218 
Supplement to the " Tropical Agriculturist,^* [Sept. 1, 1908. 
Habarnla 
Chillies 
Me-karal 
Betel 
Contents. 
A. 
Yams 
Hingurala 
Ginger 
Caiinas (commonlkinds) | Alternanthera 
Caladiums (a few) | 
C— Pluiitains (many, but no ripe fruit), 
The garden shows a lack of energy and skill 
on the part of the teacher responsible. 
Khsbewa Vernacular Boys' School. 
5 miles from Lunawa Railway Station, 
Area, about one acre. 
Soil seems nothing but hard gravel . 
Shade and water scarce. 
Contents. 
A. 
I Arrowroot 
I Chillies 
5, — Cannas 
C 
j Star-apple (1 young 
I plant) 
1% seems impossible to do anything with this 
garden as regards growing vegetable? or fruit 
trees, and all that it appears suited for is to 
be laid out in lawns with the necessary paths, 
Galahitiyava Vernacular Boys' 
School. 
Midway by railway line between Kagama and 
Henaratgoda Stations. 
Area, about 2 acres. 
Soil good, situation fair. 
Well-water in garden, but not plentiful in dry 
weather. 
Contents of Garden, 
A. 
Chillies (few) 
Betel 
Bandakkai 
Alocasia 
Brinjal 
Breadfruit 
Manyokka 
Pines (mainly Kew) 
Alocasia (few) 
We have been struck by the claim put forward 
by the Station, Farm and Dairy for this system of 
root-disturbing and root-breaking as a moans of 
increising the yield of maize. 
" However necessary," says the writer of the 
'Groin Column,' "a careful selection of seed and 
soil may be for mnize cultivation, I consider my 
plan of cultivating a still mare important factor in 
augmenting the yield of the maize crop." 
The writer then goes on to describe his method 
of working the implement known as the cultivator, 
and SI ates that the operiitiou performed periodically 
is practically equivalent to transplanting the entire 
field two or three times, and that with little labour 
and expense. The object of transplanting, he 
avers, is to secure additional productiveness by 
multiplying the rootlets, thus securing a more 
vigorous growth and larger resulting crop. 
" In talking about this subject," he boldly 
asserts, " I talk confidently, because I know 
what I am talking about. ! With me it is not an 
experiment but an experioilcs, and I invite criti- ' 
cism." 
The object in the use' of the cultivator, used 
first on one side and the next time on the other, is 
both to keep the surface cultivated and to cut the 
roots on each side in turn. Every root cut or 
broken off at any one operation will, it is said, 
multiply and send a corresponding extra supply of 
food to the plant by the time the same side is dis- 
turbed again. 
The author of the remarks reproduced above lias 
invited criticism, and we echo his invitation to 
local agricuituiijts. There is such a practice as 
root-prujiing to ensure productiveness, and a 
laborious process of transplanting coconut 
trees is in vogue in parts of India. In 
Ceylon , a number of enlightened planters, 
acting 'up to their convictions, have ' succeeded 
in overcoming local prejudice against 'cultivating ' 
coconut land. Let us have the views of these 
latter, who " know what they are talking 
about" on the new philosophy of "cultivation!" 
Me-karal 
Caladiums ffew & poor) | Tampala 
Crotons (,, >,) | 
C. — Mulberry (a feSw small plants). 
This garden is mainly in course of clearing. 
There are hardly any crops noticeable, except 
Pineapples and Manyokka. 
H. F. MACMILLAN. 
A NOTE ON "CULTIVATING." 
By " cultivating" we here mean the moving of 
the soil by hand or power implements during the 
life of the crop. 
One of the objections generally brought forward 
against digging or ploughing land under coconut 
cultivation is that the roots of the palm are dis- 
turbed and even coaeidorably injured, 
THE WHITE ANT CITY. 
A Nature Study. 
BY WALTER W. FOGGATT, P.L.S., 
Government Entomologist. 
Most people have heard of white ants, but it 
would probably be difficult to describe one, or 
say in what way they differ from black ants. 
Now, like many other names that have crept into 
common use, from a naturalist's point of view this 
term is very misleading, for these insects are in 
noway related to the ants; but a popular name 
always sticks, so "white ants" they will remain 
to the end of the chapter. 
The white ant we are now describing is scien- 
tifically known under the name of Termes lacteus; 
the first or group name was given to all the 
white ants by Linnaeus, from the L:itin word 
Tarmes, a worm in timber ; and, in describing 
the species, 1 gave it the second or specific name 
lacteus {Lac, milk) in allusion to the curious 
h'lbit of the soldier when alarmed of discharging 
a globule of milk-like fluid from the forehead, 
