September i, 1884.J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



233 



RETURNS OF RAINFALL IN CEYLON DURING 

 1883. 

 The figures prepared in the Surveyor-General's 

 Office appear as a Supplement to a recent Gazettp, 

 in which the rainfall for 1883 is compared with the 

 means of various periods. The means in a good many 

 places were, no doubt, considerably increased by the 

 abnormally heavy rainfall of 1882, from which there 

 has broil a natural r lion to be felt chiefly, ap- 

 parently, in 1884. In Colombo the rainfall of lssii 

 ai excessive, 103-01 inches against au average for 



I I years of 87'73. The rainy days were 162 against 

 an average of 154, There was a rainstorm on 8th 

 9th May showing 5'32 inches, the highest fall in 

 the 14 years having been 11 '90 inches on 4th-5th 

 May 1876. 



Ratnapura was also above its average of 14 years, 

 with 168-60 inches against 15P22. The rainy days, 

 however, were only 195 against 217. The highest 

 rainstorm recorded took place 8th-9th May, when 



I I '42 inches fell. 



Puttalam showed a rainfall below the average of 

 nearly 14 years, the figures being 41*41 inches against 

 44.38, the rainy days being only 34 (!) against 69. 

 The explanation of the limited number of raiuy days 

 is that the tremendous quantity of 1206 inches fell 

 in 24 hours, Sth-9th May. This was the severest rain- 

 storm recorded at Puttalam, which is so dry a station 

 that it is the scene of a large manufacture of salt. 



Anubadhapura also had its highest recorded rain- 

 storm 6'SS inches on Sth-9th May last year, when 

 the rainfall was 69'47 inches against 53-09, the mean 

 of nearly 14 years. The rainy days were 127 against 

 104 average. 



Mannar is the driest station in Ceylon, but in 

 1883 it got an enormous excess over its average of 

 nearly 14 years, viz., 57 '56 inches against the average 

 of 3ti'59. There was the greatest rainstorm recorded 

 on 4th-5th February, when 8 48 inches fell in the 

 24 hours. The rainy days were exactly the average 

 of 60. 



Jaffna, the furthest north station in Ceylon at 

 which the rainfall is recorded, had, like Mannar, an 

 excessive rainfall last year, <!7'67 inches against the 

 average for nearly 14 years of 46 '44. The rainy days 

 were 82 against 72, and there was a rainstorm of 

 6'97 inches on 17th-18th November, against the pre- 

 vious highest of 9 '55 on 25th-26th November 1875. 



Trincomaleb on the east coast was also in excess, 

 with 7635 iuches against the average of 62'68. The 

 rainy days, however, were only 96 against 113. A 

 rainstorm of 3 '85 inches occurred ou 2ud-3rd Febru- 

 ary, the previous highest being 8-2 1 ou 22ud-23rd 

 'January 1878. 



Batticaloa, on the same side of the island, was 

 also above the average of 58'07 with 6o'83 inches, 

 the rainy days being 109 against 98. Rain equal 

 to 5T0 inches fell on 2Gth-27th November, the h'ghest 

 fall in 24 hours previously observed being 10'46 on 

 6th-7th January 187S. 



Hamhantota, in consequence of the result of 1883, 

 a fall of only 2S-9i> inches (the smallest fall of the 

 year anywhere), takes precedence now of Mannar as 

 the driest station in Ceylon. The average up to 

 1SS3 was 36 '85 inches. Here there is a large natural 

 formation of salt. The rainy days were 90 against 91, 

 and 2 91 inches fell on 8th. 9th May, the previous 

 highest fill in one day being 5'05 on 31st Dei 

 1882-lst January 1883. 



Calle showed some excess, 95*06 inches against 

 the average pf90 , 40! the rainy days being 216 against 

 30 



190; while 5*32 inches of rain fell 15th-16th April, 

 the highest previous fall in 21 hours being 7*66 on 

 22nd-23rd October 1S70. 



Kandy, on the other hand, Bhowed a considerable 

 deficiency, 74-02 against 82 '24, the rainy days being 

 171 instead of 193, and the highest rainstorm re 

 corded, 8"95 inches, took place Sth-9th May. 



Nuwara Eliya was slightly below the average of 

 10153 inches with 9962 ("he while rainy days were 

 193 against 203 ; while 6-84 inches fill I2th-13th July 

 against the previous highest figure for 24 hours of 

 911 on 9th-10th September 1874. 



Badulla showed a large excess, 99'61 inches against 

 75'05, the rainy days being 138 against 85. there 

 was a rainstorm of 4 '99 inches on Sth 9th May against 

 the previous highest of 5 '72 on 30th-3l»t Jan. 1S82. 



Vavlniyayilankulam got 63*30 inches against an 

 average of 61'9S), the rainy days heing 98 against 95. 

 The highest rainBtortn recorded, 9'26 iuches, occurred 

 on 4th-5th February. 



Ratmalana Estate, Galbissa, got 97 13 iuches 

 against the averag i of 96'9S, the rainy days being 150 

 against 145. A rainfall of 5'07 took place on 24th- 

 25th Jan. against the highest previous storm of 8'50 

 ou 9th-10th Nov. 1881. 



Liberia Estate, Polgahawela, got less than the 

 average, 9316 against 97'56, the rainy days being 186 

 against 17S, while the highest rainstorm recorded, 9'30 

 inches took place Sth-9th May. 



Horakelle Estate, Chilaw, got a considerable ex- 

 cess, 71 '66 against 61'9S, the rainy days being 134 

 against 95. Rain equal to 8'50 inches fell on 5th-9;h 

 May against the previous greatest storm of 1399 ou 

 12tu-13th July 187S. 



Rukam, Batticaloa District, a tank sfation, re- 

 corded 70'64 against the average of 71'53, the rainy 

 days being 114 against 76. A rainstorm of 5'45 inches 

 occurred ou 2nd 3rd Feb., the highest in previous 

 years being 9'50 on 5th-6th July 1878. 



Gikiyanakanda, Pasdun Korale, got considerably 

 more than its average of 153'86, viz. 174'79, the rainy 

 days being 2i9 against 249 ; while 5-45 inches fell 

 IGth-lTth Dee. against 12-00 on 30th-31st May 187S. 



Labuoama, Hanwella, recorded 185 73 inches, the 

 highest fall anywhere in the year. The average at this 

 place, whence Colombo is to derive its wat r-supply 

 from May next year, is 173'64. The rainy days here 

 were 202 again.-t 194. The highest rainstorm recorded, 

 11 91 inches, occurred on 8th-9th May. 



Dunedin estate (tea), Awisawei.la, has only the 

 figures for 1883 opposite it. They show pretty well : 

 162-24 iuches in 201 days, 91 inches falling in the 

 great rainstorm of Sth-9th May. 



Aberfoyle estate, Rakwana, has an average of 

 129"42 inches for 3 years, the fall for 1S83 'bein<? 

 13026. Here 670 iuches fell on Sth. 9th May" 



Downside estate, Morawak Korale, has not sent 

 complete returns for 1883, but it ia shown that here 

 11-41 inches fell on Sth-9th May. The previous 

 figures, founded on 1§ year's observation, were 140 43 

 inches ou 235 days, showing a good tea climate. 



Martin's Town estate, Kukulu Korale, got 158-25 

 inches in 233 days, against averages of 165'79 inches 

 and 232 days. On 8th-9th May, the fall was 

 7 -36 iuches. 



Havilland, Dolosbaoe, was 30 inches below its 

 average, with 158 '32 inches agaiust 18S 00 and 216 

 days against 225. Of the rainfall of 1883, 10.1 inches 

 fell on 8th-9th May. 



St. John hel Pey, Bogawantalawa, Dikoya, has 

 figures for nearly a dozen years, the accuracy of which 

 can be relied on, and here we have evidence of a first- 

 rate tea climate. The rainfall for 1883, though some- 



