November, 1912.] 



393 



THE USE OF A LIGHT IRON PLOUGH IN 

 PADDY CULTIVATION. 



1 would like to preface my remarks with a few words about the begin- 

 in? of this ploughing movement. Until 1909, fields at Tissa were prepared 

 by puddling with buffaloes. In that year almost all the buffaloes in the 

 district died of rinderpest and the cultivators found themselves in a 

 serious pass. Mr, L. S. Woolf, then the Assistant Government Agent of 

 Hambantota, who took a keen interest in the agriculture of his district, 

 represented matters to the Agricultural Society and asked for assistance. 



Tha Secretary, with the co-operation of Mr. W. Hunter at that time 

 connected with Messrs. Walker, Sons & Co., selected a few light iron 

 ploughs and sent them to the Hambantota district in charge of three 

 Agricultural Instructors with a view to demonstrate to the cultivators 

 the working of the implements. A series of these demonstrations was 

 given at various centres and three types of ploughs—" Pony," "Climax," 

 and " Meston"— were used drawn by cattle. As a result a large number of 

 these ploughs were bought by the cultivators and the situation was saved. 



The use of iron ploughs has, however, gradually decreased but in their 

 place the native wooden-plough which, had hitherto never been used, came 

 to be adopted as being of lighter draught and better suited to the stamina 

 of the oxen. 



As a result of the success of the demonstrations at Tissa applications 

 came from all parts of the Island — Kalutara, Badull.*, Ratnapura, Kuruue- 

 gala, Randy, etc., asking that ploughing demonstrations be given. 



The most systematic work in this direction was done in the Rayigam 

 Korale with the assistance of Mudaliyar Wirasinghe, and the "Meston" 

 plough (weighing 28 lbs.) came into favour. With a view to ascertaining 

 whether the improved tillage gave a better yield, five plots were prepared 

 with the "Meston "and five others with the native plough. The following 

 table gives the results of these trials :— 



Yield of Yield of Grain Bushels in 



No. of 



Area in 



Kind of 



Grain in 



from an acre 



favour of 



Plot. 



acres. 



Plough used. 



Bushels. 



in Bushels. 



iron plough. 



1 A. 



1 



Native 



38 



38 





1 B. 



1 



Mestou 



48 



48 



10 



2 A. 



1 



Native 



34 



34 





2 B. 



1 



Meston 



38 



38 



4 



3 A. 



l 



Native 



8 



16 





3 B. 



x 



Meston 



10 



20 



4 



4 A. 



n 



Native 



45 



30 





4 B. 



li 



Meston 



68 



45 



15 



5 A. 





Native 



18 



30 





5 B. 



i 



Meston 



18 



36 



nil 



50 



N. WlCKRAMARATNE, 



Agricultural Instructor, 



