September i, 1891.] THE TROFiei^l. mmimVTmmr. 175 
THE SCHOOL OP AGRICULTURE AND 
VILLAGE CULTIVATION. 
We have received a copy of the followicg circu- 
lar :— 
The value of circulating leaflets, embodying useful 
and practical advice, has been proved beyond doubt, 
and the adoption of this means for disseminating agri- 
cultural information has been forcibly urged by the 
daily press. The free diatribution of papers contain- 
ing useful and practical advice has been favoured by 
Agricultnral Departments wherever tbey exist, and 
has been attended with good results. In view of these 
facts the Editors of the " Govikam Saiujafawa" (the 
Sinhalese Agricultural Magazine, published in con- 
neotiou with the School of Agriculture) have, vfith the 
completion of the 2Dd vol. of that periodical, decided 
on suppressing it for at least a time, vvith the view 
of testing the method referred to above, viz., of 
issuing monthly leaflets mainly intended for village 
cultivators, to be " sown broadcast " over the 
country. It is hoped that the minimum cost of 1 
cent per copy made only to defray cjst of printing, 
postaiie, and illustratioug when necessary, will not be 
incurred by the cultivators themselves, but that those 
in authority who have the welfare of their eeveral 
provinces and districts at heart, as well as influential, 
wealthy and philanthropic private land-owners, will 
give large orders for the leaft.ts and circulate them 
c/ratis among the villagers. In the alwence of Itinerary 
Agricultural Inspectors, thera seems to be no better 
means of presenting to the (joii/asa'l such information 
as they may be in need of, and the betler for, regard- 
ing every branch of the Atricultucal Industry. It 
wi'I greatly facilitate the carrying out of this project, 
if all those who are concerned iu furthering the 
interests of native agriculture, as well as cultivators 
themselves, will communicate with the Editors at the 
School of Agriculture, and sqggest such subjoctg as 
they think might advisedly be taken up and treated 
of in the leiflets, and upon what points information 
is desi'lerated. 
We hope that this new experiment will prove a 
successful one. Many of the goiyas wilL not be 
able to read the leaflets, and many more may not 
understand or appreciate the information they 
contain. But we trust the educated young men 
being scattered over the country v/ill help their 
less favoured countrymen by reading, explanation 
and advice to follow as far as poesible the reformed 
methods of cultivation which will, of course, be 
ndioated. 
TERMITES AT HIGH ALTITUDES. 
For long shared what we believe is the popular impres- 
sion that wbite-anta cannot exist at altitudes beyond 
2,000 or 3,000 feet above sea level. Tennent, indeed, 
wrote of their not being found above 4,000 or 5,000 
feet; but until quite recently, we felt certain that at 
or above the latt'.-r elevation they did net and could 
not exist. To this effect we recently fipolre unadvisedly 
to a visitor on Abbotsi'ord. We were nv.are that Mr. 
E. K. Green had observed and described a species 
in Pundaluoya at an elevation of over 4,000 feet ; 
but we had never soi n any in the district of 
Dirabula except Eomo impjrtod from Colombo in 
a deal case ; and wo regarded Abbots fir..! (4,601) to 
0,000 feet) as equally exempt from th-i [.'i'i^onoc 
of while.-anta as of laud leeches. Wn h-id ti. i-L; itteii 
that the more observant Euperinlcndent liri-l noticed 
and told us of thoir existence. \L< v/iit- : — • 
"I MOW seud you a oatuplo so tUnt. you rji:y be 
sati'liod on the sulijvct. It you cut up tho .^ti. you 
may hiij more in thom, but y. u m.iy well bum 
tho lot after inspectiou, as it would be a pity to eii- 
couragu ihoir pcopagiition. There are fortmu'.'o'y v.;iy 
few about, but still theio can bo no doubt thjy are 
here. I got these on Knock Ferrol, and the last I saw 
there were altogether" a much smailer variety." 
Of the smaller variety referred to, no spcci- 
mens have been sent, so that the question of 
their identity with the small- white-ant of the 
lowcountry cannot be definitely settled. If, how- 
ever, v/e are correct in supposing that no earth- 
formed nests have ever been found at the higher 
elevations, the probability is that the smaller 
mountain termes is a distinct insect, The larger 
sized species, of which specimens reached us, in 
the twigs, into which they had bored tunnels on 
Knock Ferrol (5,200 feet altitude), are certainly 
distinot from the lowcountry excavators and 
pyramid builders, and Mr. Stani'orth Green is prob- 
ably correct in concluding that the big Dimbula 
ant and that of Pundaluoya are identical. Mr. Green 
writes : — 
"The Abbotaford ' white-ants ' are of a different 
species to the common termites living underground in 
the lowcountry. The former are much larger aud 
whiter. It is likely however that they are to be met 
with in the lowcountry in certain situations. They do 
not seem to use cover in their work, merely tunnelling 
the wood they attack, aud in which they reside, 
Thei'e is a smaller species in the lowcountry that some- 
times attacks furniture and other wooJ-work. This 
species does not seem to L0f.ido underground at any 
period of its life. It is of aa ivory-white colour. 
" I canuot find E. E. Graeu's paper on the Pundaluoya 
termitOF, but thuy are probably identical with the 
Abbotfford ones." 
Tennent, on the authority of Thwaites of Pera- 
deniya, describes a lowcountry termes {T. jnonoceros) 
which does not form earth nests but builds, in 
the hollows of old trees, nests which are of a black 
colour, resembling a mass of scorife ; the insects 
themselves being of a pitchy brown. The question 
we should now like to have answered is, 
" Have termites been observed at a higher eleva- 
tions than that of 5,200 feet?" As the 
creatures are, at certain stages in their existence, 
gifted with the power of flight, they may be able 
gradually to extend their zona upwards. Readers 
may remember the aimy of hornets which visited 
Dimbula and other high districts some years ago, 
ju.t as tea was appreciably taking the place of 
coffee. They teem to have disappeared as rapidly as 
they oame. The termites have no such powers of flight 
aa the wasps. 
-«> 
BURMA EUBY MINES. 
The third ordinary general meeting of the share- 
holders in the Burma Knby Mines (Limited) was 
held yesterday at the City Terminus Hotel. Sir 
Lepel H. Grifhu presided, and, iu moving the adoption 
of the report, sttttid that it was accompanied by the 
report of a director (Mr. F. H. Kirbj), who accom- 
panied him (the chairman) to the mines a year before. 
Although they had no very brilliant results to ehow at 
present, ho thought that their prospects were exceed- 
mgiy satisfactory aud reassuring, alihough they had 
not yet obtaiued stones of the quantity and quality 
v/bich they hoped to get. Every month tho returns 
were disnmetly better, both iu quality and quantity, 
ai'd their chief engiue(.r. Major Kunhardfc, was e'x- 
ceediugly confident of the eveotusl success of the 
company. I;.i his last report, received a fortnight 
ago, .Major Kuohardt said :—" Briefly stuted, I look 
upon our first year as having been one of exploration 
aiid experiment ; the present, our second, year as one 
of development ; »uci, as far as I can judge, our 
tiiird and Buboiquent years will be years ot succets." 
He prcaented Major Kuuht.rdL's opinion to them as 
one deserving of their fullest confidence. He tlion 
recapitulated whst bad be. n done )u tho last 18 
months, pointing out that in all such undertakings 
