January i, 1890.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
467 
'•' All about Tobacco " which I would recommend 
everyone in any way interested in tobacco to 
invest in and carefully peruse its varied, reliable, 
valuable contents. 
I studied my copy closely, on board the steamer 
on the homeward and outward journeys, and I may 
also say that when in London, in my search for 
books on the subject, I applied at some of the most 
likely publishing houses, as well as at the offices 
of Tobacco and the Tobacco Trade Review, 
two leading periodicals devoted to it, as their names 
imply, with the result that with the exoeption of 
these periodicals themselves I did not find a book 
that contained but a fractional part of its infor- 
mation. So much for Ceylon, its press and its 
enterprise. I brought it to the notice of tobacco 
brokers, who expressed interest in it, as also of an 
English gentleman, resident in Japan, whom I met 
at the " Sirooco " works, Belfast, on the outlook 
for a machine to dry his tobacco, which he said 
wa3 not of very fine quality, not grown by himself 
but purchased from the natives. — Yours faithfully, 
HUGH FRASER. 
[We append the review referred to. -Ed. T.A.I 
" All About Tobacco." 
A book bearing this title has been compiled by 
Messrs. A. M. & J. Ferguson, of the Ceylon Observer 
and Tropical Agriculturist, published at Colombo, Cey- 
lon, and is to be obtained from the agents, Messrs. John 
Haddon & Co., Bouverie-street ; and Messrs. Triibner 
& Co., Ludgate-hill, E.C. It is a careful and exhaus- 
tive compilation, and contains a vast amount of infor- 
mation, interesting primarily to all who grow tobacco 
or contemplate its cultivation. It is apparently intended 
for the use of agriculturists in Ceylon, but will be 
found of essential service to tobacco-growers all over 
the world. From first to last of its 330 pages of closely 
printed matter there is scarcely one page which will not 
afford valuable instruction to all concerned in the to- 
bacco industry, and interesting information to the 
general reader. Being a compilation, and not an origi- 
nal work, it is not very easy to read or to digest, 
but this fault of its form is somewhat atoned for by a 
copious index, and the student will find pretty nearly 
all the known facts concerning tobacco scattered 
throughout its pages. The history, physiology, chemis- 
try, culture, curing, packing, merchandise, manufac- 
ture, uses, and consumption of tobacco in all parts of 
the world are treated of by the best-known writers on 
the respective subjects, and we heartily commend the 
book to the notice of all interested in tobacco 
— Tobacco Trade Eeviev), Nov. 1st. 
CACAO AND TOBACCO IN WATTEGAMA. 
Dec. 6th. 
Dear Sir, — What say you to our getting over 
six cwt. of cacao per acre from Wattegama watte 
this year, five cwt. per acre already safe in five 
cwt. per acre last year and trees looking well for 
next year, I had several friends go over this land 
with me during the last three years, as I wanted 
them to notice that all surface soil was washed 
away, and when I told them what I would get in 
the way of orop soon, they simply laughed at me ; 
oldest cacao only five years old ; proof that a 
great deal depends on the proper cultivation. 
On Mariawatte I have planted tobacco. I was 
told soil was not good enough and I was too late 
in planting. 1 am working quietly on with it, 
trying several ways and trust to prove that 
tobaoco can be grown profitably in Ceylon (good leaf 
and colour). — Yours faithfully, J. HOLLOVVAY. 
PADDY (RICE) CULTIVATION : EXPERT 
MENTS IN THE KEGALLA DISTRICT. 
Kegalla Kaohcheri, Deo. 6th. 
Sir, — I have muoh pleasure in forwarding for 
publioation an interesting statement prepared at 
my request by Mr. S.| Wearackody Mudaliyar of 
this station, of a series of experiments conducted 
by him, in paddy cultivation, with the transplanting 
process. 
2. Mr. Weerackody, it will be observed, owes the 
profitable results of his experiments to (1) intelligent 
cultivation, (2) the use of imported seed. 
3. The experiments relate to the Maha harvest 
of 1887. The Yala harvest of 1888, the Maha 
harvest and the Yala harvest of 1889. The com- 
muted tax on the field is R5-50 per annum, and 
its sowing extent 4 bushels. 
4. In 1887 the net profit on one harvest alone 
was R105'21 after deducting rent of field and tax. 
In 1888 the net profit on two harvests was R87 - 24$ 
after deduoting rent of field and tax. In 1889 
the net profit on one harvest was R83-64, 
rent of field and tax are not deducted as there is 
another harvest on the ground. In this year the 
crop was affected by wandapidima or barrenness. 
— 1 am, sir, your obadient servant, 
H. WHITE, Asst. Govt. Agen . 
Kegalla, Dec. 4th. 
The Assistant Government Agent, Kegalla. 
Sir, — I have the honor to inform you that I have 
brou-ht to a termination some experiments on paddy 
cultivation, during the last four harvests commencing 
from the Maha of 1887. The field in whioh the 
experiments were made is one amunam or two acres 
in extent, bordering the Colombo-Kandy road in the 
east end of the town, and large numbers of villagers 
had the advantage of witnessing the different opera- 
tions, and the growth of the crops : My object in 
making these experiments was to ascertain : — 
1. The actual quantity of seed paddy required for 
transplanting. 
2. The age and stage of growth of paddy plants 
that should be used for transplanting. 
3. The proper distance for putting in the plants. 
4. Whether it is practicable to have a successful 
mavi crop immediately following the yala, instead of 
a bala vi crop. 
The sowing extent of the field is four bushels, and 
its highest yield for several years previous, was 16- 
fold or 64 bushels. I used only 2J bushels of sembala 
samba for the nursery. The plants came up well, 
and after planting up the whole field, there were 
plants of about one bushel of seed remaining. These 
I distributed in six cart- loads, among four large land 
owners of this district, viz., Messrs. Molligoda, Herat, 
A. Perera and Dedigama Korala, and I am glad 
to say that they| were equally successful as myself, 
although some plants were taken nine miles away and 
planted six days after they were rooted up. The yield 
of my field for this harvest was 104 bushels of clean 
paddy and about 8 bushels of empty seed. The latter 
was the result of exoessive rain during the flowering 
season. If not for this abnormal state of weather the 
yie'd would have been far greater, and comparing the 
actual yield with the former best orops of this field 
it exceeded them by 40 bushels. 
The expenditure forthis harvest was: — R. c. 
2 men for clearing sides of the field, 2 days at 
30 cents . . . . 1 20 
5 pair buffaloes for 1st ploughing at 50 cents 
per pair . . . . 2 50 
5 ploughmen and 1 attendant at 30 cents.. 1 80 
20 men for digging up field with mam- 
motties . . . . ..60 
4 pair buffaloes for 2nd ploughing at 50 
cents . . . . ..20 
4 ploughmen and 1 attendant at 30 cents. . 1 50 
1 pair buffaloes for levelling nursery half- 
a-day .. 0 25 
3 men for levelling and draining_nursey half- 
a-day . . . . . . 0 45 
1 man for sowing nursery half-a-day . . 0 16 
Enclosing nursery, 2 men, 1 day at 30 
cents .. .. 0 60 
Enclosing the other portion of field, 2 men 
3 days ,. ,. .. 1 80 
