68 Supplement to the Tropical /IgricuUuriat." [.Tn.y 1, 1838. 
brouglit to their knowledge as reganls details of 
Buccessful cultivation from their own experience 
in the choice of sued, manures, &c., or from the 
experience of others with whom they have 
competed ia healthy rivalry, 
O 
THE PADDY WEEVIL. 
A great deal has been written in tlie public 
press about the damage that lias been done by 
the weevil attacking stored pnddy, but no reliable 
information has yet reached us of tlie oxient of 
the damage, nor, so far ns we are aware lias any 
investigation been carried out in tlie aflected 
areas, regarding the sjx-'cial causes that may 
liave favoured the wide-pread ravages of I he 
pest, which has long been known to attack badlj-- 
stored paddy. It has been said tint tlie last 
harvest was gatliered at a season when the 
weather was wet, and tliat, in many cases, there was 
no alternative but to store the ])addy in a com- 
])aratively damp condition. If this be an, it is 
sufficient reason to account for the more or less 
general (as regard-s certain districts) prevalence 
of the pest. A damp condition of grain is well 
known to favour attiick by the weevil, and it 
is a matter of surprise that cullivotors siiotild 
with their past experience as regards seed-paddy 
have neglected to take the lirst opportunity of 
thoroughly drying their grain when dry wcilher 
prevailed after the wet harvest. If tlie circum- 
stances are such as we have indicated, the 
present outbreak should re.id a valuable 
le.sson to cultivators, viz., that they must not 
shirk the extra trouble and expense of projierly 
drying tlieir grain a second, and even a third 
time where necessary, if they would not lose 
50 or 60 per cent more of their j)addy. 
Anotlier point, which has been referred to in 
the bulletin issued by iJessrs. ^Villis & Green, 
and that should receive careful attention, is that 
granaries, or whatever form the rece])tacles for 
paddy take, should be thoroughly cleaned out 
against the storing of new grain. 
We are aware tliat special precautions are 
often taken with seed paddy to jireserve it from 
insect attack ; and we would advice cultivators 
to look upon the expenditure of a comparatively 
trifling sum in adojiting i)revenlati\ e measuses 
against the attack by insects on all stored paddy, 
as a regular item in the cost of cultivation. 
Naphthaline has been generally recommended 
ns the most suitable and efDcient preventative 
medium, and the objection that it is too expensive 
to be generally used by cultivators is a trivial one. 
It is merely a choice between tlie cost of a small 
quantity of the pieservative medium, and the 
loss of half and more than half of a ]jaddy crop. 
We would strongly urge upon Government the 
necessity for having naplithaline available at 
every dispensary in the rural districts, and obtain- 
able at cost inice by those who may urk for il. 
Tliis would greatly facilitate matters for the 
paddy cultivator, who, as we know him, will 
never dream of procuring the insecticide from 
town. Indeed, we can hardly expect the villager 
to accomplish the task of wriiing as well as of 
procuring a money order, before he can get pos- 
session of a few ounces of naphthaline. Muda- 
liyars and minor headuiea might al»o well be 
made use of to bring relief to iho helpless 
paddy growers. 
BE£D I'ADDV. 
We have more than once urged tliat thequestioa 
of seed paddy which so mateii-illy uffeotts tlie wel- 
fare of nati\ e agriculture t-hould occupy (lie atten- 
tion of those who have, or are su])poeed fo have the 
best interejts of paddy cultivator.'? at heart. Now 
and again we hear a story of how paddy feed 
brought over to a parliculur locality from some 
other part of tlie Island, has produced results in 
the croj) which have fur surpasmjd the preci lua 
lieKLs. "Change of seed "is aiwaye reC'Jgni>ed » 
desirable jiructice, but with us it is the excepiion. 
Without a dejjartment to facilitate excliange of t-eed 
and the systematic introduction of new and im- 
proved varieties of paddy frmu abrojid, we should 
greatly de.-ire to seean ,\ssoci ition founded through 
the help of the wealthy and inlluetilial Imdowneri) 
fur taking up among other (juevlions (!iut of seed 
paddy. h>jrai time ago a <|iiantiiy of one of the 
best varieties of lieagal paddy was imp irteJ by tlie 
Superintendent of the .Schnol of Agiiculture and 
distributed among those who showed an interest 
in the matter of improved paddy. Among others, 
Mr. 11 Elliott, of Wullawe Estate, Ambiant.jtte, grew 
the seed experiiuontally, and as rejiorled in our la<it 
issue, the result was most s lU-fnctory. Mr. 
liiliott, got back as he jnits it "forly-live fohJ," 
and from the sample sent to us we can endorse 
his opinion tliat the rice is ''beautiful," not 
merely in apjie trance but as uu at tide of diet, 
possessing, when boile l, all the be«t tpialities of 
consiststency, flavour and digeslibiltiy that can 
be wished for in lice. 
Here is an instance of how much good can be 
done by systematic attention to the question of 
seed paddy, which must eventually re.-ult in the 
production of large crops of the best varieties by 
paddy cultivators, who are now, and have bean 
so long, left to shift for themselves a* best they 
can. The Australi m Colonies can teach us many 
lessons in jiromoting the best i!iterest.s of our 
Island by judiciously aiding the agricultuiist 
through measures which, indeed, it is the duty 
of every good Government to adopt. 
The average yield ot jiuddy in the Island is a 
reproach to the capabilities of our soil and the 
traditions of the Island as a rice-producing 
country. 
There have been no leaders among paddy cul- 
tivators (Mr. Elliott, be it said to his credit, is 
proving himself one) as there have been in tea 
and cocoa and coconut cultivation, to show the 
way to the more backward; and consideiing the 
close connection there exists between the rice 
sujiply and the labour ques;ion, not to say the 
general prosperity of the Colony, the improve- 
ment of paddy cultivation is a subject which 
cannot be too fully threshed out by the powers 
that be- 
What we should have liked to see in connection 
with this fir^t (so far as we know) serious attack 
by weevil, i.s a few agents — preferably students 
of the School of Agriculture — despatched to the 
seen of the ravages by the pe^t, sup])lied with a 
Stock of the insecticide recommended, and with 
