Dec.  2,  1895.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
417 
live  natives, .and  (4)  tlie  ill-consideretl  r.ationale  of  tlie 
work  of  tlie  Instructors  themselves.  Tlie  iniine 
error  in  connection  with  this  last  cause  of 
failure  w.as  the  idea  that  the  mission  of 
tlie  Agricultural  Instructor  was  to  force  an 
English-made  i»longh  on  the  native  paddy 
cultiv,ator — to  act  indeed  as  an  agent  for 
Howards  of  Hedford — and  that  the  central  School 
in  Colombo  had  concern  only  in  this  mission  and 
took  no  heed  of  the  unlimited  sphere  of  useful- 
ness indicated  in  the  terse  but  signiiicant  motto 
of  the  Royal  .Agricultural  Society  of  England  : — 
‘‘  Practice  with  Science.”  We  understand  that 
of  late  since  the  number  of  Agricultural  Instruc- 
tors has  been  reduced,  it  has  been  decided 
to  ai»i)oint  Instructors  only  on  the  demand 
of  revenue  officers,  who  see  an  opportunity 
for  fruitful  results  and  who  are  ]irepared  to  take 
a personal  interest  in  the  work  of  the  ollicers 
jdaced  under  their  control.  ^Ve  have  the  further 
assurance  that  the  interest  .and  industry  of  these  In- 
structors will,  in  future,  be  more  closely  enquired 
into  by  the  |novision — announced  atthe  Agricultural 
School  last  i>rize-day— th.at  the  Su]»erintendent 
has  been  appointed  to  insjiect  their  work. 
But  we  hasten  further  to  sa_y  that  the  \'.alue 
of  Agricultural  Education  is  'not,  in  our  opi- 
nion, to  be  estimated  by  the  success  or  failure 
of  some  half-dozen  young  men  sent  out  as  pioneers 
in  a discouraging  though  meritorious  enterprize  ; 
anil  we  would  further  quote  a passage — from 
-Mr.  Drieberg’s  Rejiort,  published  some  two  years 
f^,.ro — which  we  commend  to  the  notice  of  the 
Hon.  Tamil  Member  who  in  his  speech  last 
Wednesday  remarked  with  the  complacent  satisfac- 
tion of  the  rabid  as  well  as  ignorant  con- 
serv.ative  “ IPc  have  got  on  well  heretofore, 
.and  we  wish  to  go  on  as  before”: — 
In  a paper  on  “ Technical  and  Agricultural  Edu- 
cation in  the  Colonies,”  read  before  the  Royal  Colonial 
Institute,  the  writer  observes  that  “ he  would  be  a 
bold  man  who  in  the  last  decade  of  the  nineteenth 
century  would  in  the  slighte.st  degree  undervalue 
what  science  can  and  does  so  largely  give  to  agri- 
culture ; or  who  would  argue  that  because  yonder 
farmer  has  been  a successful  man,  and  yet  could 
neither  read  nor  write,  he  owes  that  success  to  the 
absence  of  education.  In  these  days,  education 
(not  only  in  the  principles  which  underlie  his  art 
but  in  the  workings  of  the  markets  of  the  world) 
is  so  largely  used  against  the  fanner,  that  for  the 
latter  to  neglect  it  would  be  the  height  of  foolish- 
ness.” He  then  goes  on  to  show  that  as  with  the 
lawyer  or  medical  man,  soldier  or  sailor,  a knowledge 
of  the  principles  of  his  art  is  necessary  to  the  Agri- 
culturist. .Tohn  Chalmers  Morton,  one  of  the  leaders 
in  the  agricultural  world,  said  when  speaking  before 
the  Society  of  Arts  : — “ The  sound  preliminary  edu- 
cation for  which  I am  to  argue,  is  not  only  the 
foundatiou-stone  of  a future  building — it  is  the  seed 
of  a future  life,  with  influence  and  guidance  in  it, 
as  well  as  mere  security  and  strength.  And  the 
agriculturist,  whatever  the  distinctive  features  of  his 
occupation  may  be,  will,  I believe,  quite  as  much  as 
any  other  busy  man,  benefit  by  an  education  which 
may  open  his  eyes  a little  wider  than  they  are  at 
present  to  matters  which  really  concern  himself, 
ihough  they  may  seem  outside  the  limits  of  his 
day’s  w'ork.  Such  are  the  opinions  of  those  who 
have  made  a study  of  this  subject;  and  such  opinions 
are  the  securities  for  the  benefits  of  agricultural 
education : I do  not  give  them  by  way  of  apology 
for  the  instruction  imparted  here. 
There  can  be  no  manner  of  doubt  in  the  mind 
of  any  man  of  enlightenment  that  Ceylon,  like 
every  other  country  and  colony,  is  all  the  better 
for  the  existence  of  a central  School  of  Agri- 
culture just  as  it  is  in  having  a Botanical 
Department,  an  Arcliicological  CoHimission  and  a 
Museum  : to  keep  us  in  touch  with  the  changing 
times  ; to  difinse — it  m.ay  be  but  slowly — 
knowdedge  of  the  gre.at  principle.s  of  scientific 
agriculture,  of  the  natur.al  laws  which  control 
and  regulate  plant-life,  and  to  use  the  know- 
ledge of  both  for  local  ends ; to  be  able  to 
note  and  if  iiossible,  utilise  the  results 
of  recent  research  ; and  to  be  a means  of 
communication  with  the  Agricultural  world 
around  us.  hen  we  con.sider  the  large  scope 
of  Agricultural  Education  and  the  pettiness  of  tne 
questions  raised  (such  as  that  referring  to  local 
experiments  with  Agricultural  Instructors)  we 
cannot  but  decide  that  to  give  up  the  School 
w ould,  .as  we  have  stated  before,  be  “ a 
b.ackward  step  indeed  ami  one  not  to  be 
thought  of.” 
One  thing  strikes  us  as  very  comical,  namely  the 
persistency,  with  which  Unoflicial  Members,  appa- 
rently encouraged  by  the  Government,  .seek  for  ob- 
jects of  attack  and  jiossible  Retrenchment  (?)  ovi- 
aide  the  acopc  of  the  Ilctreiichiatnt  Coimnittedfs  lie- 
jiorf.  Surely  their  lirst  duty  is  to  insist  on  the  re- 
commend.ations  in  that  Reiiort  being  attended  to 
.and  to  hammer  away  at  them,  in  .season  and  out  of 
season,  until  something  is  (lone.  It  is  .an  un- 
commonly weak  if  not  miserable  thing,  to  seek 
out  a struggling  young  institution  with  poor  funds 
to  back  it  in  the  interests  of  the  native  com- 
munity— for  the  Agricultural  School  is  purely  for 
the  benefit  of  the  Ceylonese— and  to  strilce  a "blow 
at  such  a School  ; while  big  ofticials  and  extra- 
vagant in.stitutions  are  left  unnoticed,  and  enc#ur- 
agement  is  given  to  throw  aw'ay  at  one  stroke 
some  R250,UUO  of  Arrack  revenue — enough,  by 
the  way,  to  pay  for  the  Agricultural  School, 
for  more  than  a (j^uarter  of  a century.  Ami 
yet  there  w'as  no  one  in  the  Legislative 
Council  to  remind  the  Tamil  Member  of  this 
fact! 
THE  CEYLON  HANDBOOK  AND 
DIRECTORY. 
An  old  resident  and  good  judge  of  such  ivork 
writes  : — 
I write  hurriedly,  but  can  only  say  how  pleased 
I am  with  the  Directory— its  outward  appearance, 
and  its  very  full  and  varied  contents,  so  far  as  a 
glance  has  enabled  me  to  judge,— and  how  thankful 
to  have  received  an  early  copy.  I have  always,  even 
before  I took  to  planting,  been  impressed  with  the 
general  and  special  utility  of  two  publications,  both 
issuing  from  the  Observer  Press— the  Directory  and 
the  Tropical  Agriculturist.  My  admiration  of  them 
and  appreciation  of  their  value  have  not  diminished 
by  closer  acquaintance  ; they  have  rather  increased  • 
but  a new  feeling  has  possessed  me  this  year— wonder 
at  the  marvellous  industry  and  perseverance  which 
could  put  so  big  a volume  through  the  Press,  with  all 
the  cares  of  a daily  paper  on  your  shoulders.  More 
strength  to  your  hand  and  elbow ! 
Brique'ite.s  of  Coffee  Husks. — TheSoerabaia 
Handelablad  says,  that  at  the  last  meeting  of 
the  Malang  Coffee  Planters’  Association  it  was  re- 
solved to  otter  a prize  for  the  discovery  of  a uni- 
versally iiracticable  and  cheap  binding  subatance 
for  tlie  preparation  of  briquettes  of  coffee  husks. 
On  account  of  the  gradually  increasing  scarcity 
of  firewood  on  the  estates  it  is  very  nece.ssary 
to  look  out  for  a substitute ; .and  upon  .some 
estates  cottee  husks  in  a dry  state  are  used  for 
fuel.  They  burn  up  too  qu'ickly,  however;  and 
at  the  same  time  cause  risk  of  fire  through  the 
quantity  of  sparks, 
