778 
TME TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
length, especially to readers who favonr the idea that 
Cejlon, no lass than Jamaica, ought to have an 
Exhibition of her own : not merely a colleclion of 
local exhibits, but a cosmopolitan and comparative 
show to which all the countries in the world 
should be invited to contribute. If such an E»- 
hibition is deemed feasible, and if it is to precede 
the great World Show at Chicago, there is clearly 
no time to be lost in making the necessary pre- 
parations and arrangements. Money will be re- 
quired, and may we suggest that to no better or 
more reproductive object could the proceeds of 
the pearl fishery now in progress be devoted ? 
The responsibility of cordially accepting or coldly 
rejecting the idea rests with Sir Arthur Havelock, 

BUENT EAETH. 
This material is very useful to the cultivator who 
has a cold or stiff soil to deal with, as it promotes 
the drainage, and is especially useful where liquid 
manure is applied, the noxious substances inimical 
to plant life being eliminated, and the soil made much 
warmer and richer in potash, lime, phosphoric acid, 
carbon, &c., ingredients which increase greatly the 
fertility of the land. Burnt earth dressing will pre- 
vent the cracking of the surface during dry weatlier 
by rendering it less adhesive, and therefore not so 
liable to cake. We use a large quantity of it here 
for mixing in the Vine and Peach borders, for Eoses, 
&c., under glass, and outside for herbaceous plants, 
and it is found to be useful for all of these ; in fact, 
I have not the least doubt that it would prove 
beneficial to all kinds of plants here, and also where- 
ever the soil is stiff and cold. If used in the pro- 
portion of one part burnt earth to six parts soil, 
and well mixed, it makes a great difference at once 
in the working of the latter, and is, in fact, the best 
thing that can be applied for the pupose; other 
materials that are often used for keeping soils open, 
such as sand, coal-ashes, lime rubbish, &c., do not 
give such good results, because they tend to impover- 
ish instead of enriching the soil. A good instance . 
of its utility is to be seen here at the present time ; 
the borders are being renewed in our large Peach- 
house, because they were not properly made when 
the bouse was built, and some four years ago I had 
a quantity of burnt earth worked in amongst the 
roots of the trees on the coldest side of the house. 
These trees now lift with a nice lot of fibrous roots ; 
the soil comes away cleanly, and in good condition. 
The soil of the opposite border, which has not been 
treated in the same manner, has become sour in 
many places, and the tree-roots have not many 
fibrous roots. 
I have not had the opportunity of trying its effects 
on light soils, but imagine that it w'ould benefit them 
also if used in a smaller quantity ; it would certainly 
improve any that might be overcharged with nitro- 
gen through excessive manuring, Ac., and during dry 
weather it acts as a reservoir for moisture when 
placed beneath the surface. 
Tlie best time of year for preparing it is during a 
spell of warm, dry weather, everything burning freely 
when dry, and earth being no exception to the rule; 
but it is possible to burn it under any circumstances 
by using a larger quantity of fuel. 
In tliis, as in all otJier operations, very much 
depends u))on getting a good start. We generally 
get some large tree-roots, or “ butts,” which have 
been sawn oil', or some largo logs cut into lengths of 3 
to 1 feet, iuid a small quantity of sticks and straw 
to get a good body of lire as quickly as possilffe. 
'J'hc small stuff soon bunis out, but when the larger 
pieces gel well alight, sonic bush pi-unings, Ac., are 
tlirown on it in order to kec)) the soil from settling 
down too close to the large logs, and as soon as the 
fire burn.-. )iartly Ibrougb this covering, some soil 
may be put on. I bis sliould lie done gradually at 
first, so as not to overload the lire ; but when all 
the licu)) lias bad one good covering of soil, and the 
lifcis seen tv bv making ittt way through it, fjpmo 
[May I, i8gi. 
coal-dust should be scattered all over, and another 
lot of soil put on ; after this is biuiit through, the 
heap should be ready to “draw" by opening out the 
middle, so as to .spread the fire, and get a good base 
of ashes. This is best done by what is called a 
“muck drag ' in this part — an iron tool with two or 
three prongs about >J inches long, shaped like a 
Canterbury hoe ; after the fire is well open out, 
another old log should be put in the centre to keep 
a body of fire going on, some more garden refuse 
placed over this, and then more soil added. 
The heap by this time should be a large one, and 
in dry weather will bium almost anything with little 
further assistance ; but if the soil is wet and the 
weather rainy, some coal dust or old pieces of timber 
should be added occasionally so as to keep the fire 
well alight. The best soil for burning is a rather 
light loam from a pasture, cut in turves about 4 
inches thick, but this is not easily obtained by many 
persons, and the best that can be had must therefore 
suffice ; clayey soils will not do, as they b\im too 
lumpy and require screening afterwards, and very 
sandy soils would most likely run down too fine to 
be of much benefit ; old fruit borders that have got 
sour or worn out will answer well for burning, and 
refuse from the potting benches, if free from crocks, 
purnings of fruit trees, Ac., make first-rate ashes if 
burned up in this manner, but this is jiroperl^' speak- 
ing charred refuse, and does not come under the 
heading of burnt earth. — W. H. Diveiis, Ketton Hall, 
Stamford.— Chronicle. 
— 
COCONUTS AND CINNAMON. 
Veyangoda, 28th February. 
With very nearly 4j inches of rain February, one 
of our driest months, all a-iixiety with regard to the 
effects of the drought is at an end. Under ordinary 
circumstances, the drought will jiractically be at an 
end in March, for in April we have the fitful showers 
which are associated with that month. A heavy 
fall of 2'5.3 inches on the night of the 12th instant 
was particularly welcome to all forms of vegetation, 
and to cattle. The latter have not, as is usual at 
this time of the year, suffered from want of 
pasturage. 
The prospects of coconuts are bright for the year. 
The effects of three consecutive years of liberal rain- 
fall are now apparent in good cropis. Prices both for 
the raw nuts and for copra are good. The former 
is kept up by the demands of the local Desiccating 
Factory, where prices ranging from R34'50 to ES.l'oO 
are paid according to quality of nuts. There 
seems to be no end to the extension of the works 
here. Buildings seem to be cropping upi all over the 
grounds to supply the orders that pour- in from all 
quarters of the globe. 
The cinnamon season 1890-91, that will end in 
March, will be long remembered as one of the most 
unfavourable on record. Both the S. W. andN. E. 
seasons were unfavourable for continuous peeling. 
Harvesting was carried on by fits and starts, when- 
ever rain fell. With any other product, one would 
have been safe to predict a diminution of crop as a 
result of unfavorable seasons. This is imjDOssible with 
cinnamon, the output of which mysteriously increases 
when circumstances pioint to a decrease. It is safe, 
however, to say that the vast majority of cultivated 
Estates in the principal Cinnamon districts of the 
Western Province have secured little more than an 
half of their annual crops. With the rain we had 
this month many Estates have resumed peeling. 
The possibilities of continuing the work are depen- 
dent on the weather, which, if appearances are to 
be relied on, will prove favourable. Last night we 
had all the indications of an imminent shower in low 
rumbling thunder and flashes of lightning, which 
seemed nearer and nearer as the night wore on. 
Thev ended in nothing, however, here, but may I 
tliink be safely regarded as a precursor of what v,'e 
may expect in a day or two. With a diminished crop, 
the contemplation of lower prices at the last sales 
is not over pleasant to proprietors. The hopes ex- • 
