THE 
COLOMBO. 
Added as a Supplement Monthly to the " TROPICAL AGRICULTUEIST." 
The following pages include the Contents of the Agricultural Magazine for 
November : — 
Vol. XIII.] NOVEMBER, 1901. [No. 5. 
SCHOOL GARDENING IN CEYLON. 
HE scheme for establishing gardens 
in connection with villuge schools 
may now be said to be fairly 
launched. The object of the 
scheme is threefold ; (1) To 
make the surroundings of school 
children pleasant and attractive to them ; 
(2) To evoke a healthy interest in the study of 
plant life and Nature in general, and to encourage 
methodical observation and reasoning therefrom ; 
and (3) To introduce and extend the cultivation of 
vegetables and fruits in the localities in which 
the schools are situated. To this end the gardens 
will be planted with both ornamental and useful 
plants. 
In order to ensure a constant supply of such 
plants and seeds as will be required for school 
gardens, a " stock garden " has been estab- 
lished in the grounds of the late School of 
Agriculture, Colombo, where vegetables and 
flowers are kept under cultivation and nurseries 
of fruit trees maintained. The chief ultimate 
sources of supply are the Botanic Gardens at 
Peradeniya and Henaratgoda. This stock garden — 
no doubt only the first of many — is under the 
supervision of the Superintendent of School 
Gardens, but in direct charge of a manager 
and a small staff of coolies. 
The difficulties in selecting sites for school 
gardens are considerable, for the reason that the 
grounds which have been allotted to schools were 
not in the first instance selected with any idea 
of providing space (for sport and gardening) 
beyond the bare foundation area for the school 
building. Indeed, the conditions at present 
attaching to Government school buildings are far 
from satisfactory. To begin with, many of the 
sites are private property given gratuitously by 
the owners, but for purposes of gardening they are 
unsuitable owing to their being either too limited 
in extent, or already fully planted up with 
perennial trees (such as coconuts), while often 
they are badly provided as regards soil and water 
supply. At present there isjalso some difficulty ex. 
perienced as a result of the ignorance of the princi- 
ples of gardening among teachers. There are, how- 
ever, a number that either from having come in 
touch with the late School of Agriculture or through 
previous experience, make very fair amateur 
gardeners, but they unfortunately often have little 
scope for gardening, while better favoured teachert 
are found to have little knowledge of, or no 
nptitude for horticulture. This latter anomaly 
will no doubt be remedied in time and suitable 
m-j be brought to suitable sites, but until all 
Goven ment schools come to stand on Crown land 
f 
and a laige enough area for all purposes be placed 
at the disposal of the Department of Public 
Instruction, there will be many obstacles in the 
way of school gardening. Once, however, this 
^s brought about, the land will be at the disposal 
of the school garden authorities to treat as is 
thought best for the object in view, so that, given 
a fair water supply the possibilities of gardening 
should not be wanting. 
