200 



[September, 1912. 





Date. 



Rs. cts. 



No. of Gourds 



No. of Gourds 









wattaka. 



puhul. 



August 



1911 



12116 



280 



— 



September 



' ) • 



12127 



300 



23 



( |f>fr\ l^ot* 



V^L/ \j\J KJKjI 



i i • 



38 '63 







November 



i » • 



222-15 



IZQO 



215 



December 





77-18 







January 



1912 



21-65 











602-01 



1870 



238 



The pumpkins began to bear in August 1911. Owing to the drought 

 the creepers were nearly dead in October, but the rain coming on in the 

 end of October, fresh shoots were developed and in the end the crop was 

 much larger than the first. The above accounts shew that even with the 

 unfavourable weather we had in 1911, the proceeds, at the least, would 

 have been Rs. 800/- if wattaka alone had been planted. 



I should mention that the land was kept quite free from weeds till 

 the creepers covered the ground. 



This land is now planted with plantains. The coconut plants were 

 put down late last year and are doing very well. 



When counting gourds for sale two small ones are counted as a large 

 one, so that the number given in my list is not quite exact. 



The Importance of Weeding. 



There were as many plants of ash pumpkins as yellow put down, but 

 they did not thrive ; many of them were destroyed in the early stages 

 and those that remained did not bear well. Half share of the amount 

 realized went to the planters. 



There is no doubt in my mind that the success I met with was 

 mainly owing to the great care used in keeping the land free from weeds; 

 also to my having removed all timber that would have prevented the 

 creepers from running evenly over the ground, and to the formation of 

 the drains— the earth removed being heaped along tne edges prevented 

 any of the surface soil and ashes being washed away when the rain came 

 in (see diagram). 



A. Drain. 



B. Soil removed from drains heaped up. 



OHAS A. ANDREE, 



Kurunegala. 



