8l2 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[June s, 1890. 
IRRIGATION AND CULTIVATION. 
kalawewa and its water supply— railway exten- 
sion TO THE NOETH — THE DANGER TO CEYLON OF 
CONNECTING IT BY BAIL WITH INDIA — IRRIGATION 
WORKS, AND EUROPEANS VS. NATIVE AGRICULTURISTS 
— THE PROPOSED ADDRESS TO SIR ARTHUR GORDON '. 
IN WHAT HE HAS DESEEVED WELL OF THE COLONY 
AND HIS FAULTS — VAIN VATICINATIONS REGARDING THE 
WEATHER — A FIERCE STORM — THE LINDULA VALLEY 
REVISITED — COFFEE AND CINCHONA — THE PATRIARCH'S 
LATEST THEORY — GREVILLEAS, BLUE GUMS, AND SAPUB 
—SAD RECOLLECTIONS. 
Nanuoya, April 23rd. 
If, in the abnormal drought of the early part of 
this year, a tank at this elevation beoame almost 
dry, it is soaroely a matter for wonder that Kala- 
wewa should run out, considering the demands 
made on it. I see that Sir Wm. Gregory agrees in 
the opinion that a third stream ought to be diverted 
bo as to fully supply this important tank. On 
hearing of the dried-up condition of the great North 
Central Province tank from a party who had visited 
it about three weeks ago, I wrote to an authority 
with special means of information on the subject ; 
and even after a delay which I regret, although 
it was largely due to indisposition, I now give the 
reply as interesting and important : — 
" Water, like other matter, cannot be in two places 
at once; and if the water of Kalawewa has been let 
into the tanks it is meant to supply, it is naturallv re- 
duced in the store tank itself. Tn 1888 and again in 
1889 the whole of the tanks fed bv the Yodiela were 
filled twice in each year, which means two harvests where 
there was onlv one before. This has bpen an excep- 
tionallv dry year and the tank was reduced to a dppth 
of seven feet. The Dambuluoya is now (April 12th) 
again running and the tank is rapidly filling, and the 
water has been let down to the tanks below. In or- 
dinary years the present supply is amply sufficient for 
all the tank has at present to do. When the channpl 
to the N.-W. Province is opened it will require an ad- 
ditional supply of water and additional height in the 
spill ; nothing more." 
You will see that my correspondent talks of an ad- 
ditional supply of water, as if that could be easily 
obtained, while, as you are aware, Mr. Wrightson's 
plan of the spill included an ultimate addition to its 
hpisht of 5 feet. When that is effected and the 
tank is filled, it will be a truly grand lake. Let us 
hope that it will sppedily be rendered more accessible 
than it now is. While I do not understand mv 
well-informed and able correspondent to be opposed 
to an extension of railway facilities to the taDk 
region, even should the effect be to increase more 
than ever the successful competition of South Indian 
with native-grown rice, he has taken a very grave 
view indeed of the danger to which Ceylon would 
expose itself by directly hastening what is probably 
inevitable, the junction of our island with the Indian 
continent by means of a railway across Adam's or 
rather Rama's Bridge, as the series of reefs in the 
dividing channel are called. The objections 
stated below are worthy of deep and serious con- 
sidpration. There may be defects in our system 
of island govprnment, but we may well pray to be 
preserved from absorption in the Indian Empire. 
Half our revenue would then be expended in what 
WP n r>w po rnneh depreoate, an enhanced militarv 
en' Ivihntion. Here are the views of an able and 
fsrspping man : — 
" WiU you n'low me to suggest to yon some con- 
siderations which make, me hesitate to anticipate un- 
m'Ted advantage to Cevlon from the construction of a 
railway bridge connecting us with India. 
"Hi wi) 1 no doubt render OolomHo the port of South- 
ern'Tiidia, and that equallv no doubt will be a very 
„ n nH thing for Colombo, the population and prosperity 
of which will bo great y increased. Whether the coun- 
try through which the railway passes will be equally 
benefited by the mere transit of Indian goods through 
it is another question, but to some extent, at all events 
it will benefit also. 
" This is the favourable aspect of the matter, but 
there is another way of looking at it. Anyone who 
has the slightest acquaintance with practical poli'ics 
must perceive that when once the waterv boundary 
between India and Cpylon has bppp abolished, and 
Colombo has become virtually an Indian port, the ab- 
sorption of Cevlon bv India is inevitable. There are 
many and excellent reasons why it ought 'not to be so 
absorbed, but as I have said bpfore no practical politi- 
cian can fail to see that plausible general views (called 
'broad') and the force and weight of the stronger 
Power (which will desire the annexation) will prevail. It 
is just as e'ear as that the abolition of the import duty 
must follow the abolition of the grain tax. People may 
ask c Why should it ?' and give very good reasons why 
the import duty should continue nevertheless. We, 
who have any political instinct, hardly take the trouble 
to answer their arguments. We Icwvw the one mu c t go 
with the other. And so, believe me, it is in th's race. 
If once Cevlon becomes, geograpb'callv, onlv *be r- -icfc 
southern promontory of India, she must soon, if not im- 
merliatplv, become administratively a par* of Trd^a. and 
that I think will bp anvthing but a bpnefit to rVyinn. 
Not only does the Central Government of India 
take to itself a fixed percentage of all taxation 
raised bv its local governments, but it w-'thout scruple 
helps itself over and above this to an" itii'w. tbe 
alaohtte necessity for the expenditure rf which lorollv 
cannot be shown: The result is that all local pnWic 
worksareat a stand-still. A high Madras CiVlian 
recently stated that last vear after having pared down 
the expenditure of the Presidency to starvation point 
the Central Government helped itself to no less than 
seventeen lacs of Madras Revenue in addition to the 
regular fixed percentage. Under this regime Colombo 
might swell, hut the rest of Ceylon would shrivel " 
As the writer of the recent article advocating a 
scheme which I suggested through the Ohsewr 
so long ago as 1841, you will, of course, give full 
consideration to these views adverse to the pro- 
posed connection. I consider them very weighty, 
although the comparison with the grain taxes 
somewhat fails. It if now a principle of free trade 
policy that if a local excise on a locally grown 
product is abolished, the import duties on the 
similar article must also disappear, as otherwise 
the latter would be protective. But there is no 
absolute principle which would necessitate the 
ahsnrntion of Cevlon by India, on the connection 
of, the two countries by railway. The proba- 
bilities, however, amount almost to a principle. 
I had somehow reoeived the idpa that when the 
lands under the Kantalay tank came to be disposed 
of a special despatch from the Secretary of State 
direoted the local Government to give preference to 
the native Company which bad been formed, over 
Europeans who might desire to purchase. 
In truth I largelv shared the view, which I believe is 
very generallv held, that, when means of irrigation 
are provided for lands, such lands will be sold by 
Government if not exclusively vet preferably to 
rice growers. To settle all doubt on the subject, I 
wrote to a Government officer able to give the true 
state of the case. His reply was : — 
"You ask whether ' it was in deference to express 
orders from the Pecretarv of State that the lands 
nnner Kantala v were banded over to natives, applica- 
tion by Elphinstone and others being refused' — So 
far as I am aware, thpre were no such orders. And 
I think you must be mistaken about applications from 
Elphinstone and others being refused. Chr'stie cer- 
tainly, and I am all but sure Elphinstone also, bad 
land below Kantalay. 
" You also ask whether if land were apphed for 
under tanks to plant cotton or some similar purpose 
there would be any hesitation in granting it. When land 
nder tanks is put up for sale, Covernmont do not 
