November 2 1^9^,] Supplement to the ^'Tropical AgnctiHwist." 
for a time. In some parts of the Kiirunegala 
district an oleagiuous mixture with a i^leasant 
scent is smeared over arecanut flowers by the 
Kapnrala, after reciting , the Itliipiso Gafka, and 
suspended on sticks in different parts of the 
field. In the Anuradhapnra district, sand, after 
being "charmed," is scattered over the field, 
and offerings are made to Ji/ana Deinitjo with 
a view to inducing his intercession to stay the 
ravages of the pests. Mr. Bell, of the Ceylon 
Civil Service, in writing about the cultivation 
of hill paddy, describes another kema called 
nava nilla, practised by the cultivators of the 
>Sabaragamuwa district. 
When the paddy is approaching maturity other 
ceremonies are gone through, the goiya, after 
purification, places three ears of grain on a leaf 
of the Bo-tree, which is held in great veneration 
for reasons too well known to need mention, 
and buries them in -the kalawita or threshi?ig 
floor, at the same time chanting some mystic 
words, invoking the gods to protect the crop 
from flood, fire, birds and wild beasts. A day 
or so prior 'to the harvesting a few women are 
set to smear the threshing floor with cowdung. 
The crop must not be taken in on days on 
which poya (the sabbath of the Buddhists), 
SaMimhandi (when the changes in the moon 
occur) and Vitti (inauspicious days) fall. Again 
the neketrala, attired in fantastic dress, describes 
a peculiarly-shaped figure with ashes which he 
carries in a winnow, with a view to preventing 
huniyam (sorcery) and other evil influences. 
This ceremony is known as aluwanwadnnawa. 
Another rite of a peculiar nature follows this, 
known as arekwaVe-tiyanawa. It consists of 
digging a circular hole in the field and placing 
inside a model of the sacred footprint of Buddlia 
(Sripade,) a husked coconut, a creeping plant, 
clusters of arecanuts, leaves from the heeraspalu 
(Jltis quadrangularis) and Tolabo (Cnnum 
astnticvm), and' covering these with about three 
bundles of straw. The figures of the pooni lella 
(leveller), laha (measure), sun and moon are 
also described with ashes in the kalawita. The 
village astrologer is of course resorted to in order 
to ascertain a lucky day to reap the field. On 
such a day a number of men with their eyes 
directed towards Adam's Peak, and assuming a 
joyful mood, proceed to the field with their 
sickles, and versos are sung in turn by the 
reapers. Another ceremony which precedes 
threshing consists in three nursing mothers 
clad in white, having to go round the field 
seven times carrying paddy on their heads, 
and then suddenly coming to a standstill and 
retreating, witliout uttering a word, to the three 
corners of the kalawita. Then after giving utter- 
ance to some incantation, they drop their burdens 
on the ground, and this is the sign for threshing 
to begin. 
T. B. PouATH -Kehelpanala. 
« 
filENERAL ITEMS. 
Wt> quote the following from the interesting 
report of the School of liulustry, Happy Valley, 
I[a])utal<': — "Our chief industry, however, is Agvi- 
ciiKure. This is in accordance with our original 
phm, witli tlie object of the Government grant, 
and with the requirements of our Agricultural 
Colony. In this respect we are following the 
examples of the best Industrial and Eeformatory 
Schools in England, where farming is regarded 
as providing not only an appropriate industry 
in such schools, but as a source of supply for 
good farm labour, and as having a good moral 
effect on the boys. Many of the boys are also 
being trained in theoretical agriculture by the 
Agricultural Instructor, thus supplying, together 
with the ordinary work, an important branch 
of technial education for the more intelligent 
lads. It may be interesting to note in this con- 
nection that this is a feature of the English 
Technical Instruction Act of 1889. Mr. Ritchie 
in reply to a question put by Mr. Gathorne 
Hardy in the House of Commons in February 
last, stated ' that technical education was 
intended to include not only technical but manual 
instruction, and the latter comprised instruction 
in processess of Agriculture.' Some of our agri- 
cultural experiments have not been successful. 
We have been disappointed at the results of our 
cotton cultivation. But we have been fully com- 
pensated for that in the returns which we have 
realized from the planting of manioc, the roots 
being readily bought by the villagers in the 
neighbourhood who have developed a great liking 
for it, and will probably jilant it tliemselves. 
We have also succeeded in making small quantities 
of tapioca from it, and hope before another report 
is issued to have the means of preparing it on a 
larger scale. The growth of English vegetables 
has already been m entioned as a productive branch 
of our enterprise, though we must wait for the 
railway which is to come through the property, 
before we can obtain any considerable sale, when 
we hope to contribute our share to the supply of 
the Colombo markets. Nor have the so-called 
native vegetables been neglected. Brinjals, chou- 
chous, sweet potatoes, chilies, kc, sufficient, not 
only to supply the boys with curries, but to sell 
to the villagers, have been grown in the gardens. 
We have to express our thanks to Messrs. Sutton 
& Son for a good supply of seeds given us free of 
cost. It is a part of our programme that every 
boy in the Valley, no matter what his special in- 
dustry may be, should be taught gardening." 
It has been suggested by the Ceylon Observe^' 
that the breeding of horses in Delft Island should 
be revived. Horses used to be bred in Delft for 
supiDlying animals for the mounted orderlies. 
Their systematic breeding was, however, discon- 
tinued some thirty years ago, and it is now 
proposed that some fresh blood should be in- 
fused into the present breed, which has deteriorated 
from in-and-in breeding, with a view to producing 
animals of a better type that might be available 
for a tramway company. Delft is well-known 
for the good pasturage it supplies to cattle, 
and the suggestion that the breeding operations 
should be revived, under intelligent supervision, 
is one worthj' of serious consideration. 
The new fibre plant which was announced 
as discovered on the shores of the Caspian, and 
known there as kanaff turns out to be none 
other than Ilihisctis Ca^inabimis, of which a 
small plot was raised at the school some months 
I ago. It is also known as Deccau or Ambas 
