Oct. 2, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
GOVERNMENT PLANTATIONS IN CEYLON. 
(From the Adminktratim Report on Forest 
Conservancy for 1892.) 
The work doue in the different Provinces was a? 
follows : — • ii T> 1 
Westrrn Province —The creepers in the Polon- 
narua jak chena were cut, but I am nnable to say at 
what cost. 
Central PR0^^NCE.— The strip plantations atlManu- 
oya are doing well, the trees planted in 1890 and 1891 
being particularly healthy, notwithstanding the attacks 
of elk which do much damage to the yonng plants. 
The young trees in the plantations of 1890 are larger 
than most of those in the plantations of 1889. This 
is partly due to the large number of failures 
which there were in the former, and to 
the large number of standards which were left. 
There is no doubt that where few standards were 
left the growth of the young plants has been very 
much more vigorous. To make a fair comparison 
between the two systems, however, the annual 
girth increment of the standards should also have 
been taken into consideration. It will be interest- 
ing to see whether in another twelve or fifteen 
years' time, wh'n it is estimated the first fellings can 
take place, the outturn will be larger m the areas 
containing numerous standards or in those con- 
taining few. 
The fr^llowiug measurements were taken by the 
Forester^ Nawara Eliya : — 
Year 
Species. of 
PlantinR. 
Eucalyptus globulus 1889 
Do 1890 
No. of 
Trees 
Aver- 
Aver- 
age 
measured. Girth. Height. 
Aoaoia (lecurrens 1889 3 
Do 1890 2 
Do 1891 5 
EQ'a'yptui robutta 1S91 5 
>cacii» m»la'>oxylon 1891 4 
7 82 
903 
8 87 
7-75 
5 10 
6 40 
2 69 
25 
26 
80 
24 
13 
16 
9 
Eucalyptus rohusia and Acacia decurrens have proved 
to be the best growing trees on these clearinge ; 
Acacia melanoxylon grows flower, and Eucalyptus 
globulus doe' not seem to thrive. This may be due 
to the roots reaohinf slab rock, the covering of soil 
appearing to be tl.iu. 
In the Kiiw«ra Eliya plantations the blue guma 
plantpd in 1888 average 17 in. in girth and 40 ft. 
in height, and the Cryptomeria of the same age 6 67 
in. in %irth and 14 ft. in height in the Kaohcheri clearing, 
wh'Io in the nurs'ry clearing th« blae gums of 
1888 only average 12-04 in. girth and 28 f t. in hpight. 
In this clearing the ^veTf^(^e%ut>xoi Acacia melaiioxijlon 
of Ihe same age is 6 25, and the average height 20 
ft., while Acacia decurrens, nisi of the same age, 
attaioB an average girth of 23 67 in. and beieht of 
40 ft. The Eucalyptus rohusta planted in 1891 has 
not done quite so" well as a* N»ua-oya, as it ovf-ragea 
only 4 62 in. in girth and 14 ft. in h^ighl. These 
plantations are getting on very nicely, but are some- 
what expensive, as the area added during the year 
. and the opteep of former plantations cost upwards 
of E73 ppr acre. 
The G'lboda Railway fuel plantations huve given 
rise fo much discussion and correspondence during 
the 5ear, owing to the large number of vacancies 
in all the clearings. I have made allusion above to 
gome of the csmes of failare, and an cp^cial reports 
have alreadv been submitted to Governm nt by 
Ciptnin Walker and by mys«lf, there is not much 
nefd for m" to dwell at length on the causes of 
failure. It mav however be said that where the soil 
pri.v-d to be suitible, supp'ies were put in, nearly 
20,000 plants boiug u-<ed. These Bre doing w II, ex- 
ct«ptine some seedlings tafcpn from the ndjoining 
clnraps of forest and planted on Peurhos, whica 
were not able to stand the sud^fn change of 
(UTonndinga and wi^herel. On Blaokwuter finld 
Qrevillea, Acdcia melanoxylon, and Eucali/ptus robusta 
ar« I'oin ' best ; on Dt-kinda Orevtllea ; whilf on P.-n- 
thoa Grevillea, Cassia siutnea, jak, and Adenanthcra 
pavonina re growing well. Thx Mapakanda field is 
•till very bare and wants ra-stooking. The plantEbtiona 
84 
of the Centra 1 Province h&t co<t up to date B.'JS'SS 
per acre, but if the revenue obtained from •real 
planted be dpdnpte<l, this co«t in reduced t" R33"29. 
Eastern Province. — The te-k chenea cmn^* b» 
called fucce^HPs. Most of th'm eFppo'oHy the m'T* 
recent ones, consi°t f^f fbeets of ilink eve* wi'h 
pcattered teak poles. The ffrBnt'n? ci eu^h ohona* 
has been abi n-'one ', and I think th>t tbe effort" of 
the Forest Derartmpot s'^ou'd consist in ful'v e^nckms 
these area' wi'h t'-'k trees nr > tbpr quickly ernwjng 
specif s, which will fight puc'ea°fn!ly with the invading 
grass. Twelve acres wpr°i taken up departmentally 
near the Tnmpalancbolii res'h^nee, bnt the snocesa 
was not verv g eat, I have received no meaenrementa 
of growth from this P ovi-ce, 
North-Western Provinob.— In this Provino" all 
the plantatinr s are doi-e wpII, except the port'r'n 
which was taken up at Pa'ta'am fir teak. This wag 
unpuece'sful owing to failure of the monsoon. The 
plantation of 'eik and jak at Kntnbilpnla, 10 "cea 
in extent, is rising well, and hai only cost B525 ia 
three ye irs, while that of Sundapo'a which is equa'ly 
pncces'fnl. and which now covers 89 acre', h'8 oo«t 
]e^3 thsn E3,000. Th'"s pbntition is chiefly of teak 
and jak, bnt bIho contnin'i o'her spei^'e'. such as 
Bst'n, margoFa. and the larBe ls've'l mahogany, wbila 
the place is full of felf-aown seedlings o' 'nnnmi. 
della (Melia duhia) and aloo of j'k, for the forest 
contains a num^^er of wild jak trees. The plant" are 
put in partly i" wp1I-clp»r°d atripg pnd p«rt'y under 
ehplter of the fores', which ha^ howeve' hpen confi' 
derably thinned. It will however be necsaary to 
make further thinnings, as the vonng planta are 
growing far too lanky and spindly. I think these 
would benefit by be'ne toppc^. 
The large-lpaved mahopanv eupp'iod by Dr. Trim»n 
is doing very well indeed, the aaplineo beinp Ftraieht 
and sturdy. Mr. Fvers, th" l«te Aaoist^nt Conserva- 
tor, and Mr. F' Isineer. the F'^ro-'t Rangpr, dpservoa 
great credit for tha efficient manner in which this 
plantation has been ma'^e. 
At PuTTALAM '.9 acres were added, but they were 
only very partiallv successful. In this case the old 
Rvstem was no 1 >nifer adhered *o of making a cVaa 
felling of the jnnele and planting over the whole 
area, but strips 1 5 ft. bro«d wprp out 45 ft. anar* and 
planted, each w-th three rows 0 p'ants. However, 
themonooon feile'^ nuin rv".* nuonber died. The 
remBinder, which wpr ■ erowing on the ont^'i'^e rowa 
on the strips, were pavpd bv thp shade which they 
obtained from tbo odjo'ning jungle. I found th«t the 
strips had not b^'en rlf-arod «ufficient1y well, and left 
inFtrnctione to leavp no overhnnpinif trees. The older 
plantalions are do'rg w- '1, th" las' one made by Mr. 
Armiiaee at tbo enfl of 1891 b'iogpartionlarly suooeis- 
fiil. The thinrine wbirh ho late Asst. r!on«p'v<itor, 
late Forester, and mvself made at the end of 1891 in 
the 188.5 plantation has done much good, many treea 
which showed signs of supp'ession having thrown out 
new leaders. A similar operation was carried out in 
the 1886 plantation by the Assistant Conservator, 
the Forester, and myself shortly after the close of 
the year, but fever trees were taken out, aa the p'ot 
had been maltreated by Mr. Gordon-Oumming while 
Forestfr. I have not been furnished with any 
measurements, and cannot therefore state the 
average increase in girth for the plantations of 
different years. The cost of plantations in this 
Province has been up to date R40-17 per acre, or if 
the value of timber sold and granted free be deducted 
only KSl'fO per acre. 
Province of Uva.— Judge's Hill plantation. This 
has probably been the most expensive plantation in 
the Island. Half an acre has been added during the 
year, and its total extent is now 24'5 acres. The 
knoll on which it is situated was originally covered 
with mana grass. The soil is poor, and the prison 
labour, which was at first lent for this work, was not 
regular, and nnible to cope successfully with the 
weeds which kept springing up. No draina were 
cut. and in one place tbero must have been con- 
siderable sconr. Hero, the plantation is still not quite 
atooked ; elsewhere, the plants are doing fairly well, 
