i8 



Facilities for Acquiring Land. 



Less than a couple of years ago the Survey and Forest 

 Departments of the Ceylon Government had their hands 

 fairly full in attempting to deal with the applications for 

 rubber land in the southern half of the island. Planters 

 rushed in for land in the Kalutara, Galle, Sabara- 

 gamuwa, Kurunegalla, Matale and Uva districts; some- 

 times, I am afraid, without having seriously or accurately 

 determined the suitability of the soil or the labour supply 

 available in, or procurable for, each locality. Consider- 

 ing the way the business was put through, I think the 

 Ceylon planters have every cause to congratulate them- 

 selves on the small percentage of hopeless failures which 

 have, up to the present, been chronicled. So far the 

 rubber trees are growing well, excepting those planted 

 in exceptionally rocky, cabooky, or swampy ground; of 

 the few estates which have encountered difficulties only 

 one or two have their trees planted on bad soil, the 

 majority having been landed in localities where the re- 

 tention of an ample labour force is well-nigh impossible. 



To-day comparatively few applications for new rubber 

 land are received by Government — about one per cent, 

 of those in 1906 — the acreage already planted being 

 considered quite large enough by rriost planters. There 

 is, however, land still to be had. It is not long ago 

 since certain Colonial Administratoi's in the East 

 definitely announced their objection against capitalists in 

 the habit of paying flying visits to the tropics for the 

 purpose of acquiring land for rubber and effecting com- 

 pany promotion at the earliest opportunity. In fact, one 

 or two officials refused to be hustled by such men at the 

 time the rush for land was at its zenith. Personally, I 

 would go one further and advise my readers to be very 

 chary of companies floated and directed by capitalists 

 who have no knowledge of, or permanent interest in, 

 tropical agriculture; there are a few such groups who 

 have gone into rubber because they think they see in it 

 another means of " growing rich beyond the dreams of 

 avarice. ' ' 



The Ceylon Government must, however, encourage 

 the influx of capital which will lead to an increase of 

 planted estates and subsequent produce, and give every 



