March 1907. J 



145 



EDIBLE PRODUCTS. 



The Result of Transplanting in Paddy Cultivation at 

 Dikdeniya, Hanwella. 



By G. E. Amarasekera. 

 The leaflets issued in July 1000 by the Superintendent of Government School 

 Gardens, re transplanting in paddy cultivation, were just in time to be distributed 

 amongst the paddy cultivators here, for the Maha season had just commenced. 



1 got do wn about 250 leaflets and distributed them amongst the goiyas in this 

 district, besides those I sent to the village headmen requesting them to instruct 

 the villagers of the usefulness of this practice. Though every man saw and 

 acknowledged the usefulness of transplanting, yet no one cared to give it a trial- 



I therefore thought of taking the lead. Having selected a paddy field of 

 about two pelas sowing extent (about 1| acre) 1 had a good tier prepared tor a 

 nursery in which I put in one measure of mada elvi and another measure of 

 mavi, on the 28th of July last. Whilst the plants were coming up, the rest of the 

 field was well tilled and irrigated. On the 30th of August 87,300 seedlings were 

 transplanted at 9"x9". A severe drought which prevailed for about a month 

 immediately after planting parched up nearly 5,000 seedlings that were on hard 

 soil. The rest grew up very well throwing out from 15 to 30 shoots each. 



The crop was gathered with very good results. The two measures yielding 



2 amuuams, 3 pelas, and 4 lahas or 150 measures. A return equal to 228 fold 

 Had it not been for the drought, the return would have been much greater. 



The following is the cost incurred :— 



By value of two measures Paddy 

 ,, Bone dust manure 



,, Tilling, fencing, mudding, sowing &c, 

 ,, Reaping and thrashing 

 ,, Transplanting 



To value of 2 am. 3 pel. and 4 meas. @ Rs. I 



per pela (present value)... 

 ., Value of straw 

 By balance to credit 



. Rs. 



cts. 



' Rs. 



cts. 





15 







! 6 



00 







6 



85 







3 



00 







) 2 



05 











34 



20 









50 



10 



05 







34 



70 



CO 1 



i 1 



70 



I may add that the same field was hitherto sown with about two pelas of 

 seed paddy and never yielded more than seven pelas. 



10 



