September i, 1885.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



217 



KICE CULTIVATION IN CEYLON. 



We can do no more today (12th Ang.) than call atten- 

 tion to Mr. Elliott s paper on this im|.iortant subject and 

 the discussion which took place thereon last night at the 

 Colombo Museum. The information thus aflorded has 

 a very real practical bearing on a good many con- 

 troversies which have arisen from time to time in the 

 Planters' Association and the press. We think Mr. 

 Elliott makes out a good case for the success of 

 Irrigation works and the satisfactory result of rice 

 cultivation in certain f.%vourite localities in Ceylon — 

 mitl«re the extraordioary Bluebook returns of 

 the grain crops of recent vears from the Batticaloa 

 district. But we (juite as strongly hold that in 

 respect of the commencement of large, expensive 

 Irrigation works in other directions, a heavy re- 

 sponsibility rests on the Government to make quite 

 sure of their estimates and of their cultivators be- 

 ing really available, before voting further big eums 

 of public money. Mr. Elliott in replying last night 

 alluded to the tield presented in the North and East of 

 the island for an extension of Irrigation which would 

 attract the surplus population of the Jalfoa peninsula ; 

 but surely (although no mention was made of it) the 

 ominous name of " Kantalay " must have been at once 

 suggested to the memory of many present. To a continu- 

 ance of good work in restoring tanks and channels and 

 euppljing sluices among the settled agricultural popu- 

 ation, CO objection can of course be takfn; but the less 

 said about further large works, surely the better, 

 until, at least, the result of the very extensive and 

 costly operations now going on at Kalawewa can be 

 fairly a[jpreciated. 



It 18 not perhaps of much use referring to Blue- 

 book returns, after what has been said about them ; 

 but wo have really no other way of showing even 

 approximately the Grain Supply of the country. la 

 the following return, the first column is made up from 

 the Blnebonk, the test from the Customs Accounts: — 



The Bluebook returns of produce are m.ide up for 

 bushels of paddy and these have hithei to almost 

 universally been reckoned in rice in Ceylon by 

 the simple piocess of dividing by two — 2 bushels 

 paddy tqnal cne of rice. Ihis is true as regards 

 bulk. But some years ago very careful experi- 

 ments made in India proved that, by weitlit, thiee 

 bushels of paddy when unhusked (quilled two of 

 rice and this is the proper proportion on which o\ir falle 

 is now bas ed. As rfgaids the two districts— M.i tain and 

 Batticaloa, the contrast betwcrn careful ncd pro- 

 gressive and careless or backward retuins is so stiik- 

 icgtbat we tannct do tetltrthau quote as lolltws ; — 



Mataba District. 



Crop 

 Paddy. 

 Ults/ic/y. 

 500,000 

 711,610 

 770,000 

 768,000 



Bushels 

 Per Acre. 



17 

 20 

 17 



16 



24 



16 



11 



6 



• Pad'Jv (nee in the husk) imported at Colonilw is chieHy 

 used for horse food, but in the Nonhe n Province it is 

 Introduced and converted into rice, for human consumption 

 at the rata of 2 bushels of paddv to or.o of cleim rice ill 

 bulk, but in weight 1 bushel paddy is equal to two-thirds 

 of a bushel of rice. 



t Kei urn ot proiluction not published for thii yc.ir, found 

 to b« defective, and so we l)«ve takou thg same fib'iiros aa iu 



S9 



Area 



Cultivated. 



Acres. 



1870 30,600 



1876 ... 5,583 



1883 .. 4,000 



18S4 47,000 



Batticaloa District. 



1870 58,000 1,412,000 



1876 59,000 9C3,O0O 



1883 ... ... 58,000 630 000 



1884 07,550 418,000 



As far back as authentic history exteuds, Ceylon 

 has been dependent on India for a portion of 

 her grain supply, and so long as there is a large 

 immigrant, or even urban population to support, we 

 do not think it is probable we (hall ever bo in- 

 dependent. Neveriheless the importance of maintain- 

 ing and extending local rain culture whenever that 

 can te done with profit to both Government and 

 people cannot be denied. That irrigation will work 

 wonders for any branch of agriculture when systematic- 

 ally applied is almost an axiom all the world over. In 

 California and Florida we found farmers and horti- 

 culturists ready to affirm that with irrigation they 

 could raise as much on 10 acres as could be got 

 from 100 unirrigated. But the cost was heavy — as 

 high as £1 10s per acre for supplying 12 inches 

 of wa'cr over the soil per annum. The point how- 

 ever is whether in Ceyh n, the (iovernmeut should 

 not devote a pirtiou of tluir annual " irrigation " 

 vote and soriie sh'ire c f the energies of their revenue 

 officers iu certain locilities to the encoui.iijement 

 of other branches of .ngriculture besides rice. Wh ,t was 

 mentioned la^t ni;;ht about the change «Iiich native 

 enterprise and capital, unaided by Government, has 

 wrought in the Mahaoya Valley thiougli coconut 

 cultivation, surely teaches a iespou which ought not 

 to be loit on the aut' orities. If Agents did more 

 in suitable distric s to encourage and induce the 

 people to plaut palms acd t-thi r fiuit trfes (as 

 lasting a culture an grain), and now within the 

 rainy zoue, tea, we fei 1 sure, that local prosperity 

 would beprcmoted qui' e as much as by rice culture, 

 It may be of interest, perhaps, at this time to 

 give tliB detailed figures showing — lO far as the ex- 

 ternal trade can — the change wrought by tlie native 

 extension of coconut onltlvauon within the prtsant 

 geueialioa in Ceylon ! — 



Export Tbade (Customs KetuAns). 



Coconut Oil... 



Coin 



COPKA ... .,. 



POONAC .,. 



OoC'lfcTs 

 Total value of Coconut produce 

 exported... ... about K3,n00,000; about R8,O0O,0OO 



H.-re there is cer'aioly onr- branch of agricnlinre 

 eminently successful among the natives of Ceylon. 

 T|^6 strange circumutance ia that the eainc people tfIiq 



