756 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, [May 1, 1899. 
NORTH-CENTRAL PROVINCE OF CEYLON. 
(fhom administeation bepout fob 1898.) 
Food Scpply. 
Eice, the main food tsupply of the inhabitant?, 
was grown in sufficient quantity to meet 
the requireineuts of the people. Imported rice is 
not much used except by Tamil coolies and in the 
town of Amiradhapura. Ita piice varies according 
to the distance from Matale. The price of locally- 
grown rice varies slightly in the different palatas of 
the Province. . . . Curry etuffs, onionH, coconuts 
and kitul and coconut jaggery are imported from 
Matalo, palmirah jaggery from Jaffna, salt from 
Puttalam, and soma dried fish. The greater part of 
the dried fish comes from Mannar and Triucomalee. 
Kurnnegala supplies the larger number of coconuts. 
Fruit and vegetables were not so scarce as during 
the previous year. The towu market was generally 
well supplied. The cultivation of plantains is on the 
inoiease throughout the Province. The annual show 
of garden products was held in the "Pilgrim's Rest," 
which was kindly placed at my disposal by Mr. N. 
S. Fernando of Colombo. I feel satislied that these 
shows are doing good, and stimulating the people to 
more activity in the giowth of vegetables and fruit. 
At the close of the show vegetable seeds from the 
Tissa gardens were distributed free to all who cared 
to have them. During the year supplies of seed 
were issued to the chiefs for distribution among 
villagers; this besides the distributions I made when 
on circuit. Nearly every village school has its garden 
now and I have full hopes that tlie early training 
of the young will have good results. The cultivation 
of coconuts is not increasing as I should like to see 
it, though there is ample land lit and available in 
diflereut parts of the Province. The advent of the 
railway will no doubt be the means of bringing ont- 
siders into the Province, who will I feel sure purchase 
land for this cultivation. 
Irbigation. 
The only large work in course of construc- 
tion is the restoration of jMaha Iluppallama 
tank in the Eppawala korale of Nuwaragam palata, 
one mile to the south of the Talawa-Ihalagama minor 
road and between Ipologama and Eppawala. This 
work has not progressed satisfactorily, owing to the 
difficulty experienced by the Public Works Depart- 
ment in procuring labour. The people are quite 
prepared to purchase all the irrigable laud below 
the tank, and I feel sure that its restoration will 
prove to be a remunerative work. Nuwarawewa 
Yoda-ela. — The restoration of this ela is progressing, 
Minneriya Tank. — The Irrigation Engineer, Mr. Eves, 
is on the spot working under the Director of Public 
Works and Mr. Parker. This work is taken out of 
the hands of the Provincial Irrigation Board. The 
sluices were fully opened, after a deal of trouble, 
to enable the work to progress, but in December 
the tank filled considerably, and the work is delayed. 
The Kalawewa Yoda-ela has again given a lot of 
trouble in consequence of large quantities of silt. A 
special Irrigation Engineer, Mr. Nunn, was busy on 
this work for about six months taking sections and 
levels. For over two months the ela was allowed 
to run dry for the purpose of clearing, as it was 
found that the water would not flow into the Anu- 
radhapura tanks, After the clearing the water reached 
Anuradhapura in nine days, travelling at the rate 
of six miles per day. For want of water at the 
Tissawewa high-level sluice and in Basawakkulam 
tank part of the paddy crop failed. Village Tanlis.— 
In the northern division there are 723 village tanks 
under supervision. Of this number, 325 are com- 
pleted tanks and 396 are half and one-fourth com- 
pleted, and two are new tanks. Three tanks were 
added to the completed list during 1898. Exclusive 
Of old Grown tanks given for restoration, the quantity 
of earthwork done in village tanks during the year 
amounted to 221,255 cubic yards. This includes work 
for 1898 and arrears of previous years. Compared 
with 1897 there wbs an iDcreaae of earthwork to tb« 
extent of 41,774 cabic yards; this ie very satisfactory. 
Sixty village tanks were sluiced during the year 
with cement pipe sluices (Murray's) : 44 of these wer* 
four-inch, 16 six-iDch. and I a uine-incb aluice. Many 
more have still to be sluiced, and these will receive 
attention next year. Fifty-three Crown tanks are 
being restored under permit, and I am glad to be 
able te record that the earthwork done on thetie 
tanks exceeds that done in lH97 by 3,112 cubic yards. 
Very few tanks were breachod during the wet weather, 
and this I attribute in & yreat measure to the more 
even distribution of rainfall duriuK the year. There 
were no heavy Hoods in November and December, 
as is usually the caee in this Province. The votes 
allowed for upkeep of tanks were expended in repaica 
to (iron and cement) sluices and in repairs to apilla. 
There can be no doubt that the restoration of the 
village tanks is helping immensely to improve the 
condition of the people. The water supply is better 
and purer, more paddy is grown, and the people are 
better oS than they were even a few years ago. 
Parangi is not so common. As I stated in my re- 
port last year, I consider the restoration of village 
tanks to be tar more important than the undertakiug 
of large new works in a Province so sparsely popu- 
lated as the North-Central Province. When the 
population increases and outsiders apply for laud, it 
will be time enoogh to consider the restoration of 
some of the fine old tanks that are now in jangle 
all over this vast Province. For the present I 
prefer to improve the condition of the existing 
population. 
New Areas op Cdltivation. 
During the year 241 lots of Crown land 
were sold, comprising an extent of 1,278 
acres. Much of this land has been cultivated 
with paddy. It is seldom that any high land 
is applied for and purchased, but towards the latter 
end of the year there were several inquiries for land 
suitable for coconut cultivation from capitalists out- 
side the Province, and 1 was informed that with the 
advent of the railway many applications would come 
in for coconut as well as for paddy land. I hope so, 
for there is abundance of good land available. The 
people of the Province are too poor to purchase more 
than a few acres at a time below their village tanks. 
I have received an application from some JaSnese 
to purchase 1,000 acres of irrigable land below 
Sangilikajiadarawa, a breached and abandoned old 
tank, on condition that the Government restore the 
tank. The restoration of this tank is under the 
consideration of the Provincial Irrigation Board. My 
attempt to get villagers to make village gardens 
below their tanks has proved a failure. I offered 
the land free, also seeds, which I am constantly 
distributing, but all to no purpose. 
Botanical and Experimental Gabdsns. 
The gardens were well kept, and were visited by Mr. 
Willis from Peradeniya. Nearly 1,000 fruit and shade 
trees were distributed for planting round Grovem- 
ment buildings, dispensaries, gansabhawas, as well 
as amongst villagers. A large number of plants were 
given for the general cemetery. A plant of the 
Victoria regia was sent from Peradeniya Gardens, 
and wi,thin six months it had eight blossoms. Tissa 
vegetable garden has done well in the way of produc- 
ing a large quantity of seed, which I have had distri- 
buted all over the Province. The fig trees continne 
to do well. 
Game. 
Thirty-six game licenses were issued, as against 
fifty-four during the preceding year. Twenty- 
five licenses to capture buffaloes were issued. In 
most of these cases the animals are village cattle, 
unbranded and unregistered, and quite wild. No 
lieenses to shoot buffaloes were issued. No licenses 
were issued to capture elephants ; there were two 
licenses to shoot issued. In four cases rogue 
elephants were proclaimed and rewards offered. 
Skins are not brought to the Kachcheri, as traders 
