40 journal r. a. s. (ceylon). [Vol. IX., Part IL 



All the country lying along the sea-coast is occupied by topes- 

 of cocoanut trees, which flourish in a soil consisting apparently 

 of pure sand. The finest plantations which I have seen are at 

 Madampe,. on the site of the former pepper gardens ; but the 

 whole eastern side of the Akkaraip-pattu yields good crops, 

 which the natives attribute in part to the existence of thin 

 sandstone beds a few feet under the surface of the ground. 

 Below these strata there is water, and it appears that this, by 

 capillary attraction, rises through the stone, thus keeping the 

 roots damp, and at the same time preventing them from being 

 constantly immersed in stagnant water. 



The tree seems to flourish best in the immediate vicinity of 

 the sea, and I have frequently seen it growing well with its 

 roots partially immersed in salt water. Owing apparently to 

 the porousness of the soil, an elevation of a few feet is found, 

 to act nearly as prejudicially as a removal to a distance of 

 several miles from the coast. The benefits which the cocoanut 

 tree bestows on the natives are so well known that it is un- 

 necessary to particularize them. The oil which is in such 

 general use is usually obtained by expression, one end of a bent 

 lever being inserted into a large mortar-shaped vessel so as to 

 rub against the inner surface, while the other is attached to the 

 draught cattle. The cake which is left is called poonae; it 

 contains a large quantity of oil, and is used for fattening 

 poultry, cattle, &c. 



There are about 950,000 cocoanut trees in the District; and 

 as about 80 are generally placed on an acre, it would appear 

 that about 12,000 acres are devoted to this plant, each acre 

 being worth a rent of from 20s. to 60s. Each tree yields from 

 25 to 70 nuts, though some occasionally are found to give a 

 crop six or eight times greater than this ; but in those cases 

 the nuts are generally small. 



From 1,000 to 1,500 nuts yield on an average a bar of 

 copperah (the dried kernel), and this yields about 140 seers 



