374 
Suppkmeni to the " Tropical JgncuHiimt." [November 2, 189 1. 
except by supposing that the plant could see 
the pole. In one of our previous issues we referred 
to the peculiarities in certain plants which would 
easily explain this phenomenon. The property 
of negative heliotropism, i.e., the bending of 
growing organs away from the source of light 
is exhibited in such plants as the ivy and vine, and 
as we have before explained, is due to the more 
active growth of the more powerfully illumined 
part. It is tliis property that would explain 
the tendency of the special plant referred to by 
the lady to turn in the direction of a support 
which was away from the light. The grow- 
in part of twining plants is very sensitive 
—the slightest touch against any object making 
it bend towards the object for support. Pro- 
fessor McAlpine xised to describe the effect of 
such contact as a " tickling " process to which 
was due the curling of the tips of the growing 
part— the contraction at the end being conveyed 
backwards and the whole plant drawn and tightly 
eflxed It is after tho support is touched and 
»dhet;.ed to, that the tougher tissue is developed 
and he position of the plant strengthened. AVith- 
out a support within reach tlie growing part of 
a twining plant may keep moving about 
(aAvay from the light if it be negatively 
heliotropic) till it touches a support to 
which it then inclines to adhere. This tendency 
of plants to twine round a support is caused by 
the more rapid growth of the right and left sides 
of' a growing organ in succession, and is known 
as revolving nutation. It would thus appear that 
it is altogether too much to assume that plants 
are endowed with the sense of sight! 
EOVEB. 
THE STORING OF SEED GRAIN . 
The selection and storing of seed grain are 
matters of the greatest importance in agriculture. 
It is much to be regretted that from some 
cause or other the careful selection of seed— the 
advantages of which are fully understood by 
our cultivators,— is not at present practised even ■ 
to the extent it was at one time. The preser- 
vation of seed intended for sowing is another 
subject upon which any advice must be very 
welcome, as it often occurs that the seed 
which is expected to raise the future crop is 
at the eleventh hour found to have become 
musty or to have been attacked by some kind 
of insect, so that its germinating power has 
been completely destroyed. _ _ 
The Agricultural Department of Madras in its 
Bulletin No. 10 takes up the consideration _ of 
this subject, and details the methods of preserving 
seed grain in vogue in some of the districts of 
the Presidency. The hints embodied therein must 
from the similarity of conditions under which 
cultivation is carried on in India and Ceylon, 
as well as from tlie simplicity of the means 
which are enumerated, be of value to the 
cultivators of grain in this Island. 
Four methods of storing tlie seed are noted, 
viz., in baskets ; gunny bags ; earthen pots and 
straw bundles. 
The baskets for storing grain are made of split 
l)amboos, of a circular or rcctangidar sliape and 
of various sizes. To fill u)) the spaces between 
thy Immljooa they are coated iusidu and out with 
cowdung. The baskets are generally used when 
large quantities of grain have to be stored. When 
the grain is ijlaced in this kind of receptacle it is 
covered with a layer of straAvand the mouth plugged 
with a thick layer of cowdung and earth. 
The gunny bags are used when smaller quan- 
tities of grain are to be stored. The bags 
are simply kept loosely in some part of the 
house, where there is constant movement, so that 
the bags are frequently trampled on, shifted or 
used as seats by the inmates. 
The earthen pots which are used are made in 
the shape of two inverted cones either of earth 
mixed with paddy husks or calcined earthen- 
ware, and are always kept whitewashed. 
When stored in pots sometimes the grain is 
liable to be damaged by insects. The best plan 
is that of storing the grain in straw bundles. 
For making the bundles a quantity of paddy 
straw, all of uniform length, is tied together at 
the butt end, and then placed in a basket and 
evenly spread out so as to make a hollow in 
the centre. On this a small quantity of loose 
straw is spread and the grain is j)ut in. The outer 
straw is then gathered together at the top, and 
the whole bundle is bound round and round by 
a straw rope and finally secured by an ordinary 
rope. This form of storing is used in case of 
large grains, and the Imndles are not opened 
till the seed is required for sowing. 
In storing seed grain various substances are 
placed in the vessels to prevent insect attacks. 
Among these are mentioned the leaves of 
Margosa, the pods of Bengal gram, varagu 
{Pasjxtlum Scfobiculatura) and wood ashes respec- 
tively. In Ceylon the villagers usually put in 
a lot of lime leaves and chilles along with 
grain to prevent insect attacks. 
It is always of importance to dry the seed 
perfectly before storing away, for the least trace 
of moisture is apt to injure their germinating 
l)owers. 
The fine grains such as Gumbo ( Peimisetu'ni 
I'ypJwideum), Kurrakkan (Eleusine C'oracana) and 
the Panicums are usually better preserved, when 
the whole ears are stored without threshing, 
the last operation being done just before sowiiig. 
w. A. D. s.;, ",, 
* > wo giiiji; 
CEREMONIES OBSERVED BY THE KANDYANS 
IN PADDY CULTIVATION. ':: ' V'''-'' 
Paddy is liable to be attacked ■■lby-*'"a ^§nW 
known among tlie Kaudyans as kok-panuim, 
Avhich sucks the juices of the plant. To avert 
such attack a kema or charm called pas-jmlidu- 
kema is arranged for by the Eapurala., Five kinds 
of giain seeds are fried in a 'pan and afterwards 
spread on some mud which is moulded over a 
coconut shell. About dusk (gomman vena velawa) 
the Kapurala after going through a process of 
purification, in-oceeds to the infested field with 
this preparation, carrying a lighted torch in his 
hand. The kema is placed on a piece of wood, 
and the lighted torch is allowed to burn till 
the fire is extinguished. After this the Kapurala 
returns home, but not by the same road he 
went to the field, and to nobody must he utter a 
word on the way. Another method of dealing 
with this pest is to submerge the crop with water 
