THE PROSPECTS OF DRY FARMING IN CEYLON. 

 By C. DRIEBERG, B.A., F.H.A.S., 



Secretary, Ceylon Agricultural Society, and 

 Superintendent of School Gardens, Ceylon. 



COMPARED with the so-called dry regions of the rest 

 of the world the dry areas in the tropics are well served 

 as regards rainfall, but the characteristic of the " mon- 

 soons " prevailing in the latter is that they precipitate 

 their moisture within a limited period with the result 

 that long intervals of rainless weather make it a difficult 

 matter to maintain the healthy growth of crops during 

 such seasons. 



The mean annual rainfall of Ceylon varies from 30 or 

 40 in. to 200 in. The south-west monsoon rains which 

 prevail from April to July mainly serve the south-west 

 of the island, while those of the north-east monsoon, 

 lasting from October to January, are more evenly 

 distributed. 



The driest areas are found in the north-east and south- 

 west, comprising the Puttalam, Mannar, Jaffna, and 

 Hambantota Districts. In these the rainfall is below 

 50 in. per annum. 



The next driest areas, in which the rainfall is between 

 50 and 75 in. per annum, are much wider and include 

 the Chilaw, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and 

 part of the Matara Districts. 



The dry zones form two-thirds of the total area of the 

 island, most of which is still in jungle. Here cultivated 

 perennial crops such as rubber, tea and cocoa, all of 

 which need a liberal rainfall, have no chance of thriving. 

 Coconuts, on the other hand can be grown under dry 

 farming conditions. On the Dry Zone Experiment 

 Station at Mahailluppalama in the North Central Pro- 

 vince, managed by the Department of Agriculture, it 

 has been conclusively proved that with a proper system 



