May i, 1888.] THE TROPICAL 
COCONUT LAND IN THE NORTH-WEST- 
EHN PROVINCE. 
The striking development of coconut cultivation, 
during the past ton years, in the Puttalam revenue 
district, is as deserving of notice as the rise of 
a new tea or cacao planting district out of a 
wilderness of forest or waste land. Under Mr. 
Lushington's administration more especially, the 
industry has received a special impetus, and now, 
we suppose, in few parts of the island are there 
such prosperous and promising coconut gardens 
and plantations. We have been making en- 
quiries on the subject of local cultivation with 
reference to our " Handbook and Directory," 
and the result has been to obtain some very in- 
teresting information, part of which wo lay before 
our readers as follows : — ■ 
I recently saw a disoussion regarding the produce 
of coconuts, when tho figuros given were ridiculed ; 
but 1 can assure you that in parts of this district 
tho crops, with little or no cultivation, are enormous. 
In tho Puttalam district as it now stands, i.t. since tho 
recent division ,'he average throughout is 36 nuts per 
tree per annum. 75 trees to tho acre=2,700 nuts per 
acre, and we calculate tho price at 2$ cents per nut 
which gives a yield of R67'50 por acre; but the 
average here is much reduced by some of the old 
bailly planted gardens of Akkarni Pattu. At Chona 
kudirippu and Arachchivillu (suburbs of Pn'talam) 
the average yield is (30 nuts per tree, i.e. 1,500 por 
acre, and tho same applies to the well-planted binds 
of Akkarai Pattu, and a few gardens near Kalpitiya 
and Knraitivu. This makes the yield equal to R112"50, 
but as most of the owners of gardens have numerous 
dependants who work in return for food, they con- 
vert the uuts into copra, getting thereby 50 per cent 
increase 111 their returns. The average (good and 
bad together) throughout tho Pitigal Korale south is 
calculated at 00 nuts per tree, while in the villages 
along the road from Madampe via Marawila to Ven- 
nappuwa and Nainamadama, the yield is as high as 100 
nuts per tree, and in some gardens evon higher. This 
brings tho yield to 7,500 nuts per acre, and the valuo 
R187'50. Iu these parts the land is valued at 
over 111,000 per acre. Now in this Pitigal Korale 
south tbore aro no less than 17,339 acres of coco- 
nuts in full bearing, and it is easy to work out 
what is tho quantity of coppra produced. Of land 
planted between 1870 and 1883, i a e. just coming on 
into bearing, there are 5,578 acres, and since 1881 (the 
date of Ur. Lushington's coming to Puttalam) no less 
than 10.2 H acres have been planted. These figures 
are for Pitigal Korale south alone, and give a total 
of 23,158 acres. In the Pitigal Korale, north (Uhilaw 
and its neighbourhood), the figures show a great drop. 
There are only 1,678 acres in full bearing, and K) ,111. s 
between Maud I y ears old; hut the proxies made 
since 1881 here has been proportionately greater 
than in Pitigal Korale south as it amounts to 2,050 
acros, or nearly double the extent in bearing. Iu 
Kalpitiya and Akkarai Pattus, tho Aguros available 
aro not qnito no reliable ; but tho returns show 8,430 
acres (,f 10 M ars and upwards, 4,495 acres from 4 to 
IU years, and 7,575 acres p'anted from l>ssl to present 
time, giving a to'al of 20,0()0 acres approximately. 
This extent is being daily Increased. Old Mr. W. 
Hall onre gave you very misleading information re- 
garding coconuts north of ('Inlaw, localise be thought 
only Of the main road, forgetting the peninsula and 
the Akka>» ; l'ntta, r*. land west of the cuml. Tho 
whole of this from Uduppu to Dutch Baj is 0110 
long lino of coconut garden*, originally onlv a fringe 
extending along tii« son shorn ami the lake shore; 
but now gradually extending until tho two meet. 
On tho "main land" too, cultivation is now spreading 
along tho moiu road, and where there was a vast 
Stretch of juuulo iu 1884, now ouu sees Ooorilbinn 
07 
AGRICULTURIST. 769 
gardens with only rare intervals of jungle. Tin: 
change is marvellous, and will be still more so 10 
years hence. 
Certainly, after this picture of the marvellous 
advance made in a staple planting industry — apart 
from the heavy salt traffic altogether — no one can 
think Mr. Lushington's proposal for a Chilaw Rail- 
way to be far-fetched or unjustified by the in- 
dustries and wealth of his district. Rut, as re- 
gards what is said by the correspondent whom 
we have quoted above in reference to tho yield 
of nuts, an experienced coconut planter of many 
years' standing (though not W. R. L.), gives ua 
the other side after reading the figures : — 
I still, however, am sceptical of any extent of land 
yioldmg 90 to 100 coconuts per tree— small extents 
no doubt do bear at this rate ; and witli manure 
trees in good soil may be made to do so over a 
large acreage. 1 have found that in most districts 
where the yield in nuts is large, the kernels aro 
small, and instead of taking only 1,100 nuts to tho 
caudj' of copra, from 1,400 to 1,500 are required. Dig- 
ging and ploughing, to improve the mechanical con- 
dition of the soil, and manuring with bones would, 
I should say, tend to increase the size of the nuts. 
How your Ohilaw correspondent makes out that by 
converting the nuts into copra 50 per cent increase in 
returns is obtained, I don't understand, I know, that 
the margin of profit to men who make a living by pur- 
chasing coconuts and converting them into copra is 
small ; rarely more than IS percent; usually less. 
Nevertheless, there is margin enough to make coconut 
planting a profitable and popular industry, and we 
have now to call attention to the fact, that, a 
few days hence, there is a series of blocks of 
Crown land to be sold at the Chilaw Kaohcheri 
suitablo for coconuts. These blocks are situated 
near Rajukadaluwa, about G miles north of Chilaw, 
and a correspondent reports that, — 
Mr. G. D. Mdler, who owns Rajakaduluwa, re- 
turned to the island a few days ago. I saw him yes- 
terday, and he appeared to be delighted with the ap- 
pearance of his est »te even after our long drought. 
There ought, therefore, to bo good competition 
for the 13 blocks of land from 36 to 91 aere3 
each to he sold at Chilaw Kachch/ri, on the 30th 
instant. 
A COTTON MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY 
FOR CKYLON: 
THE DUTY OF NATIVES, COLONISTS, AND 
GOVERNMENT TOWARDS THE NEW 
ENTERPRISE. 
Ceylon Spinning and Weaving Company. 
(From a Leading Sin/inlete Paper.) 
Aftor texture goods were begun to bo imported 
from foreign countries, tho growing and weaving of 
cotton in this island wore almost abandoned. Yet 
still hand-weaving is carried on in tho Chilaw and 
Ratticaloa districts, where cloths and napkins of 
sorts aro produced, which aro very valuable owing 
to their durability and strength. Rut it will bo ap. 
parent that this work cannot be done so cheaply — at 
the same time making the fabrics of a liner twist 
— as when machinery is appliod. 
It is said that as tho cotton grown iu Cevlon poss- 
esses a short staplo that spinuiiur by inachiuorv is 
impracticable. Rut wo do not think that wo will bo 
unable to introduce to our island cotton of a good 
variety from other parts of the world. There aro 
many districts in Ceylon where ten. ooffee, or coco- 
nuts cannot bo grown to pay. If thodo could bo 
planted with cotton, wo believe, poor people will 
piobably onru a means of livelihood. Ho.vuvwr, raw 
outtou can bo got from Egypt, Tuticoruj ac, to* 
