December i, 1S90.] 
THE TROPICAL AQRIOULTURiST. 
4ir 
PADDY CULTIVATIDN IN THE EASTERN 
PROVINCE. 
IMPORTANT EXPERIMENTS AND PROFITS 
UP TO R26 PER ACRE, OR 130 PER CENT. 
Colonial Seoretary’s Office, Colombo, 31st Oct. 1S90. 
The Editor of the “Ceylon Observer 
SiE, — I am desired to transmit for your informa- 
tion the annexed copy of a letter addressed to the 
Director of Public Instruction showing the results 
of the agricultural experiments conducted in the 
Batticaloa district, under the supervision of Mr. E. 
Elliott, the Government Agent. — I am, sir, your 
obedient servant, H. L. CRAWFORD, 
for Colonial Secretary. 
EXPERIMENTAL PADDY CULTIVATION. 
Batticaloa Kaehcheri, 13th October 1890. 
Director of Public Instruction, Colombo. 
Sir, — la continuation of previous reports as to ex- 
perimental padily cultivation under the supervision of 
instructors furnished by you, I have the honour to 
state that during the past eight months I have c^irried 
on cultivation on a somewhat extensive scale, with a 
view of discovering what is the real cost of raising paddy 
with hired labour on land, the water supply of 
which is in ordinary years fairly assured, and working 
with unhorrowed money. 
2. For several reasons, I decided to work in three 
localities aud accordingly secured 35 acres at Niutavur 
in Batticaloa South, 2(> acres at Ampilanturai iu 
Batticaloa oentrCj and 23 acres (in two parcels) at 
Eravur in Batticaloa North, making a total of 84 acres. 
The cultivation was supervised by three different in- 
structors, who worked perfectly independent of one 
snother. The year has been a most trying one 
owing to the very short rainfall of the north-east 
monsoon aud the long subsequent drought which 
is almost unparalleled iu the annals of the district. 
The consequence is our cultivations suffered in common 
with those of our neighbours, but eveu in our failures 
we have learnt useful practical lessons and established 
that the improved mode of cultivation possesses a 
distinct advantage even in periods of drought. At Niu- 
tavur alone was there a fair water supply and the 
results are satisfactory, though we should certainly have 
had a bigger, crop of the season had been an ordinary one. 
At Ampilanturai the water supply ran out early and 
at Eravur the irrigation available for one paroed was 
very short, and failed almost altogether in the other 
case. 
3. As Nintavur is the only part of the extent which 
has had any fair play, I give iu the annexed state- 
ment full details of the expenditure and may add 
this has been carefully audited for me by Mr. Morphew. 
It is, I believe, prepared on strictly accurate principles 
of accounting and includes 20 per cent depreciation, 
on the improved ploughs (iron) besides cost of new 
shares (which only last one cultivation it is found). 
The total outlay was R702 09 for the 35 acres (in- 
clusive of Government tax and headman’s fee) and 
the crop was 1521 avanams (or 1140 bushels) of 
veil cleaned paddy.” Half the crop was sold at public 
auction iu my presence for RIO'75 per ava- 
nim, and purchased by an outsider. (The rest 
was retained for agricultural purposes). The whole 
crop was consequently worth R1616 or Rl’42 
per Imsliol. This is higher than paddy 
usually soils for iu the locality, but it was excellent 
giain well cleaned and the actual sum realized is hardly 
above what the crop would have brought in an ordinary 
year aud at ordinary prices. (Wo got 44 bushels per 
acre I.ast year off 7 acres of this field, against utnler 33 
this year.) Sol think we are justified iu taking the 
ne'.ual amount roilized as a measure of success, not out 
of the usual ruu ; the higher price only ooiupeus itiug for 
the sliorler crop due to an unfavourable season. 
4. The cost of production was 171 rupees per 
acre or under .54 cents per bushel of crop, and 
Govorumeut tax &c. was 8 cents per bushel more, 
making a total of (12 conts pur bushel in an un- 
favourable year when paddy is selling at Rl.uO per 
bushel iu the same locality at harvest time. The ne t 
profit WB.S 1T26 an acre er R'J14 against an expen- 
ditura of R702 in eight months or 130 per cent on 
that outlay. The rent agreed to with the landlord 
was R220 or about 11 per cent on the present selling 
price of the land, leaving the cultivator RG94 
jirofit on an expenditure of R702 or nearly 100 per cent. 
If the proprietor and cultivator were the same person 
his profit would be over 32 per cent on a capital of 
R2,800, which represents the selling iirice of this land 
plus the capital necessary to work it. 
5. From enquiries made on the spot I am informed 
most of the lauds in the tract gave only a crop of 15 to 
18 bushels per acre, but some 70 acres gave 221- bushels 
and 30 acres lying lower and considered the best in the 
vaddai gave 26 bushels. The improved tillage can cou- 
aequently be credited with 10 bushels worth R14. 
6. This is really the only experiment which advances 
our knowledge of the subject, but that equal publicity 
may be given to the less favourable results due to the 
untowardness of the season. I give the figures for the 
other stations, which are as follows : — 
Extent 
Total 
Total 
Total 
Station. cultivated. 
crop. 
Expenditure. 
Income. 
Acres. 
Bushels 
R. 
R. 
Ampilanturai 26 
1875 
302 
225 
Eravur Munmari 16 
262 
306 
320 
Do Kalavel- 
lanmai 7 
C4 
131 
99 
49 
5135 
739 
644 
Add Nintavur 35 
1,140 
702 
1,616 
Total 84 
l,G53i 
1,441 
2,260 
From this table it will be seen the net profit on all 
4 transactions was R819 on an outlay of Rl,441. The 
cost of production including Government tux and head- 
man’s fees is 87 cents per bushel of paddy at a time it 
is selling for Rl'50. This is about as crucial a test 
as could be applied to the industry. It is said that these 
experiments have no value, as they are undertaken 
under circumstances very different from those at- 
tending the ordinary cultivation of paddy. To this 
I would reply that they are important iu the 
first place in arriving at the actual cost of productiou, 
and so being a check on the fanciful estimates which 
appear iu the public prints, and even at times in State 
papers such as the appendices to the recently pub- 
lished report of the Grain Tax Committee. Un- 
doubtedly no private cultivator in the island expends 
anything like the amount the instructors have done 
per acre, nor I suppose do they get an equal return. 
I doubt if any one spends more than RIO per acre and for 
this he obtains in a fair laud a return of 25 to 30 bushels 
of paddy worth generally as many rupees. In poorer lands 
less is spent, but the return is as a rule in proportion in 
ordinary years, where irrigation is available. Of eourso 
where this is absent the industry is liable to greater 
fluctuations accordiug' to the rainfall aud its distribu- 
tion. I would iu this connection call attention to the 
remark made in my report of last year. 
7. There are some collateral points ofinterest brought 
out by these cultivations which deserve to be recorded. 
The advantages of transplanting were specially marked 
at Eravur where the water supply vvas very short, the 
transplanted portion having yielded 13J bushels 
per acre against of the broadcast, wliilo the ad- 
ditional coat of the process is under R1 per acre. 
If we had only transplanted the whole 7 acres iu 
this portion we would have made profit ! On the other 
land at Niutavur where the water supply was fair, llie 
difference was very small ; but the outlay on the 
transplanted area was slightly less than on the broads 
cast owing to the saving in seed paddy and the difference 
is only about R1 per acre in favour of trausplautiogs. 
8. At Ampilanturai though we only got 7i bushels 
per acre, the adjoining laud owners only got 4J and at 
Eravur we got nearly IG bushels per acre against 11 
secured in the neighbouring fields. 
9. At Nintavur, a small quantity of lime (40 bushels 
costing R4) was scattered over the land with tlie 
seed ; and owing to this, the Agricultural Instructor 
thinks it probable the crop was exempt from the 
