Supplement to the “ Tropical Agriculturist. 
[February 2, 1891. 
6to 
LtKidumy which grow wild. Botli these species 
are considered to possess certain medicinal pro- 
perties, the former possessing properties verj' 
similar to that of coca, in as much that the leaves 
have the property of appeasing hunger. 
The Erythroxylon Coca, or the plant from 
which cocaine is obtained, is- a bush about four 
feet high with a small light geen leaf. The flower 
is white and the fruit a red berry. Herndon 
mentions, that in cultivating this plant, the 
seeds are sown in beds at the expiration of the 
rainy season. Arbors of palm trees are built over 
the yoitng shoots to protect them from the sun, 
and they are watered, if it continues di-y, for a 
week or so. The tree is transplanted a year and 
a half after planting, and gives its first crop in 
one year from that time, and a crop every four 
months after. 
The bush if not destroyed by ants, will give 
crops for many years. Sometimes, but rarely, 
the leaves wither and the crop fails. The leaves 
should be dried Avhen gathered, as quickly as 
possible. A hundred plants of coca are estimated 
to yield 20 lb. of leaves at a plucking. 
The coca plant is likely to thrive in Ceylon, as 
the specimens growing in the Henaratgoda 
Tropical Gardens tend to prove. 
About the properties of these leaves, Mr. H. F. 
Fish in a paper on the subject in the Technologist, 
mentions that when suppiled with an abundance 
of coca leaves, the Indian sometimes performs 
prodigies of labour arid can go without food for 
several days ; without it he is miserable and will 
not work. It is said to be a powerful stimulant 
to the nervous system, and like strong tea or coffee 
takes away sleep, but unlike tobacco and some 
other stimulants, no one has known it to be 
injured in health. 
It is said that by taking a sufficient quantity of 
coca a man is capable of dispensing with food for 
5 da3'S without any material inconvenience, even 
though he be engaged in rapid travelling on foot 
the whole time. This leaf is highly valued by the 
inhabitants of Chili, Peru, and Bolivia, not only 
as a medicine, but also as an article of food, and 
selwes with them as a substitute for the tea, coffee, 
betel, tobacco and opium used bj^ other nations. 
It has been established hj experiments carried 
on by Dr. Mantegauza, as reported in the paper 
mentioned before, that the leaves of coca, chewed 
or taken in weak infusions, have a stimulating 
effect on' the nerves of the stomach, and tliereby 
greatly facilitate digestion. In a large dose coca 
increa.se.s the animal heat and augments the fre- 
quency of the pulse and consequently respiration. 
A medium dose, three or four drachms, excited 
the neix'ous .sj’stem in such a manner that 
muscular exertion is borne with great ease, but 
afterwards produces a calming effect. Used in 
larger do.ses it causes delirium hallucination, and 
finally congestion of the brain. 
gexEbal items. 
The School of Agriculture opened on the Ifltli 
January. Out of a large number of applicants, 
some fourtetm resident pujiils have been chosen, 
besides four ilay «cbolars. 
The harriisting of the ])add\' crop (Hndu wi) 
at the school was the first })ractical operation 
whicli claimed the attention of the students. 
It is reported from Anuradhapura that the 
kurakkan crop has been much damaged bj’ 
caterpillars. 
A complete set of bones of a Ceylon bullock 
has been presented to the School Museum bj' Mr. 
Manchanayake, an old bojv This comes as a 
very opportune gift, which will be of great 
value to the Elementary Veterinarj’^ class — there 
being no complete skeleton of a bull or buffalo 
in any of the Museums in Colombo. 
Mr. Menon, of the Agricultural College, Saidipet, 
has been writing to the Ceylon Independent re- 
commending irrigation by wells for paddy cul- 
tivation in the dry parts of Ceylon. The letter 
has given rise to some discussion ; some favour- 
ing, others throwing discredit on, the suggestion. 
Mr. Menon was for a time connected witli 
the Colombo School of Agriculture, where lie 
proved himself an able teacher, deeplj’ learned 
in the science and art of agriculture. 
Profe,ssor McConnel of Oxford, author of The 
Agricultural Note-book, has published a pamphlet 
on agricultural education. “ Mj' experience,” 
saj^s the Professor, “ is that agricultural education 
of the projier sort enables a man to farm better 
and make more mone>' than he would without 
it ; if it does not do these things, then it is a 
mistake altogether, and the present movement 
had better stop where it is, and go no farther." 
In the Professor’s view there are only four in- 
stitutions in Great Britain which realise what he 
believes to be the best .s^’stem of agricultural 
education. These fotir places are the Edinburgli 
Universitj' ; the Normal ^^chool of Science, South 
Kennington ; tlie Glasgow Technical College : and 
the Universitj' College of North Wale.s. The 
Professor has been brought to task iov not in- 
cluding Aspatria College in Cumberland, which, 
while it has gained manj" distinctions of late 
at public examinations, is an institution which 
charges a ver^^ low scale of fees. It will be 
observed that Cirencester College, which was tlie 
‘ fashionable resort ’ of agricultural .students for 
a long time, is quite out of the reckoning. 
Fourteen agricultural students, who successf ullj’ 
passed their examinations at the Nagpore School 
of Agriculture, have obtained posts as revenue 
inspectors. 
Bamboo is considered, according to a Bangalore 
paper, the best material for making charcoal for 
blacksmith work, and is in large demand all over 
Mj'sore. It is said to give out more heat than 
the best coke and to require less blast. This 
bamboo charcoal fetches tivice the price of the 
best charcoal of any other fuel. The method of 
charring bamboo is rather different from that used 
for harder woods — the stacks being carefully 
covered with green leaves and plastered with wet 
clay. AVhile the burning is going on, care is 
taken to exclude air as much as possible with- 
out extinguishing the fire. 
Saj's the Indian, Agriculturist : — Lupins hare 
been found verj^ useful as binders and regener- 
ators of sand^^ soils. Lupmus luteus, the scented 
yellow variety, is predominantly in use in 
