March i, 1892.] Supplement to the " tropical Agvicultuvist." 
699 
The Agricultural Improvement Society met 
on the 1st Friday of February, when Mr. 
Attepattu read an instructive paper on coconut 
cultivation. 
A Training School and Practising School (for 
training Government School Teachers) have been 
established at the School of Agriculture. Mr. 
C. Silva, Muhaudiram, late headmaster of the 
Bentota Training School, has been appointed 
headmaster of the latter, and Mr. D. A. vSilva 
has taken up duties as headmaster of the 
Practising School, with Mr. Gabriel as his as- 
sistant, 
Mr. W. A. De Silva, 2nd assistant teacher at 
the School of Agriculture, leaves for Bombay 
in May next, to go through a thorough course of 
Veterinary training at the Veterinary College 
there. Mr. De Silva will hold a Government 
Scholarship while prosecuting his studies in 
India. 
Mr. Seneviratne, a passed student of the School ^ 
has been appointed Science teacher at the 
Buddhist College just started in Galle. 
A fairly large piece of the new land granted 
to the School has been put under dhall. It 
would be an excellent thing if the poorer section 
of natives in Ceylon took to the cultivation of 
dhall in their little patches of land. Our agri- 
cultural instructors have been instrumental in 
introducing the plant as a valuable food 
product to the people of many districts. On 
the poor soil about the School we are growing 
it, (1) because it grows well even in a 
poor soil, (2) because it will improve the soil — 
as we have known it to have done before — being 
a leguminous plant, (3) because it forms a i)alat- 
able and nutritious article of diet, and (4) 
because we shall be able to supjjly our agri- 
cultural instructors with fresh seed. 
Ground nut, areca-nut, Singapore pepper and 
cocoa have also been put down in the School 
grounds. The flrst-mentioned, which it is in- 
tended to grow more of, is now in fruit. 
