Edible Products. 



506 



[June. 1912. 



The Future. 

 This review of the outstanding ques- 

 tions which engaged the attention of the 

 Conference indicates the substantial 

 progress made towards the materiali- 

 sation of what is obviously the set deter- 

 mination of the leading nations of the 

 world to regulate commerce in dangerous 

 habit-forming drugs. From the resolu- 

 tions of the Shanghai Conference to the 

 conventional agreement of the Hague is 

 a great step. That such influential 

 Powers will not relax their efforts for the 

 consummation of their idea of a world- 

 wide set of regulations cannot be doubt- 

 ed. Already we have evidence of further 

 adhesions to the arrangement being 

 sought, as indicated by a request to 

 Canada. Turkey is beyond question the 



great prize remaining to be captured. 

 The hopeful views expressed in this 

 respect at the Conference are probably 

 father to the thought, but the Porte, 

 ever under obligations in the family of 

 nations, will find it difficult to continu- 

 ally oppose the desires of other more 

 powerful countries to whom she is politi- 

 cally and economically indebted, and the 

 possibility of a future convention " out- 

 lawing " her product in certain condi- 

 tions may tend in time to bring her con- 

 sent. For, those who have commercial 

 interests in opium, morphine, cocaine 

 and similar bodies the position is unfor- 

 tunate, but it is a case (to use a collo- 

 quialism) of '" it ' im ' ard, ' e aint got 

 many friends." 



EDIBLE PRODUCTS. 



PADDY CULTIVATION IN CEYLON 

 DURING THE XIXTH CENTURY. 



By E. Elliott. 



(Continued from page 403.) 



Chapter X. 

 The VIth Period, 1896-1907. 

 Daring this period the steady advance 

 already noticed in paddy cultivation 

 happily continued, without check up to 

 and inclusive of the year 1903, when the 

 maximum was reached and a crop of 13f * 

 millions was secured off an area of 716.000 

 acres, largely owing to the very favour- 

 able rainfall 114 inches, and the average 

 production for the five years 1898-03 was 

 over lli M, B. P. 



* The B. B. returns add to another million, 

 due to Mr. Lushington (who was acting as 

 Government Agent at the time) instead of 

 accepting the headmen's returns basing his 

 estimate of crops for Batticaloa on an average 

 production of 35 Bushels per acre. Having 

 commuted the district and had other con- 

 siderable experience in it, I am decidedly of 

 opiniou this is too high a figure and have 

 accordingly knocked off one million which 

 still gives an average of 20 B. per acre, as 

 against 17 fixed by me as Grain Commissioner 



Though the rainfall in the next two 

 years was somewhat less (80 and 90 inches) 

 the crops were only slightly reduced- 

 But there was a considerable falling off 

 in 1906, when the rainfall registered at 

 Colombo (during the agricultural year 

 1905-6) was only 69 inches and was short, 

 especially in the parts largely dependeut 

 in the N. E. monsoon. For though there 

 was a decidedly wet November, which 

 admitted of a fair extent being sown, the 

 drought which subsequently prevailed 

 affected the outturn. Thus at Batticaloa, 

 though the area was 69,000 acres ihe crop 

 wa« under 5 M. B. P., in spite of the ex- 

 tensive irrigation works, but these de- 

 pend for their supply on streams starting 

 in the outlying B idulla hills, where the 

 average rainfall is under 75 inches, but 

 was much less both in 1906 and 7 as evid- 

 enced by the Uva crops of those years 

 being only about half of the preceding 

 five years. Notwithstanding this adverse 

 influence, it is satisfactory to be able to 

 record that the area cultivated through- 



in 1885. Mr. Hopkins, who succeeded Mr. 

 Lushington, expresses his doubts o£ the returns 

 for 1904, prepared on the same basis. The came 

 redaction has been mide from the 1904 figures 

 prepared 00 the same basis, 



