THE MAGAZINK 
OF 
Tf)G §WOL OF A 
COLOMBO. 
^cMecf as a Supiilement monthhi to the ''TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST:' 
The following pages include the contents of the Magazine of the School of 
Agriculture for July : — 
OUESELVES. 
I T II this number we enter upon 
our third volume of the Magazine 
of the School of Agriculture. So 
far the contributions to the Maga- 
zine have been solely from the pens of the staff of 
teachers at the School and the old boys of the 
Institution, to whom our thanks are due for 
their help in the endeavour to fill the Magazine 
with interesting and varied contents. To judge 
from the kind notices in our daily contem- 
poraries, to whom also we owe a debt of grati- 
tude for their encouragement, we have not 
wholly failed in this endeavour. We must how- 
ever take this opportunity of appealing to all 
those who have severed their direct connection 
with the School of Agriculture to make a more 
determined effort to send us news and notes 
from the various parts of the Island over which 
they are scattered : and especially to those who 
have the advantage of occupations which ne- 
cessitate travel do we appeal (in the absence of 
bona fide Agricultural Inspectors) for such reports 
as they can find time to send us in the midst of 
their other duties. Such reports, coming as they 
will from those who are capable of careful 
observation as well as Judgment in agricultural 
matters, while they will, when published, make 
our piiblication more interesting, will at the 
same time keep vis alive to the condition of 
native agriculture — which, owing to various con- 
trolling causes, is full of vicissitude — and place vis 
in a position of greater advantage than we are 
able to attain to any otherwise, inasmuch as 
we shall thereby have a more extended range of ob- 
servation to our mental eye, and be better able 
to deal "with matters affecting remote places, 
OCCASIONAL NOTES. 
Hibiscus Cannabinus, of whicli mention was 
made in our last issue as being grown together with 
cotton in India, is being grown experimentally 
at the School of Agriculture, where the plants 
have come up fairly well. It is mentioned in 
Tliwaites' Enumeratio, as growing " near Trinco- 
malee." Like H. Esculentus (Bandikai) the bark 
yields a fibre of some value. Wight mentions 
that the leaves are eaten as spinach. The plant 
resembles the H. Subdariffa or rozelle from the 
fleshy acid calyx, of which excellent jelly is 
prepared. We are informed that it is gi'own about 
Anuradhapura both as a fibre plant and a food- 
product. 
In the School of Agriculture grounds are a few 
trees of the order LeguminosEe which, according 
to Dr. Trimen, belong to the genus Milettia. 
The seeds were originally sent to Mr. II. D. 
Lewis, late Head Master of the School, by a 
gentleman in America, and was by the latter 
referred to as "Madre de Cacao." This term is 
in Ceylon associated with the Enjthrinas, used 
as shade for cocoa plantations, and it is to be 
inferred that the specimens of Milettia we have 
are used for the same purpose elsewhere. These 
trees are of an uncommon appearance with long 
supple plume-like branches. Two of them flowered 
for the first time early this year and displayed an 
abundance of pretty pink and white blossoms. 
It has been found that any broken branch or 
twig stuck into the ground in a moist place 
grows without difficulty. The specimens at the 
School are probably the only ones in the Island. 
There seems to be a good deal of uncertanity 
about the identity of the resinous substance known 
as Dragon's blood. In Cooley's Cyclopsedia, Dra- 
gon's blood {sanguis draconis) is described as a 
rich red resin, obtained from various species of 
Calamus. In a list of economic products of the 
vegetable kingdom, published by Robert Harcl,- 
