124 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, [Aug. 1, 1901. 
IMPROVED AGRICULTURE FOR THE 
PRESENT AND NEXT GENERATION. 
SCHOOL GARDENS AND THE SINHA- 
LESE AND TAMILS : 
A KACHCHBRI EXPERIMENTAL GARDEN IN 
EVERY REVENUE DISTRICT. 
The Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, 
in his lecture on Thursday the I3th inst., laid a 
sound foundation for all agricultural instruc- 
tion and training with reference to the rising 
generation of Ceylonese. The educing (edu- 
cating) and training of the powers of ob- 
servation among young people has long been 
recognised as of much greater importance 
than the "cramming" with facts, whether 
of grammar, geography or history or the 
learning of lessons " by heart " ; and it has 
also been recognised that no bi-anch of study 
is better fitted to educe and train the ob- 
serving power of children than "botany" — 
the study of plants. In this connection we 
may say there is immense encouragement 
in dealing with oriental pupils, at any rate 
in rural districts ; from the simple fact that 
all Sinhalese and Tamil villagers, as a rule, 
know a great deal more about the plants 
and vegetables around them, and their vari- 
ous uses, than do the same class of 
people in the United Kingdom or per- 
haps anywhere in Europe, save in 
France where the peasantry cultivate a very 
close and practical acquaintance with nearly 
every plant within their reach. Dependent, 
as the rural Ceylonese are, on the products 
of the soil for their food and medicine, 
they know far more in their own way re- 
garding a great many plants than Europeans 
usually give them credit for. Waring's 
" Bazaar Medicines of India " is a standing 
proof of the wonderful extent to which the 
people in Ceylon (as in India), under the 
guidance of their VedarAlas, utilise the 
vegetation of all degrees within their reach, 
from the stately tamarind tree or palm lo 
the lowliest of roots or mosses. Such in- 
formation and experience trickles down from 
father to son ; and therefore it is that school- 
masters interested in their agricultural work, 
and well-equipped themselves, should find 
apt pupils among Sinhalese and Tamil lads 
and lasses as they teach them about 
plants, how best to cultivate, observe, and 
utilise them, with a view to gardens of 
their own in days to come. 
But a generation must pass before the fruit 
of such a course of study can be seen, even 
if Mr. Burrows had at hand the qualified and 
iiterested schoolmasters ; and this fact brings 
us to another side of agricultural pro- 
gress among the people, which, we trust, will 
not be lost sight of by Mr. Willis, the 
Revenue Officers, or the Government. Just 
as every Village School ought to have its 
Garden for experiment, teaching and observ- 
ation, so ought every Kachcheri in the 
island to have an Experimental Garden 
attached to it, specially with a view to the 
introduction of new products, but also for 
the improvement of existing plants and 
fruits. Such Gardens should be under the 
direction of the Revenue Officers (with 
trained gardeners from Peradeniya?) and 
they should be periodically inspected 
by Mr. Willis or a member of his Staff. 
Moreover, once a year there should be an 
Agri-Horticultural Show— an occasion as well 
for holiday-making and games— at the head- 
quarters of each revenue division, such Show 
to be confined to the products of the district, 
with prices in cash, medals, and even higher 
honours (costing nothing!) for exceptionally 
meritorious cases. The expense of an annual 
Show, if carried ou after a modest and prac- 
tical fashion, and specially in the interest of 
the native cultivators and their headmen, 
should be very little; while the good achieved, 
through stirring up emulation as to field and 
garden produce and live-stock, could not fail to 
be considerable and to increase year by year, 
more especially when the annual gathering 
afforded the opportunity for comparing the 
villagers' products with those from the 
Kachcheri Experimental Garden, Cattl« &c. 
Establishment ; and for observing and trying 
useful new vegetables, fruits or other products. 
We do not overlook the progress 
already made in multiplying Gardens, at 
BaduUa as well as Heneratgoda, at Anu- 
radhapura. and Jaffna. But why not in the 
same way at the capital of each province 
and each district ? If Revenue Officers bestir 
themselves to make a start with their Kach- 
cheri Headmen, we feel sure the Peradeniya 
authorities will help them with plants, seed 
and personal aid — and that for this the 
sanction of H.E. the Governor in executive 
Council can readily be obtained. In this 
way, every Kachcheri might have an Ex- 
perimental Garden begun before the present 
year expired ; and if we were Governor we 
should take special note, in reading the 
Provincial and District Administration Re- 
ports for 1901, of any mention made of such 
Gardens and the progress attained with 
them. In this way, we feel certain a great 
advance could be made in and around our 
rural villages, even in the present generation. 
Recalling the great interest taken by Sir 
West Ridgeway in this subject of improved 
Agriculture and His Excellency's evident 
desire to see the well-equipped Peradeniya 
Scientific Staff fully utilised for the benefit 
of local industries, the multiplieation of 
Experimental Gardens or Stations must have 
the Governor's fullest approval. They cost 
little (comparatively a trifle) ; but may 
achieve much. 
The Practical Farmre (Price Is.)— A Vadc 
Mecum of Grasses, Roots and Forage crops. 
— Messrs. James Carter & Co. have issued a valu- 
able pamphlet book, which will be helpful in the 
selection of suitable grass seed as well as for 
its directions for the preparation of grass land. 
Numerous illustrations make it easy to recog- 
nise the kinds common in Ceylon. One chapter 
is devoted to "Pernicious Weeds likely to occur 
in uncleaned samples of grass and clover seeds," 
and another to Furze, Gorse or Whin. From 
the latter we learn that Gorse as a young plant 
is useful as forage, being especially valuable for 
milch cows as causing an increasing yield of milk ; 
))ut the Gorse must be young and well bruised. 
Other chapters are devoted to Crop Pests ; Koot 
cultivation; the cabbage as a field crops 
a description of the soils of Great Britain ^(Agri- 
cultural and Geological) ; Permanent Pastures. 
