October i, 1882.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 355 



The following is an extract from a report made to me by the Second Mudailyai- of the Kachcheri 

 regarding the co-t oT cultivating and the vield of an acre of land in the Jaffna i'oninsiila. 



" To grow tobacco in a piece of land, not less than three p ople must .'orm a c mpany, for, in the 

 manner plantatious are watered in the Jaffna Peninsula from wells, ihe work cannot be done by a less 

 number; but in some villages of Tenmarachchi and in the Paclichihippali, Punoryu, and tlie two districts 

 of Mullaittivu and Mannar, where the plantations .'iro watered from Thuravoo ( ■, ■' ni), or lemporarv tanks, 

 one or two people can cultivate a piece of land, and the extent of cultivation will be very much limited.. 

 The quantity of tobacco yearly cultivated in the latter being comparatively very .small, I think it ri<rht to 

 pass over such manner of growing tobacco in illustrations 



'•The three people in a company can cultivate tobacco on an extent of one acre during one season of 

 a year. 1 he rent of fonrlachams ( 1 rood) of tobacco ground varies from \5s. to 40.^ , ;:nd at ihat late rent 

 for an acre will he £3 to £8 (Rs. 30 to Rs. SO). 



" The cultivation for a season will occupy their labour for six months ; the value of their laliour at 

 \os. each per month for three people for a perioil of si.x months will be £13 10s. 



"The people commence to manure and prepare the land for tobacco in October or November, and the 

 laud is first manured by penning black cattle; these cattle are eithi-r procured from their owners for feeding, 

 or they are the jiroperty of the cultivators themselves, an. i they do not pay for this manure ; but it should be 

 observed that to keep up the black cattle in the wintei-, by feeding fheiu entirely with grass, will occupy 

 nearly the whole time in the day. Again, the cultivators bury green leaves. One cartload of green leaves 

 will be wanted for a lacham, and at that rate 16 cartloads for an acre will be, at 5s. a cartload, £4. 



" Again, the land is manured by shee ; 60 paddies {u la), each containing 100 fheep, will be required 

 for four lachams, and for an acre extent 240 paldies (u la), and one ]iadd\' f i—u) manure will cost at 

 least Is. ; for an acre exte t£l2. Total cost, £32 10* to £37 10s. (Rs. 325 or Rs. 375). 



" When I submitted a paper to the late Mr. Dyke some several jears ago. I had calculated on 

 1,000 plants to be planted in every three lachams. Since that, as people began to apply more manure and to 

 raise the quality of tobacco, it is found necessary now to plant 1,000 for every four lachams — .so in an acre 

 of laud 4,000 plants are planted. 



" The tobacco planted in a very good soil and in a highly manured land will yield — 

 . £ s d. Rs. 



1st sort leaves 5 for 4,000 = 20,000 at £2 per 1,000 ... 40 ... (400) 



2nd „ 2 „ 4,000= 8,000 „ 15.« 6 ... ( 60) 



3rd „ 3 ,, 4,000= 12,0(0 „ 5s. „ ... 3 .. ( 30) 



'Ihe produce of an acre ... £49 (Rs. 490) 



" The difference between £37 10s. (Rs. 375) and £49 'Rs. 490) is the profit, and for each of the 

 cultivators the profit will be £3 15s. (Rs 37oO). This profit the cultivators can yearly expect if the 

 market price in Travancore does not fall to what it is now, and if the tobacco crops have 1 ot met with heavy 

 rains or gales when they are in plants. 



"When the cultivators do not take lauds on rent the owner of the lands defrays all expenses and 

 divides the profits into nine shares, and takes six shares for himself, and the three shares are divided among 

 the three cultivator-, which will give nearly £5 lOs each ; and cultivating on " varani" is much less profitable 

 to the cultivators, for, in the other case, an amount was allowed as hire for their labour, and in addition to 

 that there is a profit of £3 I5s. 



"Much of the cultivation is under the lalter system — that is. "varam." 



" True copy." 



W. U. TWYNAM, 

 Jaffna Kachcheri, Government Agent. 



30th December, 1871. 



Notes referred to. 



1. — Tobacco. 



The best smoking tobacco is also grown in the divisions of AchcheJu in Valikamam East, and 

 Chutumulai in Valikamam West. 



2. — Process of Cultivation. 



As a general rule, immediately after manuring, the ground is first hoed and then ploughed as often 

 as is necessary to fit it for planting the seedlings. 



