May 1907.] 



281 



Edible Products. 



Experiments in Manuring Dumbara (CeylonJ Tobacco. 



By Mr. C. Rasanayagam. 



The cultivation of tobacco, which was introduced into Dumbara in 1868, has 

 for the last 20 years become a settled industry among the native inhabitants. 

 Large quantities of tobacco are annually taken to Jaffua which is the only market 

 available at present for the Dumbara leaf. With the increase of cultivation the 

 supply has exceeded the requirements of a limited market, and the price has, 

 as a necessary consequence, fallen. The tobacco of the first quality which ten 

 years ago fetched prices ranging from Rs. 15 to Rs. 20 per 1,000 leaves is now being 

 sold at the rate of Rs. 6 to Rs. 8. The cultivator, with the desire of producing the 

 best leaf — of the Jaffna standard— with the least possible outlay, has therefore been 

 forced to resort to the selection of jungle lands for his cultivation, on account of 

 the natural fertility of the soil. The cost of manuring adopted by the cultivator 

 in the northern and maritime districts, where the price of tobacco is much higher, 

 is found too prohibitive by his Dumbara brother. The jungle lands suitable 

 for the cultivation of tobacco in the Dumbara valley being almost exhausted, the 

 cultivator is driven back to those lands which have become impoverished by 

 repeated cropping. The Dumbara cultivator who has ever since the introduction of 

 the industry been the favoured child of nature, has now been brought face to face 

 with the difficult problem of manuring and producing tobacco of the required quality 

 with the least possible outlay. Some enterprising cultivators have for the last few 

 years been trying to solve the problem by the use of cattle manure on their lands. 



The mode of manuring adopted by them is not by burying the manure round 

 or near the plants as is in vogue in cases of other plantations, but by tethering cattle 

 on the land for a few months prior to the tilling of the soil. Manuring, according to 

 this method, costs little or nothing, as a number of cattle can be had from the 

 villagers for the mere asking, and pasture lauds being often available near the 

 land proposed to be cultivated, one boy is sufficient to tend them during the months 

 they are required. The system is only practicable if it can be confined to a few 

 cultivators, but when adopted by all it would become expensive and troublesome. 



The cultivators are also not satisfied with cattle manure as certain diseases 

 are, either rightly or wrongly, attributed to it. During the season of 1905 I had 

 cattle manure under my observation, and I found that although it did assist in the 

 growth of the plant, yet the pests and diseases common to exhausted soils were also 

 present. Hence, from a desire to experiment with scientific manure which contains 

 only such ingredients as are necessary for the tobacco plant and to note the relative 

 merits of cattle and artificial manures, I applied to Messrs. Freudenberg & Co. 

 for a composition containing phosphoric acid, nitrogen and potash in the proportion 

 of 4, 5 and 8, a composition I had found mentioned as being suitable for tobacco 

 in a booklet on manures supplied by the same firm. They gave me the following 

 composition :— 



160 lbs. best white Castor cake 

 40 ,, Nitrate of Potash 

 40 „ „ Soda 



10 ,, Freudenberg & Co.'s Patent Manure, No. 1 

 60 ,, Superphosphate 

 60 Slaked Lime 



making an aggregate of 400 lbs. said to be sufficient for half an acre. 1 intended to 

 purchase the manure necessary for 3 acres, but had to give up the idea as the outlay 

 of about Rs. 100 was prohibitive as an experimental venture, The manure 



