500 
Supplement to the " Tropical Agricnlturid" [.Tan. 1, 19C4. 
IV. Convolviilaceae : — 
Ipomea batatas, Siug. Batala. 
Y. Euphorbiaceae : — 
Manihot utilissima, Sing. Maunolika. 
VI. Scitamineae : — 
Canna indica. Sing. But-sarana 
Curcuma longa. Sing. Kaha. 
Maranta arundinacea, Sing. Hulankiriya 
Zingiber officinale, Sing. Inguru. 
Clinoyyne virgata, Sing. Getaoluwa. 
Phrynium zeylanicum, Sing. Hulaukirij'a. 
VII. Taccaceae: — 
Tacca pinnatifida, Sing. GranthUiidaran. 
VIII. Dioscoreaceae : — 
Dioscorea tomentosa. Sing, Uyala. 
D. pentaphylla, Sing. Katuwala. 
Z). oppositifolia, Siug. Hiritala. 
D. alata. Sing. Kirikondol. 
D, sativa, Sing. Katukukulala. 
D, aculeata, Siug. Kukulaln. 
D. purpurea, Sing. Diindila. 
Z). tuber osa. Sing, Udala. 
D. bulbifera, Sing. Panukondol. 
IX, Liliaceae : — 
Asparagus falcatus, Si'>g. Hatawavya. 
Allium cepa, Sing. Lunu. 
A. sativum. Sing. Siidulunu. 
If;,- , ' Amorphophallus campflnulatus. Sing, 
Kidaran. 
Colocasia antiquorum. Sing. Galiala. 
(7. esculentum. Sing. Rata-ala. 
Alocasia macrorhiza. Sing. Habarala. 
, I V Lasia spinosa, Sing. Kohiia. 
, . - .(l/ocasta i?2(Zjca, Sing. Desa-ala. 
The following plants yield products that are 
largely used as condiments, viz., Cucuma longa, S. 
Kaha; Zingiber officinale, S. Inguru ; and Allium 
cepa,S. Lunu; Allium sativum, S. Sudulunu.* All 
these plants are grown to a small extent in the 
Island, and the local demand, which is very large, 
has to be met by large importations from India. 
According to the Bluebook for 1902, 8,014 cwts. 
of turmeric {Curcuma longa) were imported to 
Ceylon during the year, of an estimated value of 
Es. 100,287 ;00 ; a hundred weight, of turmeric is 
valued at twelve and a half rupees. Turmeric is 
grown to a very small extent in the Island, and 
only the immediate wants in the remote villages 
are supplied by this means. The cultivation is 
not carried on systematically, nor the curing and 
drying understood by the Sinhalese villager?. 
Usually a small plot of land is dug up, and in 
narrow beds small pieces of turmeric are planted 
out about eighteen inches apart. The plants come 
up in a few days, and while they are growino 
the land is kept free of weeds and occasionally 
a little earth is thrown round the roots of the 
bushes. In a few months' time the rhizomes begin 
to form and ared&g up withintwelvemonths. The 
soil has to be loose and well-drained. An acre of 
land under favourable circumstances yields from 
ten to fifteen hundredweights of fresh rhizomes ; 
these are cleaned, boiled, and then dried in the 
' GiQgtr and turmeric aie called "rhizomes" and 
onion and garlic " bubs." 
sun. In drying about two-thirds of the weight 
are lost. The Ceylon prepared turmeric is very 
poor in quality, the boiling process discolours the 
rhizomes and gives them a shrunken appearance. 
In India tlie plants are cultivated from seed, 
because when sections are used for planting the 
large quantity required is thus lost for the 
market. The drying is done more systematically 
and without boiling, but by using a solution of lime 
water to dry the rhizomes and to give the produce 
a bold appearance and an agreeable colour. 
Turmeric is largely used in Ceylon as a condiment, 
and every curiy contains a quantity of it. 
It is believed tliat the addition of turmeric improves • 
the flavour of the preparation ; it certainly gives it 
a yellow colour and imparts desirable sto- 
machic properties which have made it-the universal 
favourite it is. Onion, Garlic and Ginger are 
also largely consumed in Ceylon. 164,094 
cwts. of onion of an estimated value of 
Rs. 492,427 were imported toCeylon in 1902. 2,115 
cwts. of ginger to the value of Es. 50,241 and 
9, 143 cwt. of garlic to the value of Rs. 108,780 were 
also imported during the same year. 
W. A. D. S. 
(To be continued.) 

OCCASIONAL NOTES. y-^y *: 
Mr, Geo. Weerakon, now President of Village 
Tribunals in Hewagam Korale, writes: — "The 
varieties of paddy most cultivated in this part 
of the country are Dewareddivi, Mawi and Eatawi, 
which takes 6 months to ripen the grain and 
yield from ' 20 to 30 fold, i.e., 20 to 80 times the 
quantity sown. Of Biiliiwi paddy which takes 
3 to 4 months to ripen the grain and produces 
from 3 to 5 fold, the following are the kinds 
cultivated : — Siilai, Kottiaran, Kaluhandisa, Sudu- 
handisa, J£irinaran, Podihinati, Madahinati, Polel, 
and Hetadawi. The last is the 60 day paddy, 
so called for the fact that the harvest comes on 
two months after the first appearance of the ears," 
" It will be seen from the above list, that the 
first group embraces the more important cultivated 
varieties, the second including the less desirable 
kinds that are found growing on indifferent soils, or 
cultivated whenever sowing has to be delayed owing 
to unfavourable weather or for other reasons," 
" Submerged fields are, as a rule, e.tpected to 
fertilize themselves through silt deposits, but 
others are treated with manure — say one cwt. of 
bone dust to two " kurunies." The inundations 
have been too many during the present year, and 
have caiused serious damage to both the " Tfala " 
and " Maha " paddy crops, the one when in ear 
and the other soon after sowing. The Balawi 
which was subsequently sown to save the situation 
utifortunately suffered the same fate as did also 
the vegetable gardens of the villagers." 
" Some of the cultivators are sanguine of being 
allowed an outlet for flood water from Ambatale, 
7^ miles from Colombo, to join the misnamed 
" Layard'e Polly " which , falls , iiij^oj the sea at 
