THE ; 



TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF THE 



CEYLON AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Vol. XXX. COLOMBO, 15th JANUAEY, 1908. No. 1. 



Rice Cultivation in Ceylon. 



Ia view of the facts that we import more rice than we grow, that few local 

 cultivators will sell any rice, and that local rice is not usually prepared in such a 

 way as to appeal to the imported coolie, no more important subject can be 

 brought up. 



Large areas of new and good land are now available under irrigation in the 

 dry zones of Ceylon, where larger crops can be obtained than in the poorer soils of 

 the wet zones ; yet no one offers to take up these lands, other than the local 

 villagers, whose object would seem to be as much to keep out outsiders as to use the 

 land for cultivation for themselves. The Kandyan villager of the North-Central 

 Province will not grow rice for sale, to any appreciable extent, though the Batticaloa 

 Tamil or Moorman will do so. It is difficult to see what remedy can be applied 

 other than increasing the population, e.g., by the importation of Tamils, perhaps 

 even from South India. The Kaudyan villager at present grows only what he 

 himself requires, and frequently allows his fields to lie fallow for one or two or 

 even more crop seasons. Perhaps a larger charge for the unused water would tend 

 to make him grow a little more rice. One cannot blame him for this attitude, but 

 it is a great difficulty in the way of agricultural improvement. 



It is doubtful, having regard to the increase of population, whether the 

 area under rice cultivation in Ceylon is really increasing ; the figures are too 

 unreliable to base any calculations upon, but at least they show that if any, the 

 increase is but small. 



We shall welcome contributions, of moderate length, upon this subject 

 from any one with special knowledge of it or of any side of it. 



