216 
[Sept, 1, 1897. 
Supplemevd to the “ Tropical Agriculturist." 
NOTE ON GREVILLEA. 
Gvevillea robusta, -which makes such a usefu 
and ornamental windbreak in our tea plantations, 
has been ascertained to draw from its soil for 
nourishment so little of the properties demanded 
by the tea, that its presence is rather an ad- 
vantage than otherwise in the opinion of many 
planters even as regards the yield of the bushes 
round about them ; but one curious feature has 
been noted in places where occasionally aGrevillea 
dies out, and that is that the tea in the neighbour- 
hood of its roots dies out also. It is impossible 
to account for this phenomenon without a careful 
examination of the roots of the Orevillea. A few 
years back a mycelium which affected patches of 
cocca in the West Indies was traced by the 
Director of the Botanic Gardens, Leeward Islands, 
(Mr. C. A. Barber) to the dead stumps in the 
around which started tlie root fungus that spread 
so rapidly and with such disastrous effects to the 
cocoa. 
Whatever may be the causes leading to the 
destruction of the tea at the foot of the dying 
Grevilleas, it would not be amiss in all cases to 
hate the roots of the latter taken off the ground 
ns far as it is possible along with the dead stumps 
occurring in tea fields. 
REPORT OP MR. 0. DRIEBERG, B.A., F.H.A.S., 
SUPERINTENDENT OP THE COLOMBO 
SCHOOL OP AGRICULTURE. 
The School. 
The number of students in the school has never 
been allow- »d to exceed twenty-five at any time, as 
the dieting vote does not permit of a larger num- 
ber being provided for. As a rule, however, 
applications for admission have been in excess of 
our requirements, but in 189C the applicants were 
few, and when the usual examination test for ad- 
mission came to be applied, it was found that there 
were less tlian a dozen eligible students. The fall- 
ing off is attributable to certain alterations in the 
conditions that attach to studentship at the school, 
made by the then Acting Director, as well as to 
the fact tliat the boarding fees w-ere raised. But 
the reversion to the old order of things will, I ex- 
pect, in spite of the higher boarding fee, 'give to the 
school its full complement of students next year. 
As yet no separate vote has been allow-ed for 
special agricultural work in connection with the 
school, but in spite of so serious a drawback some 
work of this nature was done. A cheap and light 
type of plough (weighiiqr about 2o lbs.) was de- 
signed and constructed, and serves its purpose 
well. Trials were made with blood manure as 
prepared in Colombo, and “ Homco,” a vegetable 
manure meal manufactured from rape and other 
oil seeds by the Hull Oil Company. The makers 
kindly placed a ton of the latter at my disposal 
free of all cost, and I am glad to be able to report 
for their satisfaction that “ Homco ” has given ex- 
cellent results with garden crops and acted more 
quickly than blood. The manure is also being 
tried on coconuts and other planting products in 
various parts of the Island, but it is yet too early 
to judge of the results of these trials, though so 
far reports received have been favourable. The 
following is an analysis of “Homco,” as supplied 
to me, by Dr. Bernard Dyer; — 
Moisture (loss at 212° P.) ... ... 11’82 
Organic matter* ... ... 80'58 
Phosphoric acidt ... ... 2’36 
Lime ... ... ... ... 1'02 
Magnesia, alkalies, carbonic acid, N:c. 2'27 
Insoluble silicious matter ... ... IHo 
Total... 10 000 
* Containing nitrogen ... 5--18 
Equal to ammonia ... 7'09 
t Equal to tribasic plio.«phate of lime S'l-J 
The Company guarantee 61 per cent, of ammonia 
and less than 3 per cent. sand. The price of 
“ Homco,” guaranteed to contain from 6| to 7 per 
cent, ammonia, in double bags, free on board, 
London, is quoted at £3. os. per ton. 
The vine experiments had unfortunately to be 
abandoned, much to the disappointment of many 
intersted in the venture, as satisfactory- arrange- 
ments between Government and Mr. Zanetti, tlie 
viticulturist, could not have been made for its 
continuance. The experiment, while it lasted, was 
decidedly promising, and went to prove tliat, under 
suitable conditions and intelligent management, 
the “ extensive ” system of grape cultivation, ac- 
cording to continental methods, ought to be a 
success in Ceylon, As a result of the experi- 
ment a few landowners have begun growing 
vines on their own account, while it is satisfactory 
to know that about a thousand vines of the finest 
cultivated varieties have, by sale, been distributed 
throughout the Island. It is to be regretted that 
the experiments could not have been kept up at 
the school till the vines had reached the full-bear- 
ing period. 
I am daily expecting half a ton of “ Jadoo fibre ” 
which the manufacturers are sending me free of 
cost from Exeter. This growing medium has been 
brought prominently to the notice of the agri- 
cultural public, and I am most anxious to give it a 
fair trial. It has already been highly spoken of as 
being of the greatest service in “supplying” tea 
plants in nurseries, in propagating by cuttings, 
and especially in pot-culture. 
I have also been in communication with the 
manufacturers of “Natragin” in Hbchst-on-the- 
Maiuand hope beforel ong to be in a position to say, 
whether pure cultivation bacteria for leguminous 
crops are likely- to be of practical value in the agri- 
culture of the Island. 
As in former y-ears, a large number of inquiries 
were received and answered, while such seeds and 
plants as were available for distribution were 
supplied to those who applied for them. 
It is to be hoped that before long the School of 
Agriculture will be placed on an independent foot- 
ing, so that its interest may be specially cared for 
and not sunk in the general interests of a complex 
ef tablishment of which it is now but an unit — 
without a proper status, scheme, or vote of its own, 
and without the means of fulfilling the true func- 
tions of an agricultural school. 
During the year the Government dispensed with 
the services of the agricultural instructors, as it 
was thouglit that the results of the work of these 
officers were not sufficiently fruitful to warrant 
