Oct. 1906.] 299 Saps and Exudations. 



Rubber and Cotton in Ceylon. 



By J. C. Willis. 



A Lecture delivered at the Ceylon Rubber Exhibition Royal Botanic Gardens, 



Feradeniya, on September Hth. 



Discussion on the Prevalence of Malaria in Labour Forces. 

 This lecture inaugurated the series of daily lectures which were given during 

 the Exhibition. H. E. the Governor took the chair. The lecture was held in the 

 Governor's Pavilion, and there was a large attendance, amongst whom were the 

 following :-Mr. J. R. Martin, Hon. Mr. E. Rosling, Mr. W. D. Gibbon, Mr. and Mrs. 

 H. Glynn Eccles, Mrs. Willis, Mr- and Mrs. P. C. Roles, Dr. Outhbert Christy, Mr. J. B* 

 Garruthers, Messrs. T. J. Campbell, G. O. Trevaldwyn, M, Bremer, C. M. B. Wilkins. 

 C. M. Buckworth, S. K. Dickon, R. Huyshe Eliot, J. B. Coles, M. Kelway Bamber, 

 J, S. Patterson, H. de Saram, James Fernando, E. Wilson Dias, F. W. de Hoedt, 

 W. P. H. Dias, R. D. Tipping, J. M. Urquhart, G. N. Thompson, A. H. Cameron, J. K. 

 Nock, Dr. A. J. Cuntze, Messrs. J. B. Tenuant, M. H. Lushington, W. Lyall, Mr. and 

 Mrs. M. L. Wilkins, Mr. and Mrs. C. Northway, Messrs. G. A. Krumbiegle, W- A. 

 Tytler, H. M. Alwis, E. D. Bowman, E. G. Wiudle, Dadabhoy Nusserwanjie, H. A. 

 Webb, Dr. A, Lehmaun, J. Cameron, R. L. Proudlock, C. Symons, L. Piachaud, A. N. 

 Galbraith, H. M. Smith, Thos. Gidden, James Ryan, A. L. French, W. S. T. Saunders 

 R. Anderson and F. Hadden. 



THE LECTURE. 



Dr. Willis — who was cordially received — said that the title of his lecture 

 showed that he was going to deal with the North country as suitable for rubber and 

 cotton ; and he would just like at the outset to make one explanation. Some people 

 were under the impression that they could grow cotton successfully in " wet Ceylon," 

 if he might use that phrase ; but though in exceptional years it might be possible as 

 a rule it was not possible— and he was entirely against recommending anyone to try 

 to grow cotton in wet Ceylon. [This he demonstrated by making a rough sketch of 

 Ceylon on the blackboard. The mountains of Ceylon lay in a block. He drew a 

 square by lines from the coast inland, one running from Negombo in the direction of 

 Trincomalee and the other a little East of Matara, which, if continued, would come 

 out about Batticaloa.] This was the wet region which got the rain of both the 

 South- West and North-East monsoons. The remaining part had only rainfall in 

 the last three months of the year, and for the rest of the year was compara- 

 tively dry. 



They sowed cotton in September or October, and the first crop came in March, 

 and if they got rain from March to the end of June their cotton crop would be more 

 or less a failure. If it rained when the cotton was in the boll, that is when the pods 

 fluff out, the cotton all crumpled up and no amount of drying would make it really 

 good. They might dry it and get for it 2d. or 3d. less than they would otherwise, 

 but by no amount of drying could they get a really first-class result. They now 

 came to the subject of his lecture 



rubber and cotton. 

 When the Northern country was opened by the extension of the railway, 

 the question immediately arose as to whether some product suitable to the country 

 could not be introduced, and naturally the first thing to be thought of was cotton. 

 Government agreed to open an Experiment Station at Maha-iluppalama, 12 miles 

 from Talawa station, and on the road which in the future would be the main 

 road through the North-Central Province. The object of that experiment was to try 

 cotton, and as soon as they got the cotton into shape they also tried rubber— that 



