July, 1912.] 



23 



Edible Products. 



suffering from climatic conditions un- 

 favourable alike to human life and agri- 

 culture, and undertaken with full know- 

 ledge that the outlay would not be 

 directly remunerative, but the increase 

 in the population in that part (as given 

 in Keane's report S.P. XIV of 1905) fully 

 justifies this act of "philanthropy." 



Kegalle District. In Tumour's com- 

 mutation returns (1831) the total area 

 of paddy land in the Pour Korales (alone) 

 is stated to be 18,750 acres inclusive of 

 10,375 entitled to exemption from tax. 

 A return to the Irrigation Committee 

 in 1866 gives the total area at 49,627 

 " parahs" equivalent to about 15,500 and 

 the average cultivation (1862-6) was re- 

 ported to be 17,000 acres producing 

 336,000 B. P. 



In 1882, the Grain Commissioners re- 

 ported an extent of 17,724 acres as liable 

 to tax in the Four Korales and 3,692 in 

 the Three Korales and Lower Bulatgama, 

 making a total of 21,416 exclusive of 

 exemptions probably another 12,000. 



As the rainfall of the district is gener- 

 ally heavy, average 122'' at Ambanpelaya 

 and 215 at Nawalapitiya, the conditions 

 are generally favourable to cultivation, 

 thus in 1878 it is claimed that 48,000 acres 

 were cultivated and produced 1 M.B.P. 

 and 1882 and 1883 were but little behind ; 

 but the highest average for a period 

 (888, 0C0 off 35,000 acres) has been secured 

 during the five years 1903-7 during which 

 the rainfall has been short and adverse 

 in most other parts of the island. 



Under these favourable circumstances 

 the development of paddy cultivation 

 has been most satisfactory ; and during 

 the 45 years under review, the average 

 area cultivated has doubled and the 

 production increased 2'6 times. 



This conclusion from the statistics is 

 confirmed by the Assistant Agent's re- 

 port (S.P. VI of 1908) that the production 

 of paddy in the district is " progressive : ' 

 which he attributes to ''improved cul- 

 tivation." 



There has been no expenditure by 

 Government on irrigation in this district. 



Central Province. In the Kandy (home) 

 district the aswedumised area was 

 according to Tumour's commutation in 

 1831 (taking the Ammounam as equal o 

 2 acres which is the rate given in the 

 Grain Commissioners' returns) about 

 27,000 acres, inclusive of exemptions 

 11,000 acres. The latter had in conse- 

 quence of extensive " perpetual redemp- 

 tions " made in the early forties, increas- 

 ed by 1887 according to Mr. Swettenham's 

 (S.P. XVII of 1890 p. 140) to over 16,800 

 acres. Adding this to the Grain Com- 

 missioners' return of land liable to tax 

 in 1889, viz, 19,130 acres, the paddy land 

 in the Kandy district was then equal to 

 say about 36,000 acres in round numbers, 

 and of this addition at least 3,000 acres 

 were contributed by Dumbara alone. 



The area annually cultivated (between 

 1862 and 1867) is reported to have ranged 

 from 32 to 41,000 acres, but production 

 has steadily increased from an average 

 of 500,000 B. (1862-7) to over 860,C00 during 

 the 15 years (1893-1907) and during the two 

 subsequent years of short rainfall excee- 

 ded 900,000 off 36,000 acres. This large 

 increase in production is due apparently 

 to the greater proportion of land culti- 

 vated a second time in each year. Ac- 

 cording to Mr. Lewis (S. P. VI 1908) the 

 yield varies from 8 B. per acre in Uda to 

 65 in Pata Dumbara. giving an average 

 of 25 as against 21 to which Mr. Tumour's 

 commutation works out. 



On Irrigation only a small sum 

 (Rs. 38,318) has been expended in cons- 

 truction oi works to benefit 1,232 acres 

 — while maintenance has cost Rs. 14,012, 

 of which Rs. 1,297 was repaid by end 

 of 1906. 



In Matale district, Turnout's commu- 

 tation lists covered 15,024 acres inclusive 

 of 5,486 exemptions. In 1866, the total 

 extent was stated to be 18,384 acres, but 

 this was inclusive of land in the Northern 

 and Eastern Divisions, only oeasionally 

 cultivated and the average area sown 

 was (1862-7) only 10,000 acres producing 

 315,000 bushels. 



In 1878, the commuted area amounted 

 to 9136 acres, but in 1889 the Grain Com- 

 missioners found it had increased to 9,912, 



