Feb. 1. 1898.] 
Supplement to the 
7 Topical Agriculturist y 
577 
number of iipplications for admission received was 
larger tlian it has been for some years past. 
A Eeading Eoom, where a large number of 
Agricultural Journals are laid on tlie table, 
has been opened at the School, and is available 
to the students and any visitors who may 
wish to make use of it. 
Dr. Somerville, of the Durham College of 
Science, the coutributor of the important paper 
on Denitrification which we summaiised in our 
November number, writing to us on December 
28th last, says : — “ I am interested to learn of 
the manner in which your crops aro fertilized, 
and I should think that if they receive a dress- 
ing of farmyard manure to tlie e.xtent of 20 to.jO 
tons per acre, they will not require a great 
deal of other substances. I am not sure that 
any great loss would occur from mixing organic 
(inorganic ?) substances with propeidy decomposed 
farmyard manure. It is mainly when that sub- 
str.nce is in a raw condition that it is likely to be 
a serious source of loss. Your suggestion to 
defer the application of nitrogenous manures for 
two or three months after the dung has been 
applied will certainly prove effective in prevent- 
ing loss. ” 
We are glad to learn thi’ough Dr. Somerville 
that he believes Prof. Vfallace’s health is now much 
better. This is good news, as the last information 
we had of the Professor gave the very wor.st 
accounts of him. 
Mr. A. E. Jeremiah of Krian, Parit Bnntar, 
Straits Settlements, returned to the Straits early 
in January after going through a cour.>ie of two 
years’ study at the School of Agriculture, 
Colombo. 
Mr. Edward Elliot, late of the Ceylon Civil Ser- 
vice, who is now engaged in agricultural work, in 
a letter explaining his inability to attend the late 
pr.ze-giving held at the School, wrote : — 1 trust 
you will have a successful meeting and some good 
speeches, and that someone will impress the 
necessity for liberal expenditure on both agid- 
cultural education and experimental cultivation. 
Nothing can be achieved without this, and unless 
it is continued for a very long period, if not 
indefinitely. The idea of agricultural instructors 
was an excellent one, but they were starved and 
expected to give illustrations and .«how results 
without any funds. 1 saw this and tried to 
remedy the mistake .... and secured 
data which were valuable, and the correctness of 
which I have .since veiified, besides tangible 
results proving the correctness of the methods 
followed. Efforts in Ceylon are too .spasmodic, 
and there is too great an anxiety to see “ will it 
pay” within a very limited period of time. They 
seem to be ahead of us in this respect in India, 
and of course the Australian system of agricul- 
tural education, theoretical and practical, is 
splendid, and the Governments there do not 
grudge a large outlay. Look at the breed of 
cattle. What has Government done to improve 
this? Sir Hercules Eobinson many years ago 
introduced some stud-bulls. Unfortunately they 
were not very suitable — too big for the mates 
available in this countiy. They were soon sold off, 
though they w’ere slowly fulfilling their purpose. 
This subject wants taking up, but there is no use 
issuing circulars to Government Agents and not 
giving them funds to carry out any plan .agreed 
on. A sum of E10,000 a year would be well 
spent on this subject, and should be guaranteed 
for ten years to enable work on a regular system. 
The Government Dairy has now paid back all 
the advances amounting to El 1,500 made l)y 
Government from time to time for tlie working 
of tlie I'lstablishraent. 
It i.s proposed to hold an Agri-Horlicultural 
Show in Colorab) about, the middle of the year. 
Tlie School of Agriculture grounds are spoken 
of us the probable site of tlie Show. 
The second batch of Forestry students will 
complete their course of Study in February, and 
a new class admitted at the beginning of March 
next. 
The following publications have been received 
and are acknowledged with thanks: — 
Foreipi . — Queensland Agricultural Journal, 
The Agricultural Journal of the Cape of Good Hope, 
The Journal of the Eoyal Agricultural Society, 
Transactions of the Highland and Agricultural 
Society of Scotland, Agricultural Ledger of India 
(No. 17 of 1897). The Scottish Farmer, The In- 
dian Agriculturist, Barbados Agricultural Gazette 
and Planters’ Journal, The Australian Tropicul- 
turist. The Sugar Journal and Tropical Cutivator 
(Mackay, Queensland), Central African Times. 
Our thank.s are due to Mr. F. H. M. Corbet for 
copies of the Imperial In.stitute Journal and 
Pharmaceutical Journal, to Mr. John Ferguson 
for the Jounial of the Society of Arts, Agricultural 
Gazette of New South Wales, Live Stock Journal 
Almanac, Mark Lane Express Almanac and Agri- 
cultural Annual, and the Adelaide Observer. 
Local . — The Magazines of St. Thomas’ College 
and the Eoyal College, Oui Boys, The Ceylon 
Eeview, Tropical Agriculturist, Ceylon Churchman, 
Ceylon Forester, St. Paul’s School Alagaziue, 
Circular No. 3 of the Eoyal Botanic Garden. 
The Tick question has for some time 
been etigagiug the close attention of scientific 
and practical ng-'cnlturists in the Southern 
Continent. We b , o now received a request 
(through Mr. J. Driebei'g, District Engineer, 
Puttalam) firm Queensland for information 
regarding our local varieties of the Tick, together 
W'ith preserved samples of the Queensland Tick 
and bottled solutions for sending samples of 
local specimens. V.^e have referred the matter 
to the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon, Mr. G. W. 
Sturges.o, for hi.s report. 
CALATEOPIS FLOSS. 
Eeferring to the llosa of Calatropis procera, 
Mr. Cross, Scientific Eeferee on Fibres to the 
Imperial Institute, reports that it is an ex- 
tremely interesting type, containing a very high, 
and, in his experience, unique percentage of 
