Supplement to the '* Tropical AgrictiUiimt." 
[January i, 1892. 
is - valued at £446-87^, and deducting expen- 
diture and grain-tax E205'12|, there is a profit 
of E241'74i.— I beg to remain, Sir, Your most 
Obedient Servant, 
(Signed) P. Samaeanayaka, 
Agricultural Instructor. 
To J. B. Cull, Esq., Director of Public 
Instruction, Colombo. 
The results of the 16 acres of paddy land culti- 
vated for the Yala 1891 at Akmimana. 
m > 
61 
SI 
n ^1 
Bu. B. c. Bu. B. c 
Instructor : 
R. c. 
ESdir 13 h } 14 } ^6 «i 1 2« 
Neighhmirs : 
^ . . f 2 4 15 50 25J 12| 31871 16 37i 
Broadcast. | ij 3 n 30 21 14 26 25 14 95 
5ewicw-fe.— Grain Tax E30 is subtracted. 
Mr. Samaranayake also states he did not use 
any kind of maniire, and gives further details re- 
garding cost of cultivation as follows : — 
Preliminary works and ploughing the R. c. 
whole extent of 16 acres . . . . 27 50 
Cross ploughing and clearing dams . . 18 30 
Preparing land for sowing 13 acres . . 16 15 
Levelling and planting out 3 acres . , 7 00 
Seed paddy 20^ bushels . . . . 28 12i 
Reaping, threshing, winnowing paddy 
of 3 acres . . . . . . 15 05 
Do do do 13 acres 63 00 
175 12i 
'■"We UTe glad to be able to state that some of 
our benefactors have offered us help in order 
that we may open out the new block of land 
granted to the School, and our thanks are due to 
Mr. J. W. C. de Soysa who has succeeded his 
most estimable father as a kind supporter of 
this institution, for a donation of fifty rupees. 
Professor Primrose McConnel, the well-known 
author of the Agricultural Handbook, writing 
from Oregon, Essex, where he is farming, says : — 
"The University Commission proposed to abolish 
the B. Sc. in agriculture at Edinburgh, but 
I understand that wiser councils prevailed, 
and it is to be allowed to stand. Nobody 
knows definitely yet, however, and Wallace (the 
Professor) is in Egypt at the present time. Both 
Oxford and Cambridge are proposing to institute 
a proper cuiTiculum of agricultural teaching, 
but up to the present time the matter has got no 
further than the making of propositions and 
j)assing of resolutions, with adjournments for 
further consideration. 1 am hoping that some- 
tliing delinito will be done by botli of these 
Universities during the coming Avinter, The 
various County Councils are developing systems 
of 'extension' lecturing or peripetetic teacliing," 
TliG small parcel of lathyrus sylvestris seed 
■Whicli 'wu.'i expected ut the School for experi- 
ment, arrived from Italy, but we regret to say 
that the germinating power was very low. It 
is, however, gratifying to be able to say that 
we have some specimens of this world-renowned 
fodder plant at the School. It yet remains to 
be seen whether cultivation on a large scale 
will be a success, and whether all the qualities 
claimed for it will appear in the plant as culti- 
vated in Ceylon. The seeds do not germinate 
very readily, but when they do, a stem of 
some length is produced before the appearance 
of the leaves, which being at first enclosed 
within two comparatively large stipules, come 
out in pairs. 
Mr. J. P. Manchanayake, now employed in 
Kwala Lumpar, imder the Straits Settlements 
Government, where he is keeping up his agri- 
culture, has most thoughtfully sent us a parcel 
of seeds of the fruits commonly cultivated in 
the country, such as Chinese apple, Malayan 
breadfruit, pomelo, plum, &c. 
S. Mahawalatenne Ratemahatmaya of Ata- 
kalan, who has helped us in circulating the agri- 
cultural information leaflet, has offered to give 
a trial to any plants and seeds new to the 
Island or his district, on his extensive lands. 
The School of Agriculture closed for the Christ- 
mas vacation on the 31st November. We draw 
attention to a notification by the Director of 
Public Instruction that a new batch of students 
will be admitted next term. The school re-opens 
on tlie 16th of January 1892. 
INDIGENOUS FOOD PRODUCTS: 
CULTIVATED AND WILD. 
By W. a. De Silva. 
Asclepiadeae. 
56. Semidesmus Indicus, Brown. 
This plant is known as Iramusu in Sinhalese 
and 'Nannari in Tamil. It is a perennial with 
a thin woody creeping stem, and small lanceo- 
late leaves of a pale green colour. Along the 
midribs the leaves have a whitish appearance. 
This plant is found growing in the warmer re- 
gions of the Island both in cultivated and un- 
cultivated places, and comes up with great luxu- 
riance in new chena clearings. 
Just inside the epidermis or the outer surface 
of the roots and stems of this plant a fleshy 
covering is met with. This substance is of a 
whitish colour, has a flowery texture and a pleasant 
though a peculiar taste. 
The whole plant is pounded and a congee is 
made by adding a little rice. This preparation 
is considered to possess healing properties, and is 
esi)ecially recommended as a purifier of blood. The 
leaves are sometimes dried and an infusion made 
which resembles tea in many respects. The in- 
fusion has a pleasant taste, but unlike tea con- 
tains no tannin. Hemidesmus tea is a favourite 
beverage among some of the natives of the island. 
The root is much used in medicine, and is often 
called Indian Sarsaparilla. It is prescribed by 
native medical practitioners to purify the blood, 
promote appetite, uud to cure skiu diiseaaes. 
