358 Supplement to the " 3 
At present there are in the Western Province six 
schools (originally selected to be worked by way of 
experiment) which have established gardens that 
should in a general way serve as types for other 
schoril gardens. There are the schools at Kirri- 
wattuduwn, Jambureliya, Handapangoda, Homa- 
gnma, Kumbaloluwa, and Xahatuduwa. The 
first two and last gardens reflect great credit on the 
teachers, and go to prove that we have among 
that body, men who are both able and willing to 
carry out the requirements of the new scheme. 
The names of these teachers deserve to be men- 
tioned in this account of the initiation of the 
school garden scheme, a:tid we mention them 
trusting that their example will be speedily 
followed by all others who have the welfare of 
the children and the people of the village at heart, 
and wish to see their pupils proud of their school. 
Kirriwattuduwa — M. D. Peiris. 
Kahatuduwa — W. A. Perera. 
Jambureliya — M. D. Neris. 
OCCASIONAL NOTES. 
Mr. Alexander Perera, late Clerk and Foreman 
Botanic Gardens, Hakgala, has been appointed 
assistant to the Superintendent of School Gardens. 
Mr. Perera assumed duties on the 10th October. 
The Superintendent of School Gardens made a 
tour through the North-Western Province during 
July and September, visiting the schools 
at Karukuiiya, Medagama, Walahapitiya and 
Nattandia (in the Chilaw district), and Nickawera- 
tiya, Wariapola, Weuda and Watareke in the 
Kurunegala district. 
■opical Agriculturist.' [Nov. 1, 1901. 
thus saved, provision is made for the encourage- 
ment of school gardens, the supervision of which 
has been entrusted to the late Superiateadeut of 
the School of Agriculture." 
Among our latest exchanges is the Agricultural 
Gazette of New South Wales, an excellently got 
up and edited publication, specially well illustrated. 
In our last unmber we omitted to mention that the 
notes on Poultry Parasites were taken over from 
this paper. 
RAINFALL TAKEN AT THE SCHOOL OF 
AGRICULTURE DURING THE MONTH 
OF OCTOBER, 1901. 
1 
Tuesday 
. -72 
17 
Tiiursday . . 
Nil 
2 
Wednesday . 
. 07 
18 
Friday 
Nil 
3 
Thursday 
. Nil 
19 
Saturday ... 
Nil 
4 
Friday 
. Nil 
20 
Sunday 
Nil 
5 
Saturday 
. -16 
21 
Monday 
Nil 
6 
Sunday 
. 1.13 
22 
Tue.sday . . 
Nil 
7 
Monday 
. Nil 
23 
Wedesday ... 
Nil 
8 
Tuesday 
. Nil 
24 
Thursday . . 
•52 
9 
Wednesday . 
. Nil 
25 
Friday 
Nil 
10 
Thursday 
. Nil 
26 
Saturday . . 
Nil 
11 
Friday 
. Nil 
27 
Sunday 
Nil 
12 
Saturday 
. -16 
28 
Monday ... 
2-21 
13 
Sunday 
.. -07 
29 
Tuesday 
•67 
14 
Monday 
. -34 
30 
Wednesday 
Nil 
15 
Tuesday 
. -02 
31 
Thursday . . 
•48 
16 
Wednesday . 
. Nil 
1 
Friday 
•46 
Total. 
.6-29 
Mean . . 
•20 
Greatest amount of rainfall registered in 24 
hours on the 28th Oct. 2^21 inches. 
Recorded by U. Dbieberg. 
We have been permitted to look through a new 
work on " Nature Teaching " by Mr, F. Watts, 
Government Chemist, Leeward Isles, issued under 
the authority of Dr. Morris, Director of Agriculture, 
West Indies. It is really an elementary text- 
book on Agriculture, in which the lessons are 
presented in a very practical way calculated to 
create an interest in the minds of the scholars. 
We agree with the Impeiial Institute Journal in 
thinking that "teaching conducted on these lines 
should be attended with the best possible results." 
The following reference to Agricultural Edu- 
cation occurs in H.E. The Governor's address at 
the opening of the new sessioji of the Legislative 
Council on October 18th : — " The School of Agricul- 
ture has been closed, and in its stead a scheme has 
been started for the extension of School Gardens, 
■*?hereby it is hoped eventually to improve the 
supply and increase the variety of vegetables and 
fruits throughout the Island, and to teach just so 
much practical horticulture and botany to the 
boys as will really be of use to them in their 
home life. The progress of this effort will be 
watched with interset." While in the Massage 
to the Council " we read : "The School of Agri- 
culture has been closed with a view to its transfer 
to Kandy. Meantime, as against the expenditure 
DIET FOR THE POOR. 
Dr. J. L. Vanderstraaten, M.D., late Principal 
of the Ceylon Medical College, has very thought- 
fully sent us some copies of a leaflet on 
" Diet for the Poor " written by him many 
years ago for tlie " Miscellany." and specially 
draws our attention to the value of the pea 
or more correctly Pigeon Pea {Cajanus indicus), 
and the facility with which the plant grows, 
thriving well in the sandy soil in Colombo 
and round the tank at Nickaweratiya, This 
pea is the " Dhall " which forms so important 
an element in the vegetarian diet of the Hindus 
in India. We have always felt that the value 
of dhall has never been sufficiently recognised 
in Ceylon, and some years ago did all in our 
power to popularise it by distributing seed, and 
in other ways. While reserving further remarks 
with reference to this pul-e, we here reprint the 
paper referred to as worthy of perusal, just at 
this time when a special effort is being made to 
improve the diet of the people. We would merely 
add by way of preface that despite the many 
services which Dr. Vanderstraaten has rendered 
in connection with sanitation and iu other 
ways, he will always be remenibered as the 
home physician who always spokeJ.wjtli authorit 
