160 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. IX. 



RICE CULTIVATION UNDER IRRIGATION 

 IN CEYLON. 



By E. Elliott, Esq., CCS. 

 (Read Wth August, 1885.) 



For many years there has been a widely accepted idea 

 that rice cultivation in Ceylon does not pay. A dictum 

 of Sir C P. Layard has been generally quoted in support 

 of this, and two writers many years ago* published certain 

 statistics which appeared confirmatory of this unfavour- 

 able view ; and these were, I believe, allowed to pass un- 

 challenged, though they contained errors which materially 

 affect the result. However, whether erroneous or not, these 

 opinions and figures referred to a time and to districts 

 where the attempt had not then been made to provide 

 irrigation. This fact has been overlooked in recent dis- 

 cussions ; indeed, both writers and speakers have gone 

 further, and have asserted that it would probably pay 

 better to import nearly all the rice required in the Island, 

 as it is doubtful whether Ceylon can economically compete 

 with India in the production of paddy. 



For many years past I have been unable to accept the 

 low estimate made as to the small profit to be derived 

 from paddy cultivation ; but whatever doubts I may have 

 had on this point have been entirely removed by my 



* Mr. Ludovici's " Paddy Cultivation" and "Speculum's" letters. 

 In " Speculum's " estimate, outlay in labour is excessive, especially for 

 watching, reaping, threshing, and husking ; while Ludovici takes too 

 high a rate of wages — Id. as the value of a day's labour in a district 

 where no agricultural labour was at the time remunerated in money. 

 Other points in his calculation are also open to question. 



