• The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist. 



Possibilities. 



The indications are therefore that there is to 

 be developed a new industry, which shall be 

 useful to those immediately concerned by pro- 

 viding for them a means of subsistence, and 

 then further by increasing the volume of trade. 



As mentioned above, one of the regulations is 

 that all the camphor prepared shall be a mono- 

 poly of the mandarins, who, in the notification 

 issued have promised to buy all that is prepared 

 at a fair price ; for those who shall bo sent up 

 to appraise the value of the camphor shall not 

 cheat, nor shall those who have it for sale be 

 desirous of seeking to secure more than its mar- 

 ket value. Moreover, for a wonder, one of tho 

 provisions or the new departure is that there 

 shall be men employed to plant new trees, so 

 that the district shall not be denrded, If things 

 t urn out as suggested, we may hope to see a 

 good trade done. — Straits Times, June 9. 



RUBBER AND TILLAGE- GREEN 

 MANURING AND ACACIAS. 



Mr. Kelway Bamber is rightly very strong on 

 the importance of keeping up the quality of 

 Ceylon rubber. Much has to be done by way 

 cf experimenting with latex to prove what is 

 the best mode of treatment. As to growing trees 

 in plantations bethinks 'uniformity' a matter 

 requiring the special attention of planters. He 

 would have all backward trees helped by tillage 

 and a little manure. The object is to present 

 trees of uniform growth and tnickness of bark if 

 possible, when the tapping age arrives. This 

 will make the work of each tapping cooly so 

 much easier. 



There is no question now of the value of 

 mulching, green manuring, cultivation and 

 buying of crotolaria, of the primings <>f albi'zzias, 

 dadaps, or of "acacia decurrens " at a high 

 elevation in respect of tea cultivation. Any one 

 who doubt what can be done by scientific culti- 

 vation in this way, even with very backward and 

 unpromising tea, had better visit estates which 

 have adopted Mr. Bamber s mode of treatment. 



There is much mystery still as to why the tea 

 of certain plantations commands a higher price 

 than some of their neighbours' whose teas when 

 tested in factory are equally good ; why prices 

 fall off for one place which hart so good a repu- 

 tation that it was supposed to be fully estab- 

 lished, and why it has taken another place 15 or 

 20 years to make a name. 



Opinions differ as to acacias in tea : one 

 planter condemns acacia melanoxylon trees as 

 in undoubted injury to his tea, the roots spread- 

 ing whenever tillage or manuring is attempted 

 and taking away the benefit of the manure from 

 the tea. But another says the A, vielanoxylons 

 do his tea good, and he has Mr. Bamber's autho- 

 rity to back him — the roots developing the 

 nodules which absorb and supply nitrogen to 

 the soil. Perhaps no other manuring is requisite 

 ^tiere the " fne)ar,oxylons " are plentiful, 



AGRICULTURE IN KALUTARA 

 DISTRICT IN 1907. 



RUBBER. 



The extent of land cleared and planted with 

 rubber during 1907 is estimated at 11,300 acres, 

 of which 8,732 acres were opened up by planters 

 belonging to the Kalutara Planters' Association. 

 This immense work was accomplished by means 

 of Sinhalese labour, recruited chiefly from the 

 neighbouring villages. It may be noted in 

 passing that in this district the villagers freely 

 work in the neighbouring estates, the men at 

 clearing jungle, holing, draining, road-making, 

 &C, the women and children at weeding, tea 

 plucking, &c. The women are, I understand, 

 the more satisfactory labourers, being more 

 steady in attendance at work. The men, beside 

 having to attend to their fields, are as a rule 

 averse to prolonged labour on estates. The 

 readiness of the villagers to work, even in a 

 desultory fashion, mitigates the labour troubles 

 of the Kalutara planter, and is indicative of the 

 satisfactory unaerstanding that exists between 

 employers and employed. The average daily 

 wages paid on estates at the present time are 50 

 cents for a man, 30 cents for a woman, and 18 

 cents for a child. In 1907 much higher rates 

 were paid. 



Paddy Cultivation. — There was no increase 

 in the acreage under paddy cultivation, but the 

 crops were better than those of 1906. It is 

 noteworthy that while the acreage under paddy 

 has not changed much since the last decade, the 

 average yield has fallen from 9 to 6-fold. This 

 decrease in the productiveness of the fields is 

 attributable to laxer methods of cultivation and 

 the use of inferior kinds of seed paddy. The 

 appointment of irrigation headmen to enforce 

 the irrigation rules proclaimed in 1906 is begin- 

 ning to show favourable results in the more 

 careful attention now being paid to water- 

 courses, ridges, and fencing. New kinds of 

 paddy are being introduced into the district by 

 the Agricultural Society, assisted by the local 

 agricultural associations. 



Coconuts. — There was an increase of 321 

 acres in the area planted with coconuts. Good 

 prices for all coconut products ruled throughout 

 the year. 



Tea. — There was no increase in the acreage 

 under tea. 



Cinnamon.— There was an increase of five 

 acres in the area under cultivation. 



Horticultuke. — There was a decrease of two 

 acres in the area under fruits, and a decrease of 

 56 acres in the area under vegetables. This 

 slight temporary decline in horticulture was 

 due to the superior attractions of estate employ- 

 ment at high wages. 



Chena Cultivation,— Chena cultivation of 

 Crown land is not permitted in this district. 

 Forty-nine cases of illicit chena clearing were 

 reported during the year. The offenders be- 

 longed to Pelenda, Ambegoda, Yataganpitiya, 

 and other villages on the eastern boundary of 

 Pasdum Korale East, where the extent of land 

 suitable for paddy cultivation is rather limited, 

 —Mr, J, Convoy's ddministratiQn Rc$ori\ 



