December i, 1890.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
395 
REGULATIONS FOR LAND SALES. 
IN CEYLON. 
A new set of regulations for sale of unreserved 
Crown lands is published in the last Gazette and 
will come into operation from the 1st proximo. They 
are much the same as those given in our latest 
“ Handbook and Directory ” with the exception of 
a few amendments ; while several new clauses have 
been added to them. Clauses 1, 2, 12 and 13, and 
the last part of clause 4 commencing from “ For 
the opening ” <feo., and that of clause 9, from “ and 
the amount of stamp duty chargeable” &o, , have 
been expunged, and clause 11 has been made to 
read “ On receipt of the purchase money in full, 
the Government Agent will apply to the Colonial 
Secretary for a grant in duplicate,” Ac. In the table 
of fees the progressive increase of R40 per 100 acres 
will in future be for lots between 2,000 and 6,000 
acres and not 5,000 acres as hitherto. The follow- 
ing are the new clauses referred to : — 
As a general rule, all unreserved Crown lands will 
be sold by auction, and at a price not less than 10 
rupees per acre. 
Sales of unreserved Crown land are classified as 
follows : — 
(«) Those of forest, jungle, or patana not hitherto 
cultivated. 
(?)) Those of land already occupied, but the posses- 
sion of which the occupants desire to regularise. 
(c) Those of land which the occupants fail in ac- 
quiring, or that have been seized in default of pay- 
ment of tax. 
Under class (a) fall ; — 
(1) Land sales initiated by the Government to ad- 
vance the progress of agricultural or planting en- 
terprise. 
(2) Lands the sale of which is applied for by parties 
desirous of adding to existing holdings or of possess- 
ing laud in a district of their own selection. 
To class {!>) belong : — 
(3) Lands occupied originally without deeds of title 
and improved for a period of less than 5 years, but 
sold to the occupant on payment of the appraise 1 value. 
(1) Laud.s occupied originally without deeds of ti le 
and improved fora period of more than 5 years and 
less than 10 years, but sold to the occupant at the rate 
of 10 rupees per acre, and lands held ou permit or 
license continuously for not less than 2 years. 
While under class (e) come ; — 
(5) All lands under (3) and (4) which the occupants 
fail to acquire under the conditions therein stated, 
besides those seized in default of payment of tax. 
When lands exposed for sale under rule 2 (a) and (i) 
exceeii 50 acres in extent, or in cases where small 
contiguous blocks aggregate 50 acres or more, the same 
shall be advertised in the Gazette, with the name of 
the applicant, if any ; and these and other advertise- 
ments may be inserted, as'at present, by the Surveyor- 
General in the Local, Indian, or Home papers, under 
such limitatioi.s as the Government may from time to 
time appoint. 
Before any block of unreserved forest, mukalana, 
lands adjoining forests and lauds adjoining river or 
streams, or ohena over twenty years’ growth can be 
brought forward for sale, the opinion of the Conser- 
vator of Forests shall bo taken as to the desirability 
or otherwise of the alienation before publication of 
intended sale in the Gazette ; and in cases where the 
block exceeds 60 acres in extent, a report on 
the laud, with explanatory sketch, shall further be 
submitted to His Excellency the Governor, showing 
its situation, altitude, jiroximity to existing estates, 
drainage of watershed, extent of forest reserves in 
the neighbourhood, and probable existence of minerals 
or gems. 
I.and over 5,000 ft. elevation sliall not be alienated, 
iiml laud of any elevation whatsoever, which, in the 
opinion of competent authority, from its position upon 
or at the side of a ridge, or at the source of streams, 
or ou the banks of streams, or for any other cause, 
should not bo alienated, may bo permanently n served 
and marked in the record maps '‘Aut to ho sold." 
When any block or lot of land has been reserved 
as above by order of Government, such block or lot 
shall not be brought forward for sale at any future 
time unless the conditions under which it was reserved 
have in the opinion of the Governor ceased to exist. 
Reservations on rivers or streams should be carelully 
demarcated and preserved, more especially when there 
is dependent paddy cultivation below ; while in the 
esse of estates bordering' ou villages, suitable reserva- 
tions round the village should be allowed for the 
wants of the inhabitants in forest produce, grazing, 
and .so forth. The land abutting on paddy fields 
sliou'd, as a general rule, be reserved for the villagers. 
Rules for the Guidance of the Government Agents 
and Surveyor- General in bringing forward unreserved 
Crown Lands for sale. 
In respect to land sales under 2 (a) of the Regula- 
tions for Land Sales dated September 13th, 1890, the 
Government Agents, under instructions from Govern- 
ment, will make arrangements for bringing forward for 
sales suitable blocks of land in such district or districts 
as the Government may deem expedient. With regard 
to sales under2(?)) and (c), the necessary arrangements 
will devolve upon the Government Agents in con- 
junction with the Surveyor-General. 
When Crown land exposed for sale at upset price 
has any standing timber or other forest produce upon 
it, it shall be optional with the crown on its own 
behalf to fell and remove the same, or to sell all or 
part of such standing timber and produce to the pur- 
chaser, at a valuation to be made by the Forest Depart- 
ment. 
Government Agents and officers of the Survey Depart- 
ment are enjoined, when dealing with applications, to be 
particularly ou their guard against any attempt on the 
part of applicants to select the pick of the land in sepa- 
rate blocks, or to obtain allotments in such positions as 
to detract from the value of neighbouring unsold land, 
aud by rendering this latter inaccessible in the future 
to other applicants, co obtam command of the market. 
To prevent these attempted deteriorations of crown 
property, Irontage to routes of communication (roads, 
rivers, &c.) should be evenly distributed, means of 
acoo-.stoa'I lots provided by Buitabl« road reservations, 
and the la"d blocked out as the configuration of the 
ground and not as the desire of the a] plioant 
dictates. 
Forest and woodland being of vital importance to 
the interests of the community, whether for the supply 
of material wants, for grazing, for assuring the water 
supply, for maintaining the balance of bird and insect 
life, or for preserving the beauty. of the landscape, 
the Surveyor- Genera) aud Government Agents are held 
responsible that in bringing forward lands for sale due 
attention is paid to these important considerations. 
Sales of land under rule 2 (a) will be held from time 
to lime at such place and on such date as the Govern- 
ment may by Notification in the Government Gazette 
appoint. Sales under rule 2 {b) aud (c) will be held 
when practicable at the different kacncheries twice 
a month, after six weeks’ advertisement by Notifi- 
cation in the Government Gazette, and care will he 
taken to prevent the days of sale in the several 
Provinces from clashing with each other. 
♦- 
Some Ineeeior Madras Tobaccos. — In May last 
the Commissioner of Agriculture forwarded to Messrs. 
Corry, Soper, Fowler & Co , of London, for report, 
samples of certain tobaccos grown in this Presidency. 
Of these tobacco grown in Chebrole, Kistna District 
and Cudicota, Cuddapah District, are reported to 
be of no value and not worth sending to Europe. 
That grown at Medur, in the Kistna District, the 
firm offers to buy at 2d per pound in London, and 
the tobacco from Pannatola in Jammalamadugu in 
Cuddapah District at IJd delivered at London. The 
tobacco growers in these districts are not likely to 
accept the offer of Messrs. Corry, Soper, Fowler & 
Co., as the rates offered by them are lower than the 
local selling prices of the Pioneer, Oct- 121h 
