Sept, 1 , 1897 .] 
Supplement to the “ Tropical Agriculturist.'’' 
217 
their retention. An exception was however made in 
the case of the instructor at Balangoda (Mr. H. D. 
Gunasekara), who at the special request of the 
Government Agent of the Province of Sabara- 
gamuwa was kept on. This officer, who has a good 
record of work to show, is at present engaged in 
establishing an experimental farm at Mahawala- 
tenne, where the cultivation of economic and 
medicinal plants as well as the breeding of cattle 
and poultry will receive attention. The experi- 
ment should prove an interesting one, and with 
the liberal help of the Eatemahatmaya (Mr. C. D. 
Mahawalatenne), and the patronage of the Govern- 
ment Agent, should not fail for want of support 
or for lack of enthusiasm on the part of the in- 
structor. 
On the discontinuance of the agricultural 
instructors 1 forwarded the annexed report to 
Government, submitting suggestions for re-organiz- 
ing and better equipping the school and for carry- 
ing on its work on more practical lines. 
It is a difficult matter to show the exact expen- 
diture on the School of Agriculture as distinct 
from the expenditure on the other schools located 
in the same building, and this fact lias led to in- 
correct estimates of the actual cost of tlie school 
to Government. But making as fair a calculation 
as possible, the cost of the School of Agriculture 
does not exceed Es. 6,000 per annum. 
The “ Agricultural Magazine ” in a slightly en- 
larged form is still kept up : it is now in its eighth 
year, and is, I venture to think, of good report. 
Though the work of editing is rather a tax on my 
time, the magazine has proved of great service to 
me as a medium of communication with other 
countries, where it has been accepted in exchange 
for agricultural publications which I would other- 
wise have no opportunity of seeing. I am glad to 
state that the Government has allow'ed a bonus of 
Es. 150 per annum for the publication of the 
magazine, and I should here wish to record my 
gratitude for the concession, ily thanks are 
specially due to the Indian and Tasmanian Govern- 
ments for their libei’ality in supplying me with 
their valuable reports and bulletins free of cost. 
The School op Forestby. 
This school started work on the 15th of April 
with six students (a limited number), three of 
whom were drafted from the Forest Department, 
and the remaining three selected from the students 
of the School of Agriculture after competitive 
examination. The following is a list of the sub- 
jects taught, with the names of the teachers 
annexed : — • 
Forestry ...Mr. Broun, Conservator of Forests. 
Mathematics ...Mr. IValter Farys, 
Forest Law ...Mr. F. M. de Saram, Advocate. 
Surveying ...Mr. Dyson Blair. 
Botany ...Mr. C. Drieberg, Superintendent, 
School of Agriculture. 
The course of training as at present arranged 
covers one year. During the latter part of the year 
the students were taken on tour by the Conservator 
of Forests himself. The tour occupied about six 
weeks, during which period many of the forests 
of the North-Western and Central Provinces that 
lie on the route between Kurunegala, Dambulla, and 
Matale were traversed, while visits w'ere also paid 
to the Galboda, Nanu-oya, and Nuwara Eliya 
pUjitations. The six students who will be the 
first trained in the Forestry School are Messrs. 
Jansz, Jayman and Galagoda of the Forest 
Department, and Messrs. Fernando, Mendis, and 
Eatnayaka from the School of Agriculture. 
The Training School. 
The number of students trained at one time in 
this school was, until 1896, ten ; but during the 
year this number was reduced to five as the result 
of the opening of a training school in Peradeniya, 
which was intended specially for the training of 
Kandyan teachers for Government vernacular 
schools in the Central Province. 
The Pracitsing School. 
The Practising School, conducted in connection 
with the Training School, has about 80 boys on 
the roll and an average attendance of about 50. 
The school is a purely vernacular day school. 
Situated as it is in the metropolis and in a more 
or less remote suburb, it is not taken advantage 
of as much as it would l)e if it were an Anglo- 
vernacular institution. The demand for an 
Englisli education is naturally keen in the neigh- 
bourhood of Colombo, and native parents of the 
poorer class are satisfied with a IVth or Vth 
Standard vernacular education for their sons, who 
are then given the finish in English which 
qualifies them for the higher grade appointments 
as domestic or office servants. For this reason 
the highest standard that can at present be main- 
tained in the school is, much to the disadvantage 
of the training students, the Vth. 
The Government Dairy. 
All things considered, the dairy has had a fairly 
good year. 1 have endeavoured to curtail my 
report on this institution by arranging facts and 
figures in tabular form. Statement A. is a return 
of the stock. The dairy was free from of any form 
epidemic, but, as will be seen from the return fur- 
nished, a comparatively large number of calves was 
lost during the twelve months. The causes of death 
were worm-complaint and other common ailments, 
which unfortunately could not have been coped 
with so successfully as in former years. Statement 
B. shows the quantity of milk supplied during the 
year. 1 have included this statement in order to 
show that the demand for milk varies within 
comparatively wide limits from mouth to month. 
It will be seen that the demand rose continuouly 
towards the latter part of the year. 
These circumstances, and the difficulty ex- 
perienced in procuring additional stock when 
required, made it necessary for the Manager to 
supplement the output of milk at the dairy with 
milk purchased from outside. But the impossi- 
bility of obtaining pure milk in any quantity from 
external sources naturally gave rise to some un- 
pleasantness with the Medical Department, which 
it is to be hoped will be avoided in the future. 
I would urge upon those who rely upon the 
lactometer as a test for the purity and quality of 
milk to see that their instruments are correct by 
trying them with pure water reduced by ice to a 
temperature of 60° F., and if found correct to add 4 
to the reading of the lactometer at 85° F. and 5 to the 
reading at 90° F. The temperature of milk should 
always be taken in Ceylon before using the instru- 
ment. Believers in the lactometer would do well 
to bear in mind (1) that milk can be made to show 
a high specific gravity by adding foreign matter, 
