Oct. 1906. J 



353 



11. Three-Months Paddy (Local) - Ten bushels of three-months seed paddy- 

 were supplied by the Matale Local Branch to the Anuradhapura Local Society on the 

 application of Nikawewa Dissawa, who sowed eight bushels himself and gave two 

 bushels to Mr. Sampander (Proctor, Anuradhapura). Nikawewa Disawa reports 

 that he realized a crop of 78 bushels. He writes that he could have obtained a better 

 crop but for the harm done b.v flies, owing to the paddy being sown out of the 

 proper season. " The paddy does not appear to do well in very muddy lands, but 

 thrives exceedingly well in moderately muddy places." 



12. Kiushu Paddy.— The Mudaliyar, Wellaboda Pattu (Galle), Hikkaduwa, 

 reports :— " The paddy was sown on different sorts of lands and at different dates, 

 with all possible care as to preparation of ground, but the result in every case was 

 unsatisfactory." 



Mr. C. A. Valoopillay of Anuradhapura reports :— "I bought from the Chair- 

 man of the Anuradhapura Branch one bushel of Kiushu paddy and sowed the same 

 on the 31st March last on a well-prepared clayey soil by the side of a waste water 

 channel, from which I was able to turn water in and out so as to suit the require- 

 ments of plants. It germinated at the same time as other varieties under the wet 

 method, and the plants appeared healthy but shorter in height. Weeding and 

 transplanting were started after the thirty-fifth day as usual ; but I had to suspend 

 weeding as the plants had begun blossoming. The plants did not grow more than 

 two feet in height, but the yield was 35 bushels, and it may be fifty-fold and even 

 more if properly weeded. I am now making a second trial in the same fields and 

 will submit a report in course of time. I have about 30 bushels of seed paddy of this 

 variety, and have given away about five bushels in this Province and in Jaffna to be 

 sown and tried. I can state with confidence that this paddy is a success in my fields. 

 Further experiments in rich soil or under good manure and careful cultivation may 

 reveal better results. I am also of opinion that this paddy serves better to com- 

 pensate in times of scarcity of water, as it could be reaped in seventy-five days. In 

 this trial the sowing was done on 31st March, 1900, and reaped on 23rd June, thus 

 taking eighty-five days in all. I am of opinion that this paddy is suitable to this 

 country." 



In continuation of the previous report published in Progress Report No. 

 XXI., the Honorary Secretary of the Badulla Branch writes: — " The owner of the 

 field in question sowed one bushel of Kiushu paddy ; when harvested this seed 

 brought ill half a bushel of produce. In the same field he sowed native paddy, and 

 this brought in on an average 6| bushels of paddy." 



The Secretary, Wellaboda Pattu (Galle) Local Society, reports under date the 

 17th August that, though tried in different ways and in different soils, the Kiushu 

 paddy did not thrive. The opinion of the members of his Society is that it is 

 unsuited to that part of the Island. 



The Secretary of the Local Branch at Hambantota reports that the paddy 

 was sown on land irrigated by Tissa tank, but the cultivation failed for want of 

 sufficient water. 



13. Cotton Seed.— It is proposed to introduce a series of experiments with 

 cotton as a chena crop. Special chena permits are being issued in the Mullaittivu 

 District and in the Wanni Hatpattu of the Kurunegala District, one condition of 

 which is that each permit holdet' shall sow a certain extent of land with cotton. I 

 had the advantage during my recent visit to Kurunegala of discussing the subject 

 with Hulugalle Disawa, under whose personal supervision I am confident that the 



