870 Supplement to the '^Tropical A gn'cuUurest-''* [May 1, 1892. 
be the most profitable portion of the farm. But 
remember it must be kept up to a high state 
of fertility." 
Here then is instruction that can be followed 
with little difficulty, for the improvement of 
seed only by selection presents none of the diffi- 
culties encountered in attempting to improve 
seed by hybridising. Improvement by selection 
is carried on by tea and cocoa planters, and to 
some extent also by the more enlightened coco- 
nut planters of the present day, but owing to 
tlie fact of the coconut palm being a perennial 
growth, it will be a long time before good j-esults 
are generally evident, while the bad resuits due 
to the carelessness of the coconut planters of past 
days, evidenced by the wretched condition of many 
estates at the present time, will remain yet a 
while to point a moral. It has been objected 
to in the system of paddy cultivation by means 
of transplanting seedlings raised in a nursery, 
that the plan is tedious and alm-ost impracticable 
in the case of extensive paddy lands. If Mr. 
Clarke's advice be adopted, the result of raising 
up a hardy and prolific^ paddy crop might be 
arrived at by an easier though perhaps slower 
route : for if our cultivators keep small nurseries 
for improving seed, select the best seeds of the 
best ears each season for their specially cared- 
for nurseries, and sow the rest in the fields, 
while they improve the fertility of their 
land by more thorough and intelligent cultiva- 
tion, they will at the same time improve the 
seed which is to be sown upon the land. 
OCCASIONAL NOTES. 
We accord a hearty welcome to Mr. Lye, m.b.c.v. 
s.,the newly-appointed Veterinary Surgeon to the 
Ceylon Government. Mr. Lye will have his office 
at 'the School of Agriculture. 
Mr. A. W. Jayawardene, who has performed 
the duties of practical instructor at the School of 
Agriculture since the foundation of the institution, 
intends before long to sever his connection with the 
School, whoss interests he has faithfully served. 
Mr. Jayawardene began his studies in Science at 
the Ceylon Jledical College, and subsequently 
left for Madras, where he entered the Agricultural 
College at Saidapet. On his return to Ceylon 
Mr. Jayawardene was chosen by Mr. H. W. Green, 
the founder of the Colombo School of Agriculture, 
to be the first pioneer Agricultural teacher in the 
Islsnd, and be it said to his credit, that with 
characteristic pluck he carried on his work in 
an unassuming manner through little good 
nnd much evil report, and helped greatly to 
bring t iie institution into its present satisfactory 
condition. Owing to the death of his father, 
Mr. Jayawardene wislies to be free to manage the 
family estates, consi8tiuft; principally of land 
^{rauted l)y the Government to i.)(s late grandfather 
for meritorious service rendered durjng the Cotta 
rehellion. 
We luive received from Mr. Tiathonis, the 
Agriculturnl In.structor at Madampe, Sabara- 
ginnuwvi district, a small but excellent col- 
lection o£ fibre and rojies jjrepared by him, 
and consisting of tii(! following : - llo])« made 
i'rom Jvola-dimbula patta {Fkus /us^dda), Kopu 
made from Kalawel patta (Derris scandejii). 
Rope made from Wal-beli patta {Paritium 
tiliaceum). Rope made from Nava fibre 
{Lasiosiphon eviocephalus). Rope made from 
Walla patta (Gy/'wzo/js walla). Rope madeafrom 
Patharaja patta. Rope made from Patt Ep- 
pala (JJrena lohata). Roje made from Liniya 
fibre (Heliceteres Isora). Sam pies of nava 
fibre. Samples of bandakai fibre {Hibiscus escu- 
lentus), and rope made from bandakai fibre grown 
in the Experimental Garden at Wellandura. 
Rope made from telambo fibre (Sterculia fmtida). 
Wlien chemical science came at first to be 
allied with agriculture, it was fancied that the 
chemist had only to analyse the soil to say what 
was necessary to grow a particular crop, and 
that if he analysed the crop after being grown he 
would know at once what to apply to give a full 
return. Chemistry has done a great deal for 
agriculture; but in the matter of soil analysis it 
has as yet been able to give farmers very little 
assistance in regard to what manures should*be 
used on particular fields. The analysis of a 
manured crop is also little guide as to what the 
manure to be applied should consist of. For 
instance, few crops contain more nitrogenous 
material than one of beans, peas, or clover ; and 
yet on land in average condition nitrogenous 
manures applied to these crops are not only, 
comparatively speaking, useless, but if applied 
in large quantity are actually deleterious. 
The cultivation of the sunflower has .spread 
enormously of late in Russia, and in the south- 
east the sunflower furnishes a prominent product 
of the farm. Two kinds of .sunflower are grown 
— one with small seeds, used for the production 
of oil, the other with large seeds, consumed by 
the people in enormous quantities as dainties. 
The oil, owing to its nutritive qualities, purity 
and agreeable flavour is said to have superseded 
all other oils in many parts of the country, 
and when properly prepared is equal to French 
table oil in colour, flavour, and taste. Poppy 
and hemp seed oil have entirely given place to 
sunflower oil which is in great favour with 
the people. The cake is used for cattle food, 
and is largely exported, principally to Germany 
and England. The Government of Saratov alone 
exports 2,000,000 lbs. to different countries where 
more oil is expressed before the cake is used as 
cattle food, for which purpose it is looked 
upon as the best in Russia, being considered even 
better than hemp or rape seed cakes. The sun- 
flower shells, which are used for heating purposes, 
not only in private houses but large factories as 
well, form an article of trade in several districts. 
The seed cups are not wasted but are used 
as food for sheep ; if dried and ground they can 
be very .successfully used for cattle food. 
The sunflower staJks gajth.ered from the field 
and dried in piles, have entirely repiace/l fire- 
wood in South Russia ; in fact, they are 
preferred even to pinewood, producing a great and 
hot fire. About 2,000 lbs. of such firewood are 
gatherijd from one acre. The total number of 
oil mills in Russia was, according to the last 
accounts, 104 : of tliere 80 ars applied solely to 
ol)taining sunflower oil. Twenty-four mills ar^ 
worked by steam, the rest by hand power, jii 
