District of Chilaw and Putlam. 



37 



has been proposed, the natives have made a great outcry ; but 

 it is quite notorious, and is indeed freely acknowledged by 

 themselves, that no sooner is a man in possession of a small 

 cocoanut tope, than he is independent for the rest of of his life; 

 he has absolutely nothing to do but to pluck the fruit, eat one 

 portion, and sell the remainder. The paddy cultivator has to 

 labour during several months to obtain one crop, and even 

 this he may lose from unfavourable weather; — he is taxed: on 

 the contrary, the cocoanut cultivator has merely to water his 

 trees for two or three years, and then he may safely reckon on 

 a continuous crop for forty or fifty years; and this without any 

 further labour on his part; — he is not taxed. 



In the interior, where the cocoanut does not thrive so well 

 as along the coasts, the natives turn their attention to the culti- 

 vation of various grains, in an especial manner to that of Paddy. 

 Of this plant, a great many varieties are known, which, how- 

 ever, so far as this District is concerned, may be divided into 

 two great classes, according as to whether they ripen in four 

 or in three months. The former being sown from July to 

 December yields the Maha harvest in January, February and 

 March. The latter placed in the ground between April and 

 July, ripens in August or September, giving the Yala harvest. 

 Those kinds of Paddy known as Mahawee, Elankaly, Honor- 

 aweele, are only sown for the Maha harvest. Most, if not all 

 of the rest, may be used for either crop. 



The natives here as elsewhere, make their tanks too shallow, 

 the embankments unequal in height throughout, and the par- 

 tition mounds too numerous. To shew the evil effects of these 

 mistakes and the best means by which they are to be obviated, 

 would require more room than can be allowed in this sketch. 



The farm system is that which has been the curse of India 

 from time immemorial; and it prevails, I believe, in every part 

 of the Island. It is liable to slight modifications, but its 

 general features may be thus described. 



No landed proprietor farms his own ground. Twice annually 

 he comes to an agreement with a number of peasants, each of 



