Supplement to the " Tropical Agriculturist,'* [April 2, ISOO. 
that it' would not be sufficient, because there 
weie ceniies of affection in Ceylon wlieie Llie 
di8ea><e liiul to be staiupod out. To stamp it 
out they wanted a trained staff of Veterinary 
Surfjeons'. If the School of Agriculture trained 
Veterinary Surgeons, and if the authorities in 
Colorn'io, where the school was in progress, 
provided a scheme of quarantine that could 
be elaborated, he saw every prospect of a most 
material benefit accinin<; to Ceylon, namely 
the total stamping out of cattle disease. He 
commended the idea to the head of the School 
and to the head of the Department, and he felt 
they would all endorsa his proposal that they 
should pass a vote of thanks to the Director 
of Public Instruction for presiding on the occa- 
sion. (Applause.) 
Cheer?! were given for the chairman, Mrs. 
Burrows, Mr. Harward and Mr. and Mrs. C 
Drieberg, and a musical entertainment, in which 
seven.l amafeurs took part, concluded the in- 
teresting and instructive proceedings. 
{From the " Ceylon Observer,") 
The periodical function at the Agricultural 
School which took place in the school hall 
on Saturday was a pronounced success Mr 
Drieberg's report, which we published in our 
issue of that evening, was eminently en- 
courtirging ; and its contents, taken as a whole, 
appeared to us scarcely to justify the note 
of, we might almost say, despondency with 
which it closed. Yet it is perhaps too true 
that expert agricultural training in new and 
improved methods of cultivation has not 
yet acquired that popularity which the 
aterling work accomplished by both present 
and past students of the School already, 
fully merits. It is, indeed, to be hoped that 
the " Committee now sitting on the future 
of the school," as Mr. Burrows put it, has in 
mind some such scheme of extending the 
experimental scope of the Institution as that 
which the third speaker, Mr. Edward 
Elliott, suggested— namely, to grant for the 
school property (probably near Kandy) some- 
thing like 50 to 100 acres on which sufficiently 
extensive and instructive scientific work could 
be done. Mr. Elliott spoke as an experi- 
enced paddy cultivator, - one, too, who 
had had personal contact with students 
from the school and who bore testimony to 
.their practical worth. 
Mr. Burrows on Saturday gave another 
'Specimen of his remarkable powers as a 
skilful as well as lively speaker. "Skilful" 
is scarcely suflficient — "brilliant" would be 
more suitably applied to portions of his 
rapid speech which were filled with robust 
humour. Mr. Burrows knows how to be 
immeasurably entertaining while telling you 
nothing at all ; and this is anything but a 
, fault in an official who is barred from un- 
folding state secrets. But his audience can 
sometimes barely keep up with him. Speak- 
ing on his pledged, secrecy with i-egard to 
the verdict of the Committee on the Agri- 
cultural School he brought out the follow- 
ing :— " If I were to reveal to you one morsel 
Jof their verdict, I suppose I would be con- 
demned to death by sealing-wax, choked 
up with red-tape, or swept out of existence 
by wh)i;tever other form of electrocution the 
Uovernment arc accixstomed to use." But 
his listeners had not properly assimilated 
this rich mouthful before the speaker had 
got on to more serious stuff, and neither 
laughter nor applause were forthcoming in 
time ! 
Of the other speakers we have already 
refei-red to Mr. Elliott. Mr. Harward once 
more gave a clear, concise and instructive 
speech which was specially welcomed as 
from one who knew more about the Agi'i- 
cultural School, perhaps, than any one 
present— the Principal, of course, excepted. 
And that Mr. Harward should publicly 
state his conviction that all he had s»en 
went to show that Mr. Drieberg had "done 
his very best" must have been the most 
gratifying testimony to the zealous, enthu- 
siastic and indefatigable head of the only 
Government Agricultural Institution in our 
isand. The Mayor closed the prize-giving 
proper with a short speech, referring es- 
pecially to the progress of Veterinary science 
and practice in the island through the 
medium of the school. The rest of the pro- 
ceedings partook of a social nature. 
EAINFALL TAKEN AT THE SCHOOL OF 
AGRIGULTUEE DUEING THE MONTH OF 
FEBEUABY, 1900. 
1 
Thursday . . 
Nil 
16 
Friday 
. -ol 
2 
Friday 
Nil 
17 
Saturdaj' . 
. -32 
3 
Saturday . . 
Nil 
18 
Sunday 
. Nil 
4 
Sunday 
Nil 
19 
Monday 
Tuesday 
. Nil 
5 
Monday 
Nil 
20 
. Nil 
6 
Tuesday . . 
Nil 
21 
Wednesday 
Nil 
7 
Wednesday 
Nil 
22 
Thursday . 
. Nil 
8 
Thursday , ^ 
Nil 
23 
Friday 
. Nil 
9 
Friday 
Nil 
24 
Saturday . 
. Nil 
10 
Saturday , . 
Nil 
25 
Sunday 
. 2-51 
11 
Sunday 
•4 
26 
Monday 
, -16 
12 
Monday 
Nil 
27 
Tuesday 
. Nil 
13 
Tuesday . . 
Nil 
28 
Wednesday 
Nil 
U 
Wednesday 
Nil 
1 
Thursday . 
. Nil 
15 
Thursday . . 
Nil 
Total. .3-50 
Mean. . -13 
Greatest amount of rainfall in any 24 hours 
on the 25th inst. was 2*51 inches. 
Eecorded by Mr. J. A. G. EoDEloo. 
PEACTICAL HINTS TO HOESE OWNERS. 
By a. Chinxiah, g.b.v.c. 
(Continued.) 
Partition.— There are many materials that are 
used for partitioning stables. The beat of them 
is a brick wall partition. The next in order 
comes thick wooden planks. I havs noticed in 
some stables cadjau partitions and thin board 
partitions, but these are frequently the causes of 
accidents. But any material may be used which 
answers the purposes, which is durable and is 
a bad conductor of heat or cold. Whitewashing 
the walls should be periodically done and glaring 
colours should be avoided as far as feasible, A 
light blue or green tint is to be preferred. Tar- 
ring the walls is resorted to by some stable 
owners, and this is undoubtedly a good thing, 
especially in stables where there are mor« than 
one animal. lu cases of contagioue dissasas such 
