THE 



TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF THE 



CEYLON AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Vol. XXVIII. COLOMBO, APEIL 15th, 1907. No. 4. 



The Transplanting of Rice, and Rotation of 

 Crops in the Paddy Field. 



Nothing, to one who has studied rice cultivation in the different countries of 

 the Tropics, is more noteworthy than the obstinate way in which the natives of each 

 country cling to their own particular methods of cultivation and refuse even to try 

 those of other places— assuming, without trial, that being those of foreigners or 

 barbarians they must of necessity be worse. 



In this number we give two interesting photographs from Java. The first is 

 of a newly-planted paddy field, in which the long straight lines of the crop 

 transplanted from the nurseries can be seen. This is real transplanting. It is often 

 said that transplanting is the custom near Kandy, but so far we have never seen 

 anything done but a transplanting of the plants from thicker to thinner areas, the 

 sowing having been broadcast. In Java the plants are put in from nurseries at 

 even distances apart, in straight lines. Several letters in this Journal in the last 

 two months attest the great gain by the use of this method. One great objection 

 raised to this custom here is its greater expense, while the gain from it is 

 overlooked. With the proper use of co-operative credit the extra expense should 

 not matter. 



The other photograph is of a paddy field a few weeks after the crop has been 

 removed. It looks more like a vegetable garden, with sweet potatoes in the fore- 

 ground and Lima beans behind. The moment the crop is cut instead of allowing the 

 fields to lie idle for a trifle of grazing, as is done here, the water is run in to soften 

 them and they are ploughed and planted with vegetables. The only place, so far as 

 we know, where anything of the kind is done in Ceylon, is in the Matara district, 

 where sweet potatos are grown in the paddy fields. 



