ftVr of 
scholarships or otherwise — sone of bona /ftfecuiti- 
