Aug.  I,  1895. J 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
105 
NORTHERN  PROVINT'E,  CEVLOX. 
(Extracts  from  Mr.  Hupkin's  licport  on  the  Vavn 
nil/a  District  for  ISO 4.) 
Area,  1,062  square  miles ; Population  in  1891,  8,159. 
WEATHEH,  CROPS,  AND  FOOD  SUPPLY. 
The  year's  rainfall  atVavuniya  was  far  below  the 
average,  but  this  is  no  criterion  of  the  rainfall  for 
the  district,  for  in  Kilakkunmlai  South  there  was  a 
failure  of  the  north-east  monsoon,  whilst  the  tanks 
filled  fairly  in  other  divisions. 
Tobacco. — The  area  cultivated  was  114^  acres  as 
against  147  acres  in  1893,  the  people  having  been 
discouraged  by  the  great  fall  in  prices  obtainable 
during  1893. 
The  yield  is  estimated  by  the  headmen  at  661,000 
leaves,  against  607,200  last  year.  This  does  not 
mean  that  the  outturn  was  really  better  this 
year,  but  that  the  estimates  of  yield  were  more 
reasonable.  As  I pointed  out  in  last  year’s  report, 
the  headmen’s  figures  are  very  unreliable.  The  re- 
turns for  this  year  show  a yield  of  5,772  leaves  to 
the  acre,  but  this  is  still  under  the  mark.  An  acre 
of  tobacco  is  valued  at  R50  to  E80,  and  tobacco  of 
the  second  quality  is  worth  50  cents  per  bundle 
of  fifty  leaves.  Taking  this  as  the  average  price 
for  all  qualities,  the  yield  would  be  from  5,000  to 
8,000  leaves  per  acre. 
Prices  as  below : — 
U.  c. 
First  quality,  per  1,000  leaves  20  0 
Second  quality,  do.  . . 10  0 
Third  quality,  do.  . . 5 0 
This  shows  an  improvement  on  the  prices  ob- 
tainable in  1893. 
Food  Supply. — The  food  supply  was  sufficient  dur- 
ing the  year.  There  was  a little  scarcity  in  Panan- 
kamam  towards  the  end  of  the  year,  but  this  was,  I 
believe,  due  mainly  to  debt  and  improvidence. 
Toe  total  outturn  of  padd}’  was  estimated  at  48,048 
bushels,  which  is.  I daresay,  nearly  correct. 
This  converted  into  rice  would  make  24,024  bushels, 
or  2'94  bushels  per  head  of  population. 
To  this  must  be  added  9,420  bushels  of  kurakkan, 
or  1T5  bushel  per  head. 
Garden  cultivation  is  unknown,  except  in  some 
Sinhalese  villages.  A few  vegetables  are  grown  in 
the  chenas,  mostly  pumpkins,  cucumbers,  aud  “ keeri.” 
I noticed  a fine  crop  of  mustard  in  a chena  in 
Vavuniya  clearing,  but  this  was  grown  by  a Sinha- 
lese boutique-keeper. 
NEW  AREAS  OF  CULTIVATION. 
Three  hundred  and  twenty-nine  acres  3 roods  23 
perches  of  Crown  land  were  sold  during  the  year, 
the  principal  item  being  a block  of  2(X)  acres  under  the 
Maha  Rambaikulam,  which  was  sold  to  a Vavuniya 
syndicate. 
Survey  fees  were  deposited  for  140  acres,  and  a sum 
of  Rl,150'50  as  upset  price  of  land  applied  for. 
New  Areas  Cultivated. 
Paddy,  Tamil  tanks  . . 39  0 0 of  2 bushels 
Paddy,  Sinhalese  tanks  . . 25  3 8 
Garden  lands  (Sinhalese]  7 0 0 
Total..  71  3 8 
WORK  OTHER  THAN  ROUTINE. 
The  experimental  garden  is  the  only  work  which 
can  properly  be  classed  under  the  above  heading. 
Pair  prioress  was  made  during  the  ^year,  and  by  the 
end  of  December  fully  half  the  garden  was  com- 
pletely cleared  and  laid  out.  On  September  1st  I 
re-commenced  planting  in  anticipation  of  the  rains, 
and  planted  seedlings  of  mangosteens,  nutmegs, 
guavas,  custard  apples,  Colombo  mangoes,  and  Para 
rabber,  and  a number  of  pineapple  cuttings,  all  of 
which  the  Government  Agent  kindly  procured  for 
me  in  Colombo,  and  despatched  to  me  via  Mannar. 
Some  breadfruits,  limes,  oranges,  and  crotons  were 
received  later  from  the  Government  Agent  and 
planted  out.  From  Anuradhapura  Garden  I received 
^^edliug  bilimbis,  with  soiue  shrubs  and  rose  cut^ 
ings,  and  from  Peradeniya  Gardens  two  doi^en  Calcutta 
guavas.  From  seeds  sent  me  by  the  Director  of  the 
Peradeniya  Gardens  I raised  in  the  nursery  Liberian 
coffee,  jak,  nutmegs,  rambutans,  bilimbi,  avocado  pear, 
and  loquats,  all  of  which  throve  remarkably  well : so 
well  indeed  that  I think  it  will  be  better  in  future  to 
raise  from  seed,  where  it  is  possible,  all  the  plants 
required  for  the  garden  or  for  distribution. 
The  Liberian  coffee  planted  is  an  experiment  in  which 
I am  greatly  interested.  Should  it  succeed  (and 
I am  sanguine  that  it  will)  the  people  may  be  induced 
to  plant  and  tend  a few  bushes  in  their  compounds 
for  their  own  use. 
The  Ratemahatmaya,  who  has  received  some  coffee 
seeds  to  plant,  tells  me  that  there  are  a few  bushes 
of  Cojf'ea  arabica  in  Iratperiyakulam,  which  fruit 
fairly.  Out  the  people  do  not  make  any  use  of  the 
berries,  as  ‘‘there  are  so  few.”  He  has  sowui  a nur- 
sery with  seeds  of  CoJf'ca  arabica  procured  from  Ma- 
tale,  and  intends  to  plant  a small  garden  at  Iratperiya- 
kulam with  plants  of  both  kinds.  I trust  it  may  be 
a success. 
» 
TEA  BLIGHT. 
Dr.  George  Watt,  who  is  at  present  in  Assam  en- 
quiring into  the  causes  of  tea  blight,  has  been  making 
some  interesting  observations  in  the  Naga  Hills 
upon  the  wild  tea  plant.  He  has  found  only  two 
blights  upon  the  wild  plant,  and  these  the  least 
serious  of  the  many  to  which  the  garden  plants  are 
subject.  Dr.  Watt  is,  therefore,  inclined  to  think 
that  cultivation  accounts  to  a large  extent  for  the 
prevalence  of  disease  in  the  gardens.  He  is  of  opinion 
that  improvements  should  be  carried  out  more  on 
the  lines  of  healthy  cultivation,  better  seed  gardens, 
purer  (/.  e.,  blight- proof)  stock  than  in  insecticide. 
He  also  recommends  that  the  jungles  should  be  kept 
as  far  .away  from  the  lea  as  possible.  One  of  the 
most  remarkable  jiests  is  the  ‘‘blister  blight,” 
[Tiuler  this  plague  the  leaves  become  blistered  and 
shining  on  the  upper  surface,  forming  deep,  circular 
pits  all  over  the  margin  mainly  of  the  leaf,  each 
depression  being  from  one-eighth  of  an  inch  to  half 
an  inch  in  diameter.  On  the  under  surface  these 
pits  appear  as  swellings  or  blisters  covered  with  a 
white  grey  fungus.  Some  notion  of  the  ravages  of 
this  blight  may  be  gained  by  the  fact  that  on  the 
gardens  of  one  Uompany  alone  1,500  acres  are  more 
or  less  affected  by  it.  Among  other  centres  Dr. 
Watt  has  visited  Kohima,  Wokla,  Mokokchang, 
Nazira.  Moriani  and  Golaghat.  His  future  move- 
ments will  include  Nowgong.  In  addition  to  his 
investigations  into  tea  blight  he  has  been  engaged 
in  botanical  work.  It  has  been  discovered  that  the 
San  ti’ee,  a plant  belonging  to  the  Mimoseae,  bears 
root  tubercles — a fact  hitherto  unknown  to  botanical 
science. — FiifiUshiiiaii. 

THE  USE  OF  “PEAT”  FOR  MANURE 
A'-D  IN  AGRKRH/rURE. 
The  following  extract  from  a t^ueenslaiul  paper  is 
w<irthy  of  attention  l>j^  jilanters  and  other  agri- 
culturists in  certain  jiarts  of  Ceylon  : — 
ACIDULATED  PEAT  DUST. 
To  the  Editor  of  the  Queen.dander. 
Sir, — Some  time  ago  some  p.aragraphs  appeared  in 
the  Obserrer  on  the  above  subject,  when  it  was  sug- 
gested by  a correspondent  that  a most  valualile  manure 
for  our  farmers  might  be  provided  by  utilising  the 
peat  from  the  bog  at  Dunwich,  instead  of  the  ordi- 
nary soil,  for  niglit-soil  piu‘])oses  in  Brisbane.  I en- 
close a letter  on  the  subject  cut  from  the  Fanner  and 
Stock  Breeder  in  the  hope  that  you  will  give  it  a 
place,  believing  that  the  subject  is  worth  inquiring 
into. — I am,  sir,  Ac.,  Q. 
!Sir, — When  other  nations  are  exhausting  their  soil 
and  natural  resources,  we  should  conserve  and  not 
waste  the  immense  store  of  plant  food  which  is  being 
poured  so  lavishly  upon  us.  Our  soil  may,  by  this 
means,  become  so  fruitful  that  in  ten  years  it  is  pQS- 
