March i, 1892.] 
Subplement to the “ Tropical Agriculturist. 
» 
699 
The Agricultural Improvement Society met 
ou the 1st h'riday of February, when ilr. 
Attepattu read an instructive paper on coconut 
cultivation. 
A Training School and Practising School (for 
training Government School Teachers) have been 
established at the Scliool of Agriculture. Mr. 
C. Silva, Muhandiram, late hoadma.ster of the 
JJentota Training School, has been appointed 
headma.ster of the latter, and Mr. D. A. Silva 
has taken up duties as headmaster of the 
Practising School, with Mr. Gabriel as his as- 
sistant. 
Mr. W . A. lie Silva, 2nd assistant teacher nt 
the School of Agriculture, leaves for Bombay 
in May ne.vt, to go through a thorough course of 
Veterinary training at the Veterinary College 
there. Mr. lie Silva will hold a Government 
Scholarship while prosecuting his studies in 
ludin. 
Mr. Seneviratne, a passed student of the School ^ 
has been appointed Science teacher at the 
Buddhist College just started in Galle. 
A fairly large piece of the new land granted 
to the School has been put under dhall. It 
would bo an excellent thing if the poorer section 
of natives in Ceylon took to the cultivation of 
dlmll in their little patches of land. Our agri- 
cultural instructors have been instrumental in 
introducing the plant ns a valuable food 
product to the people of many districts. On 
the poor soil about the School we are growing 
it, ( I ) because it grows well even in a 
poor soil, (2) because it will improve the soil — 
as we have known it to have done before— being 
a leguminous plant, (3) becau.se it forms a palat- 
able and nutritious article of diet, and (4) 
because we shall be able to supply our agri- 
cultural instructors with fresh seed. 
Ground nut, areca-nut, Singapore pepper and 
cocoa have also been put down in the School 
grounds. The tlrst-mentioned, which it is in- 
tended to grow more of, is now in fruit. 
1 
