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



[Vol. IX. 



fencing to be done, and watching too has been nearly given 

 up, as all the people live in gardens bordering the fields, 

 and there are no wild animals, such as pigs or elephants, 

 to be guarded against. 



Reaping an amunam's extent occupies a man 16 days, 

 and threshing and winnowing about 30 days for an average 

 good crop. Allowing a margin for contingencies, the 

 cultivation and harvesting of an am u nam of land in 

 the irrigated villages of the Matara District require 

 90 days of a man's labour, or 36 days* per acre, besides 

 an outlay of about four bushels of paddy for seed and 

 tools. 



I may here mention that Mr. Weeracoddy, in the report 

 of his experiment in Kegalla, gives 34 days per acre as his 

 outlay in labour, inclusive of certain permanent improve- 

 ments he had to undertake. 



In Balticaloa, the arrangements for cultivation are not so 

 simple, while the lands are more extensive, and a smaller 

 portion of proprietors cultivate their own lands. There are 

 two extensive harvests in each year, known as the "mun- 

 mari," which may be termed the winter crop, and the 

 " kalawellamai," or spring crop. 



For the "munmari" it is usual to engage cultivators, of 

 whom one is termed the head field servant or mullakkaran, 

 who has certain privileges, aud supervises the other three 

 field servants (or four in all) required for an extent of ten 

 amunams. As the long drought which prevails during the 

 South-West monsoon hardens the ground, it is usual to wait 

 for the light rains of September to soften the soil before 

 beginning to plough. 



The object kept in view in ploughing with the small 

 native implement (which is similar to that used in other 

 parts of the Island) is by frequently going over the land to 

 thoroughly pulverize the soil. The seed is then sown 

 broadcast without being germinated, and left to spring up 

 by itself under the influence of the first rains, ploughing 

 and sowing going on until stopped by the heavy rains 

 of October, A description of paddy which takes six 



* i find Ludovici in Iiis "Rice Cultivation" estimates the labour for 

 cultivating an acre at very nearly the same number of days. 



