THE 
AGRICULTURAL mAGAZLQG, 
COLOMBO 
Added as a SuppUimnt Monthly to ths " TBOPIGAL AQBICULTUBJST r 
April : — 
The following pages include the Contonts of the AgrmiUural Magaxwe for 
Vol XL 
APRIL, 1900. 
[No, 10. 
THE AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL. 
ANNUAL PKIZE-GIVING. 
IN Saturday, March 31, the annual 
prize-giving of this institution 
was held in the presence of a 
large gathering presided over by 
Mr. S M Burrows, Director of 
Public Instruction. Much pains 
had been bestowed to decorate the main liall 
and the long corridor leading to it. and l he effect 
presented was most pleasing. A well constructed 
pandal was put up at the entrance, bearing the 
inscription "Welcome to Mr. S M Burrows, 
Director of Public Instruction." Among those 
present were:— Lady and Miss Grenier, Mrs. Fergu- 
Bonand Misses Williams and Macdougall (of Madras), 
Mrs C Drieberg, the Very Rev Fatiier Collin, Rev 
Brothers William, Edmond and Cassian, Messrs J 
Harward, E Elliott, Jas Pieris, Jacob de Mel, W 
Arthur De Silva, Mrs North, Mr Scott Given, Mr 
Francis Beven, the Misses Beven and Drieberg, 
Dr and Mrs J B Drieberg, Mrs Bawa, Arthur 
Bawa, Dr Chinniah, Morgan de Saram and the 
Misses Bawa, Messrs B W Bawa, Allan 
Drieberg, the Misses Barber, Mrs H O Beven, the 
Misses Vanderstraaten, Mr. R H Ferguson, and 
many others. 
Mr. Burrows called upon Mr Drieberg, the 
Superintendent of the School, to read 
TEE PBINCIPAL's BEPOET. 
I have much pleasure in offeriog a hearty wel- 
come to our now Director, who is present for the first 
time at a public function connected with this 
Institution. 
Let it be admitted that such enthusiasm as Mr. 
Qreen (the founder of this School) showed in mat- 
ters Agricultural was rare, and that the School 
suffered for lack of interest on the part of his ; 
successor, when it is seriously proposed to dis- ■ 
sociate this Institution from the Educational De-; 
partment. I venture to tliink that so sweeping a.; 
change is ill-conceived at the present time, when., 
we haTe as our head one who is so eminently: 
fitted to be Director, both of Education aud Agri- 
culture, who may be expected to avoid the mis.' 
takes which the founder of the School (like all 
pioneers) was bound to make, and to pursue an 
enlightened policy based on his experience of the' 
country and a knowledge of the requirements of the 
people. J 
During the last few weeks, in addition to th«i.'. 
usual annual report, I have, at the request of the.^ 
Director, prepared a special memorandum dealing 
fully with the school, its past, present and future.- 
But you will, I feel sure, prefer to read these docu- 
ments when they appear in print, or to call for 
them whenever it may suit your convenience, rather 
than that I should take advantage of your kind 
presence here today to intrude them upon your 
attention. I shall therefore occupy very little of your 
time. I will not repeat the recommendations which 
I have from time to time offered in previous reports, 
for making this institution serve its objest more 
worthily. I must say, however, that I have begun,, 
to be a little hopeful of some of these recom- 
mendations being carried into effect, if the 
sympathy of the head of a department counts for 
anything. And this is naturally a source of 
satisfaction after years of unsatisfied expectancy. 
There are, moreover, rumours of a special Commit- 
tee having been appointed to deal with the school — 
a circumstance which is calculated to strengthen oxSt 
hope that some definite measures for the good of the 
school will soon be decided on. 
As regards numbers, our largest number on the 
roll last year was '22, aud the average for the 
year 16. 
These are rather below the normal : the full com- 
plement being 25 and the usual average 20. The 
decrease is to be attributed to the uncertaintj' at- 
taching to the future of the school. Indeed, the 
wonder is that, under present conditions, our numbers 
are what they are. In India, with greater inducements 
for the study of agriculture, and with prospects of 
employment to trained students, there are instances 
of the attendance at ns^ricultural classes being far 
more disappointing. Were we only half as f n-tiinate 
as our sister institutions inlndiaasregardaliuanci.il 
aid, provision for a thorough course .of training and in- 
ducements offered to students, the School of Agricultrire 
will be rather a different institution to what it is. 
