THE 
COLOMBO. 
Added as a Supplement Monthlij to the " TBOPIGAL AQIUCULTUBIST," 
June ; — 
Vol. X. 
Tlie following pages include the Contents of the AgricuUwal Magazine for 
JUNE, 1899. 
[No. 12. 
SEASON REPORTS FOR Al'IlIL, 1899. 
E.'^TERN Prowrtcc— raddy. Yala 
cultivation, delayed by the drouglit, 
i.s now going on. There are pros- 
pects of a good harvest. Eain- 
tall light. No reports of cattle 
disease, 
Vi-iiiral Prot'iwce.— Paddy. Maha harvest over 
cultivation for Vala going on- Crop prospects 
good. Kainfall ample. Health of cattle good. 
Xwt/iern rrovincc—Viiddy. The rains have 
been taken advantage of to prepare fields for 
eusiiing harvest. Rainfall in Jafi'aa 5-65 in. 
Health of cattle good, except in Vattappalai, where 
murrain is reported to have broken out. 
Southern Pivvifice.—Vaddy, Yala sowing over ; 
cultivation of a considerable area prevented by 
drought. Kainfall in G.ille 8-59 in. No reports of 
cattle disease- 
Eeattem Province.— Vixddy. Some crops in Ij it- 
ticnloa district danvigod by caterpillars. Raiufall 
'i-3'2 iu. iu Katticaloa, 6-21 > in Triucomalee. 
Proiiiicf of C/m.— Paddy. Maha crops iu blos- 
som. Flood : of April caused sore damage to paduy. 
Raiu during the early part of the month only. 
Health of cattle good. 
Province of fiabaraffdmuira.—Yala. tields being 
ploughed or 80WU ; prospects good. U iiufall at 
Ruanwella 17-01 in- Cattlo disea>e prevails iu 
fohorabawa iu Kuruwiti Koralc. 
North- Western Province. — Paddy. Yala cultivai 
tion in progress ; prospects good except in places 
where drought prevails. Cattle murraia still 
prevails iu parts of the Province. 
USIiFUL FIB HE PLANTS OF THE WORLD. 
We have becu favoured by the Unite 1 States 
Department of Agriculture with a copy of 
an exhaustive work on the above subject. It is 
entitled "A Descriptive Catalogue of Useful Fibre 
Planes of the World, iucludiug Structural and Eco- 
nomic Classification " by Charles Richard Dodgej 
The name of the author is a sufficient guarantee 
of the accuracy of the information contained ia 
the 361 pages of which the work consists, for 
Mr. Dodge's reputation as a specialist iu fibres 
is world-wide. The Report is illustrated by meaog 
of 13 plates and 103 figures. 
For the present we will only quote Mr. Dodge's 
"Letter of Transmittal"' as an introduction to 
the work, from which we shall nuote from time 
to time such useful information as should provta 
of value to our readers : — 
To the„^ecretary for .\griculturo 
Sir, — 1 have the honour to submit herewith 
the ncanascript of a descriptive catalogue of 
1,018 species of useful fibres of the world, No 
similar work has appeared in any country with 
80 full descriptive lists of the commercial aijd 
native fibres of the people of llie gU>lH', tUo com^ 
plication embodying note'', observati on^, nui re« 
