374 
Suppkmenl to the “ Tropical /tgriculUmst. 
[November 2, 1891. 
except by supposing that the plant could soo 
the pole. In one of our previous i.ssnca wo referred 
to the peculiarities in certain plants which would 
easily explain thi.9 phenomenon. The proi)erty 
of negative heliotroinsm, i.c., the bending of 
growing organs away from the source of light 
is exhibited in such plants as the ivy and v ino, and 
as we have before e.xplained, is duo to the inore 
active growth of the more powerfully illumined 
part. It is this properly that would explain 
the tendency of the special plant referred to by 
the lady to turn in the direction of a support 
which was away from the light. 'Ihegrow- 
in part of twining plants is very sensitive 
— the slightest touch against any object making 
it ben'l towards the object for support. Pro- 
fessor McAlpine used to describe the effect of 
such contact as a “tickling process to which 
was duo the curling of t he tips of the growing 
part— the contraction at the end being conveyed 
backwards and the whole plant drawn and lightly 
stl.ved It is after the support is touched and 
•dhotr*d to, that the tougher tissue is developisl 
and ho iio.sition of the idaiit streiigl hened. IVit.h- 
oiit a support within reach the growing part of 
a twining plant may keep moving about 
(away from the light if it be negatively 
heliotropic) till it touches a sujiport to 
which it then inclines to adhere. This tendency 
of plants to twine round a support is caused by 
the more rapid growth of the right and left sides 
of a growing organ in succession, and is known 
as revolving nutation. It would thus ujijieai^tliat 
it is altogether too much to as.sutno tliat plants 
are endowed with the sense of sight ! 
Roveii. 
TllK STORlXfi OP SKKU (>RAI.'> 
The selection and storing of seed grain are 
matters of the greatest importance in agriculture. 
It is much to be regretted Unit from some 
cause or other the careful selection of seed,— the 
advantages of which are fully understood by 
our cultivators,— is not at present practised even 
to the extent it was at one time. The preser- 
vation of seed inteniled for sowing is another 
subject upon which any advice must be very 
welcome, as it often occurs that the seed 
which is expected to raise the future crop is 
at the eleventh hour found to have bocomo 
musty or to have been attacked by some kind 
of insect, so that its germinating jjowor has 
been completely destroyed. 
The Agricultural Department of JIadras 111 its 
llulletin No. 10 takes u]) the consideration of 
this subject, and details the met hods of i)re.serving 
seed grain in vogue in some of the districts of 
the Presidency. The bints embodied therein must 
from the similarity of condilioiis under which 
cultivation is carried on in India and Ceylon, 
ns well as from the simplicity of the means 
which are enumerated, be of value to tbo 
cultivators of grain in this Island 
Pour mothods of storing the seed are noted, 
vi/., in baskets; gunny bags; earthen iiots and 
straw bundles. , r 
The baskets for storing gram are made ot split 
bamboos, of a circular or rectangular shape and 
of various sizes. To 1111 uj) the spaces between 
the bamboos they are coated inside and out with 
cowdung. The baskets are generally used when 
large ((uautities of grain have to be stored. When 
the grain is placed in this kind of receptacle it is 
covered with a layer of straw and the mouth jiliigged 
with a thick layer of cowdung and earth. 
Tbo gunny bags are used when smaller (|uttn- 
tilies of grain are. to be stored. The bags 
are, simply kept loosely in some part of tlio 
bou.se, whore there is constant movement., so that 
tho bags are freipieiitly tram|)lud on, shitted or 
used as seats by the inmates. 
The earthen pots which are used are made in 
tho shniie of two inverted cones either of earth 
mixed with paddy busks or calcined earthon- 
ware, and are always kept whitew’aslied. 
When stored in pots sometimes the grain is 
liable to be damaged by iiisecl.s. The be.st plan 
is that of storing the grain in straw' bundles. 
Por making the bundles 11 (|un!itity of paddy 
straw, all of uniform length, is I ied toget her at 
the liiitl end, anil thou jilaced in a basket and 
evenly siiread out so as to make a hollow in 
the centre. On this a small i(uantity of loose 
straw is spread and the grain is put in. The outer 
Straw' is then gathered together at the top, and 
the whole bundle is bound round and round by 
a straw rope and llnally secured by an ordinary 
ro]ie. This form of storing Is used in case of 
large grains, and tho bundles are not oiiened 
till the seed is reipiired for sowing. 
In storing seed grain various substances are 
placed in the vo.s.sels to prevent insect attacks. 
Among these are mentioned the leaves of 
Alargosa, the pods of llengal gram, varagti 
(Vaxjmlum, firr'i/ncnlatum) and wood ashes respec- 
tively. In Ceylon the villagers usually put in 
a lot of lime leaves and cbilles along with 
grain to jirevent insect attacks. 
It is always of importance to dry the seed 
perfectly licfore storing away, for the least trace 
of moisture is apt to injure their germinating 
tiowers. 
Tho tine grains such as Cumbo ( Pemitiefum 
Tyjihdideam), Kurrakknn (JUrusine Coracana) awX 
the I’aniciims arc usually better preserved when 
the whole ears are stored without threshing, 
tho last operation being done just before sowing. 
W. A. D. S. 
♦ 
CKIUOMONIKS OBSICIIVHD BY THE KANDYANS 
IN PADDY CCBTIV ATKIN. 
Paddy i.s liable to bo attacked by a grub 
known among the Kandyans as kok-panmra, 
which sucks the juices of tho plant. To avert 
such attack a kema or charm called jMS-imliifii- 
krmn is aiTanged for by the Kapurala. Pive kinds 
of gtaiii seeds are fried in a pan and afterw'ards 
spread on some mud which is moulded over a 
coconut shell. About dusk (gommnn vena velaw'a) 
the Kapurala after going through a process of 
purification, ])roceeds to tho infested Held w'ith 
this preparation, carrying a lighted torch in his 
hand. Tho kema is placed on a piece of wood, 
and the lighted torch is allowed to burn till 
tbo tire is oxtinguisiied. After this the Kapurala 
returns home, but not by the same road ho 
went to the Held, and to nobody must he utter a 
word on the way. Another metliod of dealing 
with this pest is to submerge the crop with water 
