288 
Supplement to the Tropical Agriculhrkt" [OcT. 1, 
The following returns are furnished to me by 
the teachers : — 
A, — A monthly return showing attendance at 
garden work, the nature of the work 
done, &c. 
B, — A monthly financial return. 
C, — A quarterly return giving particulars of 
crops grown, &c. 
The following is a summary of the financial 
returns furnished in 1902. 
Profits were shown by Jamburaliya (R^. 2*10). 
Kumbaloluwa (R^. 20 09), Tenaa (Ru 4-88), Dip- 
pitigala (R^. 12-H5;, Wariyapola (Rs. 7-52), Pin- 
nawala (Rs, 6 97), Yakella (R-". 5'15), Panaala 
(Ra. 21-32j, Mugurugampola (Rj. 20-34), Kaha- 
tuduwa (Rs. 2'08) Nikaweratiya and Wataraka 
showed neither profit nor loss, while there was a 
deficit in the case of the following : — Kiriwat- 
tuduwa (Rs, 22'13), Handapangoda (Rs. 9-02), 
Weuda (Rs. 1'41), Nugawela (Rs. 1'52), Danowita 
(Rs. 27-15), Talpawila (Rs. 2-36), Rikillagasgoda 
(Rs. 8), Dorawaka (Rs. ll'll), Galahitiyawa 
(Rs. 6-12). 
The utility of the gardens cannot, particularly 
at this early stage, be gauged by receipts or pro- 
fits, as in most cases they are situated in remote 
parts of the Island, where they are calculated to 
do more good than if close to market centres. In 
such cases, therefore, a market has yet to spring 
up for the products introduced through and grown 
in the school gardens. It is iudeed one of the 
objects of the sclieme to create a demand for such 
products, and better financial results are bound to 
follow as the scheme matures, It should further 
be borne in mind that, besides the implements and 
seeds supplied to them, the teachers receive no 
financial aid, and are not permitted to employ and 
charge for hired labour : all the operations in the 
garden have to be performed by the scliolax's 
themselves. The additional work demanded of 
teachers in connection with this scheme is of a 
special and, in most cases, of an exacting nature, 
and it is not unreasonable that they should expect 
^ome recognition of that work when satisfactorily 
performed; for if ornamental gardening among 
Railway Station Masters is considered worthy of 
encouragement by the offer of prizes, much more 
so is economic gardening amotig schoolmasters 
deserving of recognition and reward. At the 
same time the school children must also be encour- 
aged, and an annual distribution of prizes should 
act as a great incentive to good work. 
In the Review of the Imperial Department of 
Agriculture for the West Indies (6th Decem- 
ber, 1902) occurs the following reference to the work 
done in the Colonies: — "In Trinidad it is satisfy- 
ing to find that there are now 149 school gardens 
in the Colony, of which no less than 78 were of 
sufficient merit to obtain the Government bonus at 
the last examination." It would be an excellent 
thing if the Department of Public Itistructioa in 
Ceylon made school gardening a subject for the 
Government grant. Such a step would strengthen 
my hands and give impetus to the development of 
the scheme. 
The resolution of the Colombo Agri-Horticul- 
tural Society to hold Village Shows (the benefits 
of which it is unnecessary for me to enlarge on) 
and to award prizes for school gardens will 
materially help on the scheme. I am also sanguine 
of raising a fund for providing prizes for school 
children. So that there is a prospect of the good 
work of both teachers and scholars being recog- 
nized from outside the Department. 
I shall now proceed to deal with the question, 
" What practical purpose do these school gardens 
serve?" They constitute in each province so 
many centres from which the people can obtain 
seeds and plants of edible and otherwise useful 
products. Whether from lack of energy or op- 
portunity, it is beyond the power of the villager 
to procure for himself such seeds and plants from 
the Botanic Gardens or other local or foreign 
source as it would be to his advantage to have. 
The occasional distribution of seeds through head- 
men is attended by very uncertain results, and 
only where a Government Agent or his Assistant 
has taken a personal interest in seed distribution 
has any definite advantage followed. In conse- 
quence there has been no appreciable change, 
either as regards variety or quality of produce, in 
village cultivation for many years past, and such 
improvement as there has been is of a local nature, 
as arising from special local influence. Now, 
however, the school gardens serve as agencies 
between the village and the central stock garden, 
and, through the latter, all other poisible sources 
of seed supply. 
In this way each garden is a means of bringing 
to the notice of tlie people such improved and 
new varieties of plants as are suitable for cultiva- 
tion by them. The mutiplication of food crops, 
particularly in districts where the ordinary diet of 
the people is lacking in quality and variety, is, it 
will be readily admitted an important factor in 
sonitary reform, and the school garden schem« 
has provided the org.inization for effecting this. 
Further, the school garden serves as au object 
lesson, inasmuch as it gives the people an opportu- 
nity of seeing the actual cultivation of the seeds 
distributed ; and this is of the greatest importance, 
as the village cultivator, proverbially conserva- 
tive, could net afford, even if he desired, to 
indulge in experiment. 
Through the central stock garden the school 
gardens provide for the exchange of seed, so 
important an element in the improvement of 
crops, by which the best seeds of one district are 
introduced into another and vice vend, la 
terms of a Circular 1 have issued with reference to 
the selection and preservation of seed, one-third 
of the selected seed is retained for future use ia 
the school garden, one-third distributed among the 
children and their parents, and the remaining 
third transmitted to me. 
In this connection I might mention that the 
collection and selection, drying and storing, pack- 
ing and distributing of seed, constitute one of the 
chief duties of the Manager of the Stock Garden, 
who also keeps a record of all seeds distributed. 
My travels in the interior have brought to my 
knowledge many little-known facts, and afforded 
rue the opportunity of discovering and supplying 
the wants of particular localities. In some parts 
such invaluable trees as jak and breadfruit are 
uot seen, though the people can ill-afford to 
