No. 4. — 1848.] SINHALESE EUKAL ECONOMY. 



47 



Jack tree. 



This valuable tree is seldom planted, but springs up from 

 seed which have been scattered by accident around the dwell- 

 ings of the natives. The seeds, and pulp in which they are 

 contained within the fruit, are much used as food. The timber 

 is perhaps the most useful grown on the Island, being 

 adopted for every purpose : if cut young it is apt to be quickly 

 worm-eaten. Beneath its shade the coffee tree grows 

 luxuriantly, manured by offal from the houses, and not pruned 

 down into heavy bearing. 



Coffee tree. 



The coffee bush in the upper part of this District attains 

 to an extraordinary size ; in the Adigar's garden at Balan- 

 goda there are several specimens of the thickness of a man's 

 thigh. In several parts of the District plantations have been 

 formed after the manner of cultivation practised by 

 Europeans, and the small patches of coffee invariably found 

 about the houses have been increased by planting. The 

 produce is picked and very imperfectly prepared by the 

 women and children, and is sold to the Moormen, who collect 

 it principally in exchange for salt. The low price now 

 obtained for it has almost annihilated the large trade in the 

 article which was formerly carried on in Sabaragamuwa ; the 

 cost of cultivation and transport are not covered by the Colombo 

 price. The coffee is still picked and stored, literally costing 

 nothing, and vast quantities will be poured in whenever the 

 price rises high enough to remunerate the industrious 

 Moormen and Ghetties who collect it. The quantity produced 

 annually in this District is stated in the official returns for 

 1844 at 32,410 bushels, or about 15,000 cwt. 1 believe this 

 is underrated. 



Jaggery palm. 



Besides the Areca and Talipot palm, the Kitul or Jag- 

 gery palm is almost invariably found about the villages. 



f 2 



