September i, 1885.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



225 



It is not stated in the returns before us, what this 

 amounts to, bnt it is possible to estimate it fi-om otlior 

 published reports. For instance, Mr. Elliott records Uiat 

 an increase in the ai'ea cnltivalert in the Batticaloa ilis- 

 trict of 18,000 acres was accompanied by a rise in tho 

 grain revenue between 1S66 and 1870 of KJO,000. 



Again of tho llatara district Mr. Bawson reports that 

 " the grain revenue of the dirisions in which tlie irrigation 

 works lie has in consequence risen from an annual average 

 of K43,200 between ISGU and 1S75 to one of Koi;,iJOO between 

 ISru and 1S«2," or an increase of K12,SH0 in a part of 

 the district where only 6,400 acres have been provided 

 with irrigation. 



In view of these figures referring to three-fourths of 

 the irrigated area, it is not taking too extravagant a 

 view to estimate at lilk per acre the additional revenue 

 due to the expenditiuro "on ii-rigation, or say K81,0UO in 

 the aggregate. 



Looked at in another way the result is very much tho 

 same, thus: — 



Ascertained increase in JIatara District 



from 6,000 acres Rli.OOO 

 Value of tithe o£ now land 



at K2 per acre over 20,000 „ 40,000 

 lucroaed value of tithe 



at Rl p.a. on old lands 30,000 „ ."50,000 



Total., 



K82,000 



,.56,000 



Wo may therefore safely take the value of the Govern- 

 ment share of the increased crops at RSO,000 per aimum , 

 which will be equivalent to a return of 4J per cent on the 

 nett outlay all over the island, including the expenditure 

 on some of the larger works which have not as yet proved 

 reproductive, such as : — 



Tissamaharama S. P. R210.000 irrigating 450 acres. 



Kant.Tlay E. P. 72,0a0 '„ 500 „ 



NikaweratiyaN.-W.P. bO.OOO „ -.'96 „ 



Iswewa do. 47,000 „ 75 „ 



Basawakkulam, Tisawewa, 

 Yodaela, N.-C.P. 150,000 „ 232 ., 



Madavachchi N.-C.P. 26,000 „ 78 ,. 



Total...R5C5,090 „ 1,631 „ 



Deducting the expenditure on these premature under- 

 takings from the total bill, the additional grain revenue 

 shows a return of tii per cent from the remainder of 

 the works. 



As the expenditure, R450,000 (nett) on 4,250 acres, in 

 the North-Central Prorineo has been undertaken admit- 

 tedly for a special purpose .and without any expectation oi 

 an immediate return, some may desire to know what are 

 the residts exclusive of the outlay in this Province. Thus 

 relieved, tho same data give a return of R78,00O against 

 a nett outlay of Rl,220,000 or over 6 per cent, which 

 rises again to 9 per cent if we deduct the heretofore un- 

 productive cntlay on such works as Tissamaharama, Kanta- 

 lay, Nikaweratiya ?nd Uswewa. 



The expenditure given above includes a considerable sum 

 for repairs to irrigation works due to a great extent to 

 the anxiety to do cheap work in tho earlier years of the 

 era under consideration. AUowanco for this has to be 

 made on the one hand and on tho other for upkeep which 

 has risen from R 4,000 in 1S70 to R39,0O0 in lt.83. As re- 

 gards the past it may consequently be taken as havin" 

 averaged one per cent on the expenditiire, but this de^ 

 doction will ahnost disappear in the futture, as powers were 

 taken in the last sessions of the Legislative Council to pro- 

 ride for this charge by a special lu^sessment. 



Considering that we have had 1 1 buy our experience 

 and that in tho anticty to afford relief the test of "will 

 it pay ? " has possibly not been as rigidly appHed as it 

 would probably have been by an Association looking for 

 a dividend, the resiilt ia decidedly encouraging. Nor in 

 dealing with the matter mutt it be overlooked wh.at has 

 been contributed to the general revenue by the paddv- 

 grower. It may be uaelul therefore to remincl those who 

 have recently doubted the justice and wisdom of the outlay 

 ca in-igation that it was recorded by the Irrigation Com'- 

 29 



mittee in l,S67 that "during the past thirty years the 

 people have contribvited to the local revenue nearly a 

 million -and-a-half sterling in the shape of grain-tax, ami 

 that the only (direct) reiurn for that large coniriljutioii hart 

 been an expenditure of between 3U and £40,000 on Irrig- 

 ation." 



Since l.s(5S tho average contribntion has been at the rate 

 of R 1,000,000 per annum or a total of 15 millions of 

 rupees, and the outlay on Irrigation under ono-lifth of 

 this sum. 



The abstract referred to in (he opening; paragraph is 

 as follows : — 



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r4"»0 --T r-T 



•tioi)t?Ai;jno K Z!, 



japtm ptii! pail! £ "r . . _ . 



a CJn-i t—CO-t^J'M 



•3u.n ^uo4Xo juni^V ■^ S 



C<1 O -^ CO '71 

 (?] o »o o .-< 

 Tf O'M O ^ 



'8891 

 •09a 5STg o^ c.9ex p5 



t^ Jr O in- -t rH 



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i—t CO -d^ fH to 



....... 



2 -2 



CO 10 o 

 O lO -iT 



3 « 



LEMON CULTIVATION IN CEYLON; 

 We have seen enormous crops of " citrons " grown 

 on upcountry estates, but only a few leiiior.s, and 

 of those few the coolies seemed to take the lion's 

 share, as they often do of ijeaolies, plumj, guavas 

 and other fruits, which European planters cakuL^ted 

 on for their own table or for presents to friends. 

 The lemons sent to us by Mr. E. Woodlioiise seem 

 quite equal to those grown in Europe, are deliciously 

 fragrant end prove that the true lemon can be suc- 

 cessfully grown in Ceylon. By a curious coincidence 

 the same post which brounht us Mr. Wood house's 

 letter and the lemons brought us also fiom Mr. J. P, 

 Lewis, Assistant Government Agent, Kandy, the 

 letter from Dr. Bonavia of Lueknow, whicli we readily 

 print as an accompaniment to Mr. Wooii house's com- 

 munication. In contemplating extended cultivation 

 of the lemon, the tjuestion of a good market would 

 arise, and from what we saw in Australia, we think 



