June, 1912.] 



539 



Miscellaneous. 



maha crop was blossoming. No damage 

 was done by paddy flies. Rats appeared 

 in certain parts of Harispattu and 

 Dumbara, but did not do much harm. 

 Mr. Molegode covered over 250 miles by 

 road and about 225 by train during 

 March, and his itinerary included 

 Galagedara, Nugewela, Weuda, Pilessa, 

 Matale, Madipola, Alutgama, Poraka- 

 ragama, Madawela, Palapathwela, Tel- 

 deniya, Udispattu, and Urugala. 



Mr. A. Madanayake, Agricultural Ins- 

 tructor, Kurunegala, visited Danda- 

 gamuwa, Pannala, Makandura, Kan- 

 kaniyamulla, Hettipola, Nikaweratiya, 

 Diullegoda, Palalla, Polpitigama, Amban- 

 pola, Wariyapola, Mannekulama, and 

 Dambeliyadda. 



Mr. P, B. M. Bandaranayake, Agricul- 

 tural Instructor, Hambantota, has been 

 chiefly occupied in the large paddy area 

 at Tissa. 



Mr. Jayasuriya, Agricultural Ins- 

 tructor, Kegalla, is devoting his time to 

 the gardens at Dedigama, Undugoda, 

 Pindeniya, and Kegalla. 



Mr. M. J. A. Karunanayake, Agricul- 

 tural Instructor, Colombo, has been in 

 charge of the Seed Store since his tour in 

 the North-Central Province, which in- 

 cluded the Nuwaragam palata, Kalagam 

 palata, and Tamankaduwa District. 

 He reports that gingelly (sesamum) is 

 cultivated to a considerable extent at 

 certain ceutres— e.g., Kekirawa— and 

 that the oil finds its way to Matale and 

 thence to Colombo. Another product 

 that is carried outside the Province is 

 tobacco, for which the Tamankaduwa 

 District appears to be specially suitable. 

 At present cultivation is practically in 

 the hands of people from the low- 

 country. Though coconuts do well 

 under the bunds of tanks, the area culti- 

 vated is small, and capable of extension. 

 The protection of the young palms 

 from wild animals is, however, a serious 

 difficulty. At Polonnaruwa much 

 damage is being caused by porcupine. 

 The area under paddy is very limited 

 considering the large stretches of 

 suitable land. This is particularly so in 



Tamankaduwa, where the irrigable area 

 is very great. The reasons for this state 

 of stagnation are said to be the meagre 

 population, the want of cattle, and the 

 contentment of the villager with the 

 conditions of chena cultivation, which 

 provides him with practically all 

 his necessaries — kurakkan, vegetables, 

 chillies, &c. To these should be added 

 the apathy and poverty of the people, 

 attributable to a great extent to the 

 malarious character of the climate. 

 The inability of the cultivator to adapt 

 himself to the rules and regulations laid 

 down by the Irrigation Department 

 often results in his missing a season, 

 owing to his not being ready to begin 

 the preparation of his fields when water 

 is issued for cultivation. Only a frac- 

 tion of the immense area available under 

 Minneriya tank has yet been taken up. 

 The restoration of Topawewa tank is 

 looked forward to as likely to be of great 

 practical utility. It is gratifying to 

 hear of five or six enterprising indivi^ 

 duals who are making a determined 

 effort to carry on paddy cultivation on 

 up-to-date lines, and this pioneer work is 

 deserving of success, 



Paddy (Rice). 



The Ratemahatmaya of Beligal korale 

 (Mr. L. B. Nugawela) reports that of the 

 Rascadam paddy sown by him last 

 maha, part was unfortunately damaged 

 by the December floods, but the remain- 

 der yielded a very satisfactory crop. 

 The village cultivators are satisfied that 

 Rascadam is a variety that should dp 

 well in the district. The seed was pro- 

 cured through the Society from the 

 Madras Agricultural Department. The 

 field on which transplanting and manur- 

 ing with bone meal was tried gave 

 excellent results, and that in spite of the 

 drought that prevailed early in the year. 

 No other field in the neighbourhood gave 

 a similar yield. In fact, on other fields 

 there was not more than half the usual 

 crop, while the field in question yielded 

 two amuriams (10 bushels) more than it 

 previously did, and furnished a valuable 

 object lesson to the cultivators. 



