5o6 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
[January i, 1891 . 
pakae, Shroff Mndaliyar of the Negombo Eachcheri 
has become the lessee of Mr. Tudor Rajapakse’s cin- 
pamon properties iu this district at, I believe, R6,000 
per annum. 
■ ♦ 
NOTES ON POPULAR SCIENCE. 
Bv Dr. J. E. Tavlob, f.l.s., p.g s,, &c. 
Editor of “Scienoe Gos.sip.” 
Messrs. Carter, the well known English seed mer" 
chants, have raised a new kind of barley, with branched 
spikes, resembling the Egyptian wheat one sees in 
old Biblical pictures. Now, a branched barley, with a 
short stout haulm to support it, might turn out a 
wonderful result to the grower. We want some young 
agriculturist to back his own opinion, and go in for 
trying a few acres of it. He might select the best 
seeds from the best plants, and sow them for results. 
If he succeeded, he would make money — if he didn’t he 
would be no worse off than if the mildew had destroyed 
his crop. This branched barley was raised from a 
“ freak and there is no reason why many “ freaks,” 
should not be utilised. A Massachusetts farmer had 
several lambs horn, with short, stumpy legs. His 
flocks had legs too long, as a rule, for they were 
all over the country, like so many greyhounds. Fences 
could not keep them in, and they caused both a 
good deal of trouble and a great deal of blasphemy. 
So the cute Yankee breeder saw his chance. He bred 
from the short, stumpy-legged sheep that could not 
possibly wander ; and in this way was raised the now 
celebrated breed of “Ancona sheep.” 
The United States Government have established at 
Washington a hospital for diseased plants. It differs 
from oridinary hospitals in this respect — that the in- 
juries and disorders from which the vegetable patients 
suffer are purposely inflicted on them by the doctors 
of the establishment, in order that the nature of their 
complaints may be studied, and methods for curing 
them may be discovered. It is under the well-known 
Department of Agriculture, which has agents in all 
parts of the States, who^e business it is to collect 
specimens of diseased plants, and to forward them to 
this Vegetable Hospital. It is now known that nearly 
all the diseases of plants are caused by parasites, of 
which nearly fifty thousand different kinds are recog- 
nised. The parasites are carefully studied, and are 
developed iu a gelatine culture. Healthy plants are 
then inoculated with them, and the progress of their 
various diseases is in this manner carefully studied. 
By this process. Professor Gallagher, who is at the 
head of the laboratory, has found it possible to 
throughly understand and cope with 12 different diseases 
01 the grape-vine alone. A cure has also been found 
for the “ fire rot,” which turns the limbs of pear 
trees black, and rots them quickly. It is stated that 
the professor has similarly found means of attacking 
and routing the fungoid parasite which esuses the 
potato disease. 
The following is a capital recipe for naturalists who 
collect ; — To preserve the colours, shape.?, &c., of 
tropical fishes, corals, sea anemones, jelly-fishes, &c., 
make a mixture to suit of glycerine and gum. Both 
are mixablo with alcohol, but care is required in the 
0 ])6ratioQ. — Austral 7. sian. 
■» 
'I’lIE LANKA PLANTATIONS COMPANY. 
'there is no Plantation Company connected w'th 
this island whose Directors afford such full and 
detailed information to their shareholders and the 
genoral public as do those of the Lanka Company. 
We have been favoured with a copy of their latest 
Report which will be found in another column, 
and whioh proves no exception to the excellent 
practice hitherto observed. This ■ Report is well 
worthy ol attention from all who take an intelli- 
gent interest in the great planting enterf-rise of 
tthe Colony. The Lanka Oo. has had an unusually 
rying experience, because its existence is coinoidea 
with the decline and fall of the coffee production 
of the island. No one at the time the Company 
came into existence believed that the splendid 
properties taken up on its behalf, could have 
suffered as they have done, and that too, notwith- 
standing the most careful supervision and liberal 
cultivation. Again, the Directore, naturally enough 
under the circumstances, refrained from launching 
into " tea ” so early as they might have done, 
and as we know was urged on them from this 
end. Indeed, their then Ceylon Manager who 
devoted himself to the interests of the Company 
in the most earnest, indefatigable way, was able 
to place within the Directors’ offer, at an early 
stage m our tea history, some splendid bargains 
in tea — notably a well-known Dolosbage estate then 
in the market for R25,000 — but Ceylon tea planting 
was scarcely regarded in London at that time as 
beyond the stage of a speculative enterprise and 
with all their trying experience of coffee and cin. 
chona, it is no wonder that the Lanka Directors 
were chary of another bold venture. Now, however, 
that the tide has turned for our planting enter- 
prise, the Lanka Company holds an exceptionally 
strong position with no less than 1,468 acres under 
tea, 980 still remaining of good coffee, and 371 
acres of very valuable cacao whioh last yielded a 
crop considerably above the estimate in the season 
reported, so making up a considerable proportion of 
the receipts. In reepect of coffee, it is worthy 
of note and as shewing the hard luck in every 
way of earlier yeare, that while for 4,991 owt. 
sold in 1881-2, only £16,000 was got, for one-third 
that quantity — or 1,649 ewt. — in 1889-90, no lees 
than £8,145 was obtained. In other words the 
average price netted for our old staple has risen 
nearly fifty per cent in eight years. We may hope 
then that in every sense the corner has been 
turned, and that both as regards crops and prices, 
a good time is before the Lanka Plantations 
Company. The Directors and shareholders undoubt- 
edly deserve well of Ceylon, and we trust the 
dividend deolsred on the present occasion is but 
the harbinger of returns whioh will more than make 
up for all past lcs; s. Floreat Lanka! 
THE FALL OF 14'47 INCHES IN4 HOURg 
IN MED AMAH ANUWARA CONFIRMED. 
HAS IT EVER BEEN EXCEEDED? 
Eangala, 9th Deo.— Please tell your Koslanda 
correspondent that the 14-47 inches of rain really 
fell in Medamahanuwara in 4 hours (no practical 
jokes, <%o.) and was correctly measured, being con- 
firmed by two adjoining estates, one superintendent 
measuring 12-62 and the other found bis gauge 
full at 11 inches. Had this gauge been large 
enough I expeet it would have shown a heavier 
fall even than 14-47, as it generally gets the heaviest 
rainfall in the district. 
[The greatest fall recorded for Colombo is 
11-90 inches in 24 hours on 4th-6th May 
1876; and for upoountry, but also for 24 hours, 
18-80 inches at Padupolla. We suppose, therefore, 
this fall at Medamahauuwara to be unique in our 
meteorological records ? — Ed. T. .] 
* 
COFFEE IN WYNAAD: THE OLD STORY. 
We hear very unfavourable accounts of the outturn 
of ooffee in Wynaad. Estimates formed when the 
bloesom bad set, have turned out most disappoint- 
ing ; instead of so many tons onlyiias many bushels 
Lave been picked.— A’, of I. Observer, Not, 29th, 
