August, 1910.] 



149 



Miscellaneous. 



threshed ; but from what I can gather 

 the crop on ploughed fields is in most 

 cases far better than it used to be Avhen 

 mudding was the system of cultivation. 

 The Mudaliyar tells me that 30-fold is 

 expected from one field, which pre- 

 viously yielded a maximum of 12-or 

 15-fold. It is a curious fact that the 

 fields which were cultivated with the 

 mamoty are yielding a very poor return. 



"The people will certainly plough 

 again for the coming yala, and I antici- 

 pate that they will get more ploughs. 

 It is not easy to predict the future 

 when the intentions of the Sinhalese 

 cultivator form an element in it, but I 

 think that there is every probability 

 that the use of these ploughs will be- 

 come permanent at Tissa, It is scarcely 

 necessary to point out that this would 

 have a great effect upon the success of 

 this irrigation scheme, as far less water 

 is required for ploughing than for 

 mudding. 



" A report on this experiment would 

 not be complete without mention of the 

 cost of ploughing as compared with 

 mudding. Mudding used to cost at 

 Tissa about Rs. 15 per amunam. The 

 actual ploughing costs about Rs. 10 per 

 amunam. But much difficulty was expe- 

 rienced in doing the work after plough- 

 ing, which should be done by a harrow 

 or a modern 'cultivator.' The two 

 ' cultivators ' which I had sent from 

 Colombo by Messrs. Walker, Sons & Co. 

 were not a success, and in most cases, 

 after ploughing, the clods were broken 

 up and the field levelled by mamoties or 

 by driving cattle over them. This in- 

 creased the cost to about Rs, 15 per 

 amunam. During my recent visit to 

 Colombo I examined Messrs. Walkers' 

 stock of harrows, and they have now 

 sent me a form of harrow for trial 

 during the next yala cultivation, and I 

 have hopes that it will solve the 

 difficulty." 



A bfcg of drought-resisting paddy 

 (Taung-deik-pan) was procured fiom 

 Burma at the request of the Assist- 

 ant Government Agent, Hambantota, 

 through the Agricultural Department 

 of Burma. 



Mr. L. A. D. Silva, Agricultural In- 

 structor, conducted a demonstration in 

 the use of light iron ploughs at Pussella 

 and Ratnapura. 



The Assistant Government Agent, 

 Chilaw-Puttalam, writing under date 

 May 14, forwards a report from the 

 Mudaliyar of Pitigal Korale North, in 

 which he says that he sowed two mea- 

 sures of Carolina Golden paddy, received 

 from the Society, in a nursery, Only 



about a tenth of the seed came up, and 

 single seedlings were planted out 9 in. 

 apart in an extent of 10 or 12 perches. 

 The crop grew up to a height of 4| feet. 

 On threshing the crop a yield of grain 

 equal to a parrah (20 seers) was obtained. 



The Director of Irrigation, in reply to 

 an inquiry made on behalf of a corre- 

 spondent, reports under date April 19 : — 



"The following areas of land are avail- 

 able along the Northern Railway line 

 suitable for paddy cultivation : — 



" (a) 533 acres under Sangilikanada- 

 rawa tank, 2| miles from station. 



"(&) 3,000 acres under Nachchaduwa, 

 within 6 miles of Anuradhapura station, 

 will be available in a few months' time. 



"(c) 1,500 acres at Kalawewa, 30 miles 

 from railway, but with a good road, will 

 be available within a few months. 



" (d) 500 acres as (c) above are available 

 now. 



"2. Will you be good enough to in- 

 form any person who intends taking the 

 matter up that I shall be glad to give 

 him full particulars, and that inspection 

 of the land could be arranged for." 



Writing on April 25 the Assistant 

 Government Agent, Kalutara, states 

 with reference to the ploughing demon- 

 strations given in the district by Mr. N. 

 Wickremaratne, Agricultural Instruc- 

 tor, at Uduwa, Millewa, Miwanapalana, 

 Ratmalgala, Handapangoda, Arakawila, 

 Kalupahana, Horana, Ilimbe, Mahena, 

 and Welikala: " The work done by the 

 Agricultural Instructor was satisfactory, 

 and the people have begun to appreciate 

 the new plough. The Mudaliyar will 

 report later on the results of the 

 ploughing." 



The Agricultural Instructor, Eastern 

 Province, thus reports on the trial of a 

 Corbet hand thresher held on June 18 

 at Kauankuda : — 



"The machine was worked by two 

 coolies, and the feeding of the sheaves 

 was done by me. The outturn was very 

 satisfactory, and I am inclined to think 

 that the thresher will do twice as much 

 work as three pairs of buffaloes and 

 the necessary men in 12 hours." 



Tobacco.— The following is the latest 

 report of Mr. Edward Cowan on the 

 progress of the tobacco experiment at 

 Maha Illuppalama. It is dated July 12, 

 1910:- 



" The earliest planted tobacco (Java) 

 is now being picked, and owing to the 

 want of rain the leaf is rather coarse ; 

 but, by letting the flower come right 

 out, I hope to counteract this, 



