1 nwjii-Miib oflJ wollol 
COLOMBO. 
Added as a {Supplement Monthly to the "TROPICAL AQRICULTUBIST: 
' \q , "vv^^ 
The following pages include the Contents of the Agricultural Magazine for 
Novembei.' : — 
■yoi. XV.] 
NOVEMBER. 1903. 
[No. 5. 
BOX AND POT CULTIVATION IN SCHOOLS, 
"a lonr.'j-nj 
'\'^EEY common complaint made by 
the teachers in our schools is that 
they have not. sufficient land for 
cultivation. The truth is that 
many, teachers look upon school 
garrlenp too much as a Ci>mmercial 
pursuit, and as a means of supplementing their 
small salary — inoomek ■ They are very '.anxioBS, 
as a rule, to grow plantains and establish a 
large betel garden, but when they are required 
to_ carry on gardening in accordance with the 
aims and objects of the school garden scheme they 
begin to raise difficulties, and, as already stated, 
one of the difficulties they are fond of rasing is 
the want of a sufficient area to cultivate. Now as 
a rule our schools are not well served aa regards 
land. Some are fortunate enough to be situated 
on Ci'owii property, wl^en it is generaly possible to 
extend the area originally attached to the school. 
More frequently the school stands on private 
property, the owner or owners of which have 
consented to the school being built upon it. 
In the latter cases only a very small space is, as a 
rule, available for the garden which, iu most 
cares, is part of an area, already planted up with 
cocouuts or- some other permanent crop which 
cannot b'j interfered with. 
%he object of the foregoing remark? is to intro- 
duce our teiidiers to the system of school gardeu- 
; by. mems of bTxes and pots, n systeai 
wliich is, so to spe>ik, independent of laiul. To 
thbse who have nearly an acre of land at their 
(l>s.j9sai, and etill grumble, we can only say 
you have already had far too much. To those who 
have no land to speak of, we would 8ay, you must 
go in for box and pot cultivation. To the rest 
who have limited areas we also commend this 
means of supplementing their liniiteqi. operations. 
In school gardening, therefore, as in all things^; 
'Where there is a will there is a way," . • 
The Imperial Department of Agriculture for the 
West Indies, in a useful little pamphlet entitled, 
"'Hints for School Gardens" offers the folJowing; 
remarks on this subject :— . ; , ' 
" Schools: which cannot, fpjr any i;ea8on, altemRj;; 
a garden in the proper sense of the word can do ^t; 
great deal with cultivations in pots and boxes. 
It might be advisable in all schools to commence 
with box and pot cultivation. Many <3f the more 
important points in agricultural practice, such as 
drainage, the proper breaking np of the soil, th» 
results of manuring, can be v^ell . demonstrated in 
this way. The expense will be very little at tUei 
beginning, very few tools being required. The 
labour is very light and thus not likely to arouse 
the prejudices of some parents, as hoeing and 
forking sometimes do. These prejudices against 
the work will, no doubt, disappear in time ; but 
whilst the subject is comparatively novel, it is 
wise to avoid arousing them. 
CS i5 « • « 
Box and pot cultivations may then form ths 
starting point for all schorl gardens. T'lo.se 
schools v.-!iich cannot go further must confine 
tii'»ir attention to these, gra^'unlly ertendirg their 
sc'")pe where found practicable. 
The =chnols which have room for a garden can 
commence by raising plants in pots and bo.xes. 
