September, 1912.] 



235 



PADDY CULTIVATION IN CEYLON DURING 

 THE XIXTH CENTURY. 



By E. Elliott. 



(Continued from page 126.) 



Reasons for Increased Production. 



The figures already given shew that undoubtedly there has been a 

 great advance in production during the past 50 years ; and that as com- 

 pared with the Bluehook returns for the period (1852-6 immediately betore 

 the introduction of the first Paddy Cultivation Ordinance and prior to the 

 early works in Sir H. Ward's governorship) the exact increase in the five 

 years ending with 1907 was as follows : — 



Average ... 12.7 as agaiust 5 7 Million bushels Paddy.* 

 Maximum ... 13.8 „ ,, 6.6 „ 

 Minimum ... 10 ,, ,, 5,1 ,, 



While, however, production has doubled all round, the area cultivated 

 has been extended only 50 %, viz., from an average of 456,000 in 1862 6 to 

 687,000 in 1903-7 ; but for purposes of comparison (as already explained in 

 the Chapter on Statistics) production is in Ceylon the real test of pro- 

 gress in growth of paddy. 



In this connection it is satisfactory to point out that though there 

 has been a great deficiency in the rainfall during the subsequent three 

 years (1908-10) the crops have only fallen about 8% and averaged as high 

 as 11*2 million bushels paddy and the area cultivated 062,000 acres, showing 

 the small decrease in produce due to unfavourable climatic conditions 

 and not to any want of assiduity on the part of the cultivators. 



Effect of Irrigation. 



The next step is to investigate the " why and because " of this gratify- 

 ing state of affairs and discuss the influences which have secured it, and 

 if the abolition of the grain tax has contributed thereto. 



If almost goes without saying that Irrigation 1 has been largely 

 instrumental and may be termed the "first aid" to paddy cultivation; 

 but to test to what extent this is the case, I have prepared an analytical 

 statement after a very careful study of the crop returns and the irrigated 

 area in each province, as follows : 



* The crop differed but slightly between 1852 and 66, after the deduction of the 

 increase at Batticaloa, thus : — 



The average crop ... 1852-6 was 6.717 M.B.P. 



„ ,, „ ... 1857-61 ,, 6.04 less '084 5.956 ,, 



,, „ „ ... 1862-6 ,, 6.072 „ -318 5.754 ,, 



t Irrigation in this connection means the works constructed with the aid of 

 Government, including restored village tanks ; and " unirrigated" implies the absence 

 of such works of storage and distribution. 



