lOI 



men as here presented is as near the wild "Mana" grass as it ean be, 

 and is by most botanists regarded as being a variety of the " Mana" 

 grass so common in many parts of this island. The cultivation 

 of Citronella has hitherto been confined to the Southern and South- 

 West Provinces, the Matara, Galle, and Hambantota districts being 

 well-known in connection with this product. Exactly why it has 

 been more or less limited to these localities it is difficult to say, 

 as the grass grows well in districts having an annual rainfall of 

 80 to 100 inches, and, as will be shown later, has been success- 

 fully cultivated at an elevation of 2,000 feet in the Central Pro- 

 vince. It is not easy to obtain reliable information as to the yield 

 per acre in these provinces, but it is usually estimated that about 

 36 bottles each containing li lb. of oil are obtainable per acre per 

 year. If such is the case it can be asserted that the Peradeniya 

 district, at an elevation of 2,000 feet, is as good as any part of 

 the Southern Province for this product. At Peradeniya one acre 

 of the Maha-pangiri variety gave in 1904 19,320^ lb. of grass, 

 from which 84 lb. of pure oil were obtained ; in 1905, the same 

 plot produced 5, 757! lb. of grass, which yielded 38 lb. of oil. 

 This one-acre plot gave in the second and third year from plant- 

 ing 122 lb. of oil or 61 lb. per year. From other plots in their first 

 year 60 lb. of oil were obtained per acre. 



Value. — Messrs. Chas. P. Hayley & Co., of Galle, have offered 

 85 to 88 cents per lb. for the crude unfiltered oil. The yields I 

 have given you were obtained from a plot on the rocky hill-side 

 facing the Peradeniya Gardens, which was previously occu- 

 pied by Mana grass and Lantana, It is not a rich soil but a typi- 

 cal patna-like compound similar to what may be seen in many 

 parts of the Island. The results show that we can obtain a crop 

 of 60 lb. of oil per acre per year (210 to 250 lb. of grass giving 

 I lb. of oil), the oil realising from Rs. 51 to Rs. 53 per acre in 

 Galle. It must be admitted that this is not a very big return, but 

 it is about as much or even more than what is obtained on many 

 Citronella estates. The yearly expenditure for weeding, cutting, 

 transporting and distilling is probably about Rs. 20 to Rs. 30 per 

 acre, and if the good variety is cultivated it will require re-plant- 

 ing every third year at a cost of Rs. 3 per acre. In addition to 

 such current expenditure one must allow for clearing, for plants, 

 and the wear and tear of the machinery. It is obvious from these 

 remarks that Citronella cultivators are not rolling in profits, and 

 various points will require attention if the prospects of the in- 

 dustry are to be made brighter. 



Points Requiring Attention. — The first and foremost is to 

 check the adulteration which has been practised, so that Ceylon 

 can obtain a better reputation and command a price equal to that 

 paid for the oil exported from Java. This matter is, as most of 

 you are aware, receiving the attention of Government, and it is not 

 necessary for us to make any remarks beyond pleading for a ces- 

 sation of adulteration, or exporting the adulterated article under 

 definite grades, so that buyers will know what they are purchasing. 

 Another point of practical importance is the complete condensa- 



