TSCII] 
AGRK^ULTURAL  mAGAZIOG, 
COLOMBO. 
Added  as  a Supplement  Monthlp  tu  the  '‘'TROPICAL  AGRTCCLTURISTC 
The  t^ollowing  pages  include  the  Contents  of  tlic  Agricultuml  Magazine 
for  January  : — 
Vol.  VI L]  JANUARY,  1896.  [Nos.  6 & 7. 
GRAPE  CULTIA^ATION  IN  COLOMBO. 
ZANETTl'S  letter  whicli  apiieared 
ill  the  morning  issue  of  the  Ceylon 
Obferi'er  of  tlie  22iu1  November 
takes  a very  liopefiil  view  of  the 
ultimate  result  of  the  experiment 
in  vine-culture  which  is  being 
carried  o:i  at  the  School  of  Agriculture.  The 
ability  of  the  vines  to  withstand  the  effects  of  a 
copious  rainfall — generally  supposed  to  be  hurtful 
to  the  grape — was  put  to  a severe  test  by  the 
abnormally  heavy  rains  of  October,  and  it  would 
appear  that  the  plants  did  not  suffer  on  that 
account.  We  recollect  when  the  proposal  to  grow 
grapes  in  Colombo  was  under  consideration,  that 
M.  Zanetti  slated  that  in  his  experience  no  ill- 
effects  were  to  bo  apprehended  from  a wet  climate, 
provided  a proper  site  was  chosen — one  in  which 
the  soil  was  porous  and  did  not  become  water- 
logged. M'e  understand  that  in  Australia  the  vine 
thiives  in  wet  disricts  where  the  physical  pro- 
perties of  the  soil  are  favourable  to  its  growth.  In 
a previous  i.ssue  reference  was  made  to  the  vines 
grown  by  Father  Assaiiw  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
.Mission  at  Wahakotte.  These  did  very  well  for 
a time,  but  are  reported  to  have  been  ultimately 
killed  out  by  an  exce.ssively  wet  season.  After 
the  late  experience  at  the  School  of  Agricullure, 
w’e  are  inclined  to  think  that  it  was  the  tenacious 
nature  of  the  soil  that  made  it  impossible  for  these 
vines  to  make  any  growth  during  the  abnormally 
w’et  season  they  experienced,  for  it  is  well  known 
that  the  grape  cannot  thrive  in  cold  and  stiff’  soils 
that  are  iiractically  impermeable  to  water.  The 
Jaffna  peninsula  is  generally  spoken  of  ns  the  most 
suitable  district  for  vine-culture,  but  it  is  (pie-s- 
tionable  whether  this  has  been  proved  to  satis- 
faction. It  is  time  that  there  are  a number 
of  prolific  vines  flourishing  in  the  North,  but  there 
t\ie  enterprising  householders  would  seem  to 
concentrate  much  of  their  energy  on  one  or 
two  vines  grown  on  trellises  (so  to  speak,  under 
their  very  noses),  giving  them  as  much  atten- 
tion as  any  hothouse  grapes  in  England.  IVe 
have  heard  that  the  main  difficulty  which 
the  Jaft’na  grape-grower  has  to  face  is  a water 
supply  for  the  vines,  which  for  the  most  part  of 
the  year  have  to  be  liberally  treated  with  water 
owing  to  the  extremely  dry  and  arid  climate 
which  characterizes  the  north  of  the  Island.  The 
test  as  to  w’hether  grape  cultivation  can  be  made 
a successful  industry  in  the  Jaffna  district 
would  be  to  establish  a vineyard  of  say  a thousand 
plants  and  see  whether  anything  will  come  of  the 
experiment.  Under  the  circumstances  in  which 
grapes  are  at  pre.sent  rai.'cd  there,  it  would  be 
unreaswiiable  to  infer  that  viticulture  as  an 
industry  will  be  a success  in  Jaffna.  There  are 
many  trees  that  we  can  grow  well  and  force  into 
fruit  in  our  gardens  by  .special  attention,  though 
we  know  that  it  would  absurd  to  attempt  to 
cultivate  them  on  a large  scale  and  expect 
remunerative  results.  Let  us  take  the  case  of 
so  common  a tree  as  the  orange,  which  is  pierhaps 
more  frequently  found  in  gardens  tlian  any  other 
fruit-tree.  IVith  special  attention  it  can  be  made 
to  thrive  nlmostany  where  and  fruit  excellently,  but 
there  are  only  a few  situations  in  which  one 
would  be  bold  enough  to  attempt  orange  culture. 
It  would  seem  that  the  good  folk  of  Jaffna  had 
their  attention  specially  directed  to  grape  growing 
(as  also  to  the  operation  of  grafting)  by  an  enter- 
prising official  ruler  with  a strong  predilection 
for  agriculture,  who  by  the  force  of  his  philan- 
thropic nature  no  less  than  by  the  weight  of  his 
official  influence,  persuaded  many  of  his  subjects 
ready  to  follow  his  advice  and  example.  (Would 
that  we  had  more  like  him!)  Indeed,  we  have  heard 
it  said  that  it  is  “ the /ar-sAmn  for  every  house- 
holder in.  Jaffna  to  have  a grape  vine  in  his 
comiiound,”  So  much  the  more  credit  for  the 
Jaffna  hunseholder  for  the  taste  he  disjilays. 
AVe  do  not,  however,  mean  to  affirm  that  it  is 
our  conviction  that  Colombo  is  the  best  place  for 
vine-growing,  or  even  to  assert  that  vine-growing 
