August i, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
105 
AGEICULTURE AND NEW PEODUCTS IN THE 
DIFFERENT PROVINCES OF CEYLON. 
{From the Administration Reports for 1892.) 
EA.STERN PROVINCE, TRINCOMALEE. 
Cotton. — The experiment made from 1890 oawards 
at Andatikulaai contimfia. The cotton still proves 
itself likely to repay cnlture on a large scale on the 
tdgfs of tankB, and the experiment, as far as it reaches, 
may niw be considered finally euoceeaful. But to 
obtain healthy plants and a mBrketable product on 
a small scale ia not neoessarily conclasive proof that a 
culture on a very extended sonle would give profit 
adequate to the risk of outlay. This I consider can 
only be proved by a large experiment, conducted on 
buhineca linos by an experienced planter or syndicate. 
The growth of the cotton does not prejudicially afifect 
tlie tank in its Irrigation capacity. 1 repeat my re- 
marks of lb91 :— 
The upper parts of tanks might be regularly culti- 
vated with it, at great profit, as proved by the 
Andankulam experiment. Small dams would hold up 
tho water of the early showerg, and allow the land to 
be plooghed while damp. The people, however, have 
not sufficient iutclligfEoe to adept a new cultivation, 
unless first stimulated by jealousy, and taught its 
value by European enterprise. Ihe Ac dankulam ex- 
periment is proceeding. 
NORTH- CENTRAL PROVINCE. 
GEAZINa CATTLE, 
The splendid facilities this district afforded for 
breeding and grazing cattle so struck the late Mr. 
Elphinstone that he started a cattle farm at Minneriya. 
But troubles connected with coffee unfortunately pre- 
vented his doing more than making a beginnintf, 
which had soon to be discontinnpd. In this oonni cfcion 
I would point out that almost all the coast cattle 
Unded north of PuttHl»m are driven "to the plains of 
TammonkaduwB, whence they find th ir way to the 
upoountry and Co'ombo marke's. The Principal 
cattle route is via Topawena (Polonnaruwa) or Miune- 
riya to Anganmedilla, and Elihcra (on the Amban- 
Hanga) to Naula on the Norlh read. 
Besides the coconut, the palmyra palm is 
thriving in some of the lower Uva villages, 
and the cultivation of cacao is slowly but 
surely extending, the increase being from 730 
acres in 1891 to 900 last year. For other pro- 
ducts, here is Mr. Murray's Uva return: — 
Cultivation in Uva. 
1891. 1892. 
Tea flcres23,609 25,799 
Coffee 19,650 18,150 
Paddy „ 23,210 25,950 
Garden fruit, vege- 
table!, &o , 5,14.S 9,143 
Other products 8,521 7,512 
Fine grain 7,513 8 152 
The tobacco crops of the Chilaw district are 
of well-known importance. Here are the 
statistics given by Mr. Noyes : — ■ 
Tobacco Crop?. — The Mndaliyar of Pitigal Knrale 
North reports that the tobscco cultivation in his divi- 
sion was not 80 good as in the previous yeir. Al- 
though a Urger extent was sown, come dumaKH was 
oauxed by untimely rains. The area cultivated was 
100 aorep, and the crop produced was 147,520 lb., 
the average pr'ce per pound being 75 cents. 
The Mudaliyar of the Central Division reports that 
114 acres were cultivated with tobacco during the 
year in his division, and that the weather was most 
favourable, muI the crop better than in any other 
year duriua the pist ton ysars. Tho value of the 
cr.ip he Cfi'imatea at H50,110. 
In the Southeiu DiviSiou [the Mudalijar reports 
that ab'mt 375 acres wi'O cultivated wi'h toV'ncc-, 
and jiek!ei a crop of aboui (1,045, HIQ lb. which re- liso ' 
• sum of Rl,20y OGO. 
Mr. King has the following among other 
specially interesting paragraphs in his Report 
for Kurunegala : — 
INDOBTBY IN SEVEN KOBALES. 
The people of Ihe Seven Koralea are, of course, 
chiefly jenga^ed in agriculture. A considerable Indus' ry 
has sprung up in the manufnoture of casks for the 
transport of plumbago, and iu making baskets for 
tea leaf. The plumbago mines at Dodangaslanda and 
Kagedars, the Batalagoda irrigetion works, the railway 
and tea, cacao, and coconut estates a'^e now giving em- 
ployment to large number.". In Puttalam the manu- 
facture of i«aU maintains a considerable section of the 
community, and all along the coiet there is an active 
business in fishing. 
Under Mr. Parker's able and ecergetio supervision 
the channel and headworks at Deduraoya showed 
highly gratifying progress. Mr. Parker's management 
of Sinhalese labour is worthy of great praise. Men 
and women of every class and oaete work side by 
Bide under hia spervision, and he has often more 
applicmts for work than he can give eccployment to. 
Had all other employers of labour in Cej Ion the same 
happy tact, it would be a good thing for the pros- 
perity of the country, and it would not be so much 
the fashion, as it is now, to denounce the Sinhalese 
as aa indolent and improvident race. 
Mr. Aoland pushed on the survey of the extended 
Deduru-oya scheme, which ought to be finished about 
the middle of 1893. 
Finally, we cannot refrain from picking out 
the following from Mr. Davidson's Eeport on 
Kegalla : — 
NEW AREAS OF CULTIVATION IN KEGALLA. 
Paddy, — The area under cultivation remains sta- 
tionary at about 21,500 acres. Th9 total extent as- 
weddumised is about 28,600 acres, but a conaiderable 
proportion is only cultivated under exceptionally 
favourable weather. There has been an increase of 
only a few acres of newly cultivated lend during 1892.' 
It is probable that, giveu favourable weather in March 
and April, 1893, a considerable area abandoned as too 
poor to bear a tax may be re-cultivated. 
Tea. — The area under cultivation has increased to 
about 22,718 acres, yielding nearly 8,000,000 lb. of teaj 
This includes most of the Kelani valley and a con- 
siderable part of Dolosbage and Yakdesaa. The ex- 
tent opened during the year has been about 1,800 
acres. The p os^eota of this enterprise in this Dis- 
trict were never mors prosperous than Ibey are now. 
CocoNDTS. — The area under this product is approxi- 
mately 20,000 aoree. On the whole, the yield cannot 
compare with that in more suitable localities. But 
tiie permanent nature of the product and the little 
trouble it gives make it the most attrective product 
to those whc83 lives are bound up with the soil. 
Aeecanuts. — A very large extent of the native 
gardens, probably covering 20,000 acres, contain groves 
of arecanu's which flourish better in this District, 
their an uni home, than in any other part of the 
world. Wherever an arccanut palm will grow, it is 
planted, and a not inconsiderable area is now added 
yearly on tea estates both in the Kelani Valley and 
in Dolosbage, 
Cacao.— This product still cove rs less than 1,000 acres, 
although land is being put under cultivation through- 
nut the Four Kcrales. There are few parts of Three 
KoraL-B wheve it is not too wet or too windy for 
cacao, but in Galboda and Parunakuru Koralea the 
plant should grow to perfection. The cultivation is 
extending among the villagers, to whom 348 pounds from 
the Royal Botanic Gardens have this year been dis- 
tributed at the Kaohoheri in small quantities, and a 
record is being kept in detail of all the sucoes.'^i's 
and failures. Thispioduct promises to develop into 
an important source of wealth for tlic District. Com- 
plaint of theft of cacao pods from estates are rare. 
OTHEll PUODDCTS. 
One hundred and eight acres are wniot'cofPee, 
ni| liiberan ; ti e deoreaee finoe Ibiii bf - b.^.- 
5,7o9 aciei. Ciunumou, cotton, aud cardamoms 
14 
