160 Topographical and Statistical Account of 



These vary in colour, size and taste. Their most import- 

 ant distinction, however, refers to the length of time which 

 they require for attaining maturity ; some take three, some 

 four, some six months. 



There are two crops annually ; that sown in December 

 and reaped in March or April, gives the Mahamohsum ; the 

 other, sown in May, gives the Yallamohsum in August and 

 September. Occasionally, when the weather is favourable, 

 and the preceding harvest has been lost, a crop is taken be- 

 tween the intervals, and is simply called " a between two 

 years crop" (dhae awuruddhe atherae mohsum.) 



The return from paddy fields, according to the reports of 

 the headmen, varies from four to ten-fold ; but there can be 

 no doubt that the crop is frequently much heavier than this 

 would induce one to suppose. 



Another method of cultivating paddy is called tahwaloo : in 

 this case the margins of the tanks themselves are cultivated, and 

 the water for irrigation is raised by means of scoops, such as 

 are in use at salt pans. This system gives larger returns 

 than field cultivation, but the requisite labour is greater, 

 therefore it is not in favour with the Singhalese ; the Moor- 

 men carry it on to a considerable extent. 



A third system of paddy cultivation is on elevated ground, 

 so called high lands, in exactly the same way as other chena 

 crops are grown ; in this case irrigation is not applicable, and 

 the crop is totally dependant for moisture on the natural fall 

 of rain. The return is large, but the risk of losing one's 

 labour is great. 



I am sorry to say, that the general food of the people is 

 not Rice, but Koorakan (Eleusine coracana ) which is grown 

 in chenas. These are pieces of land on which the smaller 

 trees and brushwood are cut down and burnt, the thicker 

 branches are in this way merely charred, and being piled 



