246 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [September r, 1884. 



from the fappy verdant island of Ceylon, ray eye 

 wearied as I journeyed across this bare country. That 

 was in October, and how much more would I have 

 felt the contrast a few months latter ou in the 

 pueka drought. Coffee planters have discovered that 

 their " zone" lies just at the junction of the rain- 

 compelling Ghaut region and the dry open 

 ceuntry beyond. Thus they secure a proportion of 

 benefits derived from each. 



Now let us look at Ceylon. You will of course 

 be quite aware of the fact that towards the west 

 wherever the land rises to any elevation we 

 find the south-west monsoon emptying itself 

 freely. Let us look along the hilly frontier. 

 Begin jfrom the north, and we get the Laggala or 

 Knuckles rauge. Straight up the railway pass sweep 

 the winds of the S. W. monsoon which branch off on 

 either side of the hot valley of Dumbara bestowing 

 that burden on the steep hill-sides on either side. Thus 

 Medamahanuwara, Rangala, Knuckles, and especially 

 Kelebokka, because it lies nearest the south-west — all 

 got a large proportion of wind and rain, while over 

 the mountains the wind increases and the wet decreases 

 as you leave Laggala and approach Nitre Cave. Away 

 beyond to the north and east lies the lowcountry 

 where rain is not plentiful. Here we approach the line 

 which must be considered hereafter. I may Btate that 

 this line may be drawn across the map due south 

 from a little east of Medamahanuwara, cutting Wilson's 

 Bungalow and a point between Haldummulla resthouse 

 and that of Belihuloya, and so on south. This is the drier 

 zone of the island. It can besecn from Medamahanuwara 

 or Badulla; it can be felt .by anyone journeying from 

 Nuwara Eliya to Wilson's Bungalow, and it can be seen 

 clearly either from Haputale ou the one side or Rakwana 

 on the other. I must return to the N. W. of the hill 

 country. I pointed out where the S. W. monsoon 

 strikes the northern coffee districts. Now I proceed 

 in a direct line to Ratnapura, or Adam's Peak. 

 Here is a bold frontier like the Ghauts facing the 

 lowcountry towards Colombo, but, unlike this country, 

 there is not an open flat plain behind but a series of 

 undulating hills including such prominent peaks as 

 .Sentry-box, Peacock and the culminating majestic 

 ranges of Pidurutalagala. Thus the coffee-covered 

 country where lie the districts of Ambagamuwa, Dikoya, 

 Maskeliya and Dimbula gets a severe share of the rain- 

 laden clouds which strike the ranges of Adam's Peak 

 and Kirigalpotta. This frontier is beautifully seen 

 from the Nahaveena range in Rakwana. Now comes 

 in the supplementary range of Rakwana which foi ms 

 a break-weather to Uva, the latter being further 

 favoured by the dry zone mentioned above. Do figures 

 bear out these ? Let us see. 

 Madulkele ... 115 in. per annum. 



Rangala ... 101 ,, ,, 



Dolosbage ... 200 ,, „ 



Ambagamuwa ... 199 ,, „ 



Dikoya ... 146 „ „ 



Maskeliya ... 137 ,, ,, 



Dimbula ... 103 ,, „ 



These all lie on the frontiers, save Dimbula and Ran- 

 gala, which are favoured in the former by its lying 

 nearer the dry zone, and, in the latter, by the in- 

 fluence of Dumbara. Then come those districts affected 

 by the giant Piduru. Maturata, not properly kept — but 

 probably high like Dimbula near the dry zone but 

 not within its influence. 



Kotmale ... 150 in. per annum. 



Nuwara Eliya ... 102 „ „ 



Now I will take the supplementary frontier — the Gon- 

 gala range. This range begins at the other side of 

 R itnapura from Adam's Peak and runs .S.E. till it 

 crosses the dry zone and stops below Gougala Peak, 

 It includes the following districts : — 



Rakwann (facing N.E.) 131in. par annum 



Kukulu Korale (facing S.W.) 167,, „ 



Morawak Korale (facing S.W.) Ill,, ,, 



Then come the drier districts : — 



Haldummulla ( Wiharagala) S8 ,, ,, 



Kandapola (near Nuwara Eliya 



but within the dry zone) 90,, ,, 



Badulla 90 ,, 



Walapane (Dunugala dry zone) 83 ,, ,, 



Dumbara (peculiarly situated by 



itself) 57 ,, 



Another section, which includes the five last districts 

 conies under the influeTice of N. E. rains that come 

 down the Bay of Bengal. This influence'culminates with 

 the Hewa Eliya range where we have 116J 'inches. 

 The Nitre Cave in the north makes up for its being 

 robbed of a good deal of the S. W. by getting a 

 large share of the N. E. rains which are checked on 

 the summit of the range by the dry weather towards 

 Colombo. Monaragala remains and shows it is with- 

 in the dry zone by its rainfall, viz., 88 inches. 

 From the P. W. D. returns you will find that on 

 the west and south the rains in the lowcountry are 

 far heavier than on the north and east. Galle on the 

 South getting 85 inches and Trincomalee in the east 61 ; 

 and Jaffna in the north 40, while Kalutara in the 

 west registers 102 inches. 



So much for Ceylon rainfall. Now where do we find 

 coffee to flourish the best ? Before leaf-disease the 

 Knuckles range did splendidly in days gone by, but 

 the plantations did not lie high up the ranges as a 

 rule but extended only to where the soil was good. 

 Ambagamuwa was a failure on account of bad climate 

 and bad heavy stiff soil. The three sisteis, Dimbula, 

 Dikoya and Maskeliya, had the misfortune to have been 

 exposed in early youth to certain plagues such as 

 leaf-disease, speculators, grub, moneyed youngsters 

 and "high" cultivation. They have not swamped 

 Brazil yet. The rauge of older districts betwetu the 

 Hantane and the Piduru ranges did very well as the 

 S. W. was more humble and played out before it 

 reached theni ; so they had a very even climate except 

 ou their borders all round. Uva stands preeminently 

 above them all in soil and climate as it is within the 

 dry zone and has not suffered from heavy lasting salt- 

 laden rains, but experiences straight-down N. E. 

 plumpers which swell its average but bring down 

 lots of nitrogen. 



Kukulu Korale and Morawak Korale are the very 

 reverse of this. They get salty fierce storms fresh 

 form the briny, and nothing grows there save mort- 

 gages and frogs.* Rakwana gets oftener warmed by 

 the sun as it rises over distant Ufa, but the wind 

 is a caution. There are three places in Ceylon 

 where a thin man on a narrow horse would have a 

 chalice over all. 



1. A corner of the road at Lauderdale estate 

 Rakwana. 



2. A corner of the road below Hakgala for Nuwara 

 Eliya. 



3. A corner of the road in Nitre Cave near Corbet's 

 Gap, 



Now I would advise all coffee in the wetter districts 

 to be abaudened and tea planted except those where 

 wind is great, t The balance of good land in these can 

 be made to pay under tea, In the drier climates start 

 growing shade if it is not there already, and put in 

 Coorg coffee if cacao won't do better. But do not 

 expect to grow fruit to pay for a prolonged period if 

 there be undue exposure either to 



Severe wet, 



Severe wind, or 



Severe drought. 



* Our correspondent forgets tea. — Ed. C. O. 

 t Tea can staud a good deal of wind. — Ed. O. O. 



