THE MAGAZINE 
OF 
Tf)G UWOL OF AGRIOULTQRG, 
COLOMBO. 
Added as Supplement monthhi to the ^'TROPICAL AGRICULl^URIST.” 
The following pages include the contents of the Magadne of the School of 
Agriculture for February : — 
OCCASIONAL NOTES. 
Two plots of land have been laid unt\&c Lathyrwi 
Sylvestris at the School,— one a sandy soil, the 
other a heqvy loam. In the latter, the plant must 
he said to he a total failure, for thougli the seed- 
lings were carefully attended to and watered, they 
died out after a few inches growth when the dry 
weather began to prevail. The other plot shows a 
fairly healthy growth. The plants in this plot are 
not much exposed to the sun and are growing in 
a moist place. It would thus seem that in Ceylon 
at least Lathyrus nylvesfris is not the hardy 
plant it is reported to ho, and that the hope of 
being able to cover our poor sandy soils with n 
nutritious fodder crop must be given up, that is 
to say if the seed we have been supplied with was 
not at fault. 
The School of Agriculture ro-oponod on the 16th 
January. Out of a large number of applicants 
for admission, 15 students have been admitted. 
“ Cow-keeping in India” is the title of a work 
by Isa Tweed, published by Thacker, Spink & Co., 
Calcutta. The book contains many valuable prac- 
tical hints, which we hope to give our readers 
the benefit of as opportunity offers. 
Mr. H. S. Dias has been appointed Agiicultural 
Instructor in the Kegalla district. 
Received with thanks for the School Museum a 
.sample of silky fibre from the fruit of the wara 
tree {Calai r'opis i/iyantea) sent hy Mr. Van 
Starrex of Cry.star Hill Estate, Matale ; and 
specimens of felspar from Ilanguranketa, sent by 
Mr. II. S. Dias, late headmaster ot the Buddhist 
School in that district. 
At a meeting held on the ii7th instant, it was 
decided that the meetings of the School of Agri- 
culture Improvement Society should be held on 
the first Friday of each mouth. Mr. Kehelpannla 
was appointed Secretary and Jlr. Attepattu, 
Treasurer. 
The wealthy residents in and about Colombo, 
who are willing to give money towards a chari- 
table cause, or for the founding of a really use- 
ful institution, could not do better than help to 
establish a School in Colombo on the lines of the 
Industrial School of Kandy. This School, ns it 
is now managed by Mr. Donald Jausz, is worthy 
of all the support and encouragement that men 
of position and influence can give. In it some 47 
boys are being taught tailoring, shoemaking, 
carjientry, wood carving and fretwork, book- 
binding, picture framing and such useful indus- 
tries ns are suited to the class from which the 
boys are drafted. Carriage building on a small 
scale has also been taken up, and the resiilt of 
the work of the boys reflects the greatest credit 
upon them and their Director. 
We are glad to learn that there is a fair sale for 
the articles turned out at the Industrial School, 
while the orders for printing are many. We have 
heard it said that the charges made for work dona 
at the School are exorbitant, but excepting fancy 
articles which might, with excuse, have fancy 
prices, the charge for other kinds of work is quite 
moderate. It would bo a great matter if some 
wealthy genllemau would come to the rescue of 
the School and pay off an old debt that stands in 
the way of the development of the institution. 
Not the least important features of the School are 
t,h(! exercise of discipline and the teaching of 
method. 
