214 
Supplement  to  the  “ Tropical  A.  iculturisL  ” [Sept.  2,  1895. 
that  no  land  seized  under  section  1 be  sold  until 
and  unless  the  crop  or  produce  thereof  and  tlie 
movables  thereon,  if  any,  shall  have  been  first  sold. 
3.  The  sale  of  irainovable  property  shall  be 
carried  on  the  spot  unless  the  (iovernment  Agent 
shall  otherwise  direct,  or  unless  the  defaulter  shall 
consent  to  the  sale  being  conducted  elsewhere. 
4.  The  person  making  the  seizure  may,  if  so 
authorized  by  the  Oovernraent  Agent,  keep  a 
person  in  possession  of  the  proj)erty  seized. 
o.  It  shall  be  lawful  for  the  Government  Agent 
or  any  person  authorized  by  him  as  afore.said  to 
demand,  take  and  receive  from  such  defaulter  the 
several  sums  of  money  mentioned  as  follows  : — 
(a)  In  cost  of  proceeding  to  .seize  prox)erty — a 
charge  not  exceeding  50  cents  for  every  11 10  due. 
(0)  For  keeping  a x)erson  in  possession — a 
charge  not  exceeding  50  cents  per  day. 
(c)  For  the  expenses  of  sale — a charge  not  ex- 
ceeding 25  cents  for  every  ten  rupees  of  the  net 
proceeds  of  the  sale. 
6.  After  deducting  the  amount  and  costs  due, 
the  overplus,  if  any,  shall  be  paid  to  the  owner  or 
joint  owners  of  the  proiierty  sold. 
7.  A certificate  of  .'^ale  signed  by  the  Govern- 
ment Agent  is  sufficient  to  vesf  the  property  in 
the  purchaser.  Such  certificate  is  liable  to  stamp 
duty  fixed  on  conveyances  of  immovable  xiroj'erty 
and  to  any  registration  or  other  charges  authorized 
by  law,  such  duty  and  charges  being  payable  by 
the  purchaser. 
il.  A.  J. 
LAJ50UK. 
A season  of  unwonted  jirosperity  has  set  in  in 
many  planting  districts  for  the  Sinhalese  agricul- 
tural classes,  owing  to  the  want  of  Tamil  labour  felt 
on  the  plantations,  and  entire  families  are  leaving 
their  homesteads  for  residence  in  close  jiro.'dmity 
to  European  plantations.  The  system  of  weekly 
payments  if  not  in.^isted  upon  has  still  become 
imperative,  as  the  tide  of  labour  generally  .«ets  in 
the  direction  of  prompt  settlement  and  from 
Rl'50  to  Tll'80  per  week  is  easily  earned  by  an 
adult  male,  while  a woman  or  child  earns  from 
Rl-25  to  111 '50  on  an  average.  And  thus  the 
Sinhalese  ryot  who  had  hitherto  to  depend 
entirely  on  his  paddy  fields  for  the  suxiport  of 
himself  and  his  family  has  i)ractically  averted 
the  calamity  of  starving  during  bad  seasons  of 
mnha  and  i/ala.  The  Governim'iit  have  also  thus 
been  reliewid  of  the  an.viely  of  having  occasion- 
ally to  proviile  villages  with  relief  work.s. 
News  comes  from  the  coast  of  India  that  the 
recruiting  grounds  of  our  Immigrant  labonr  siiindy 
are  being  largely  taxjped  by  Singapore  xtlanter.-^, 
who  are  offering  more  advantageous  terms  than 
the  Ceylon  planters  do.  If  our  labourers  went 
gradually  away  from  Ceylon  to  their  old  Dores 
in  other  parts,  and  also  to  others  following  their 
example,  and  if  capital  coming  to  Ceylon  is  also 
driven  away  to  countrie.s  where  land  can  fie  got 
on  more  advantageous  terms,  Ceylon  need  be  in  no 
fear  of  an  over-production  of  tea.  Hut  the 
Surveyor-fieneral  may  fail  to  control  the  deliveries 
at  Mincing  Lane. 
The.  general  efieet  of  tea  ])lanting,  although 
largely  beneficial  to  the  neighbouring  villages,  is 
bv  uo'meanti  an  uiuni.xed  blessing  to  the  younger 
generation,  as  it  is  reported  from  the  Sabara- 
gamuwa  Piovince  that  the  attendance  at  the 
village  schools  have  been  greatly  affected  by  the 
children  being  taken  away  to  the  neighbouring 
tea  estate.-:  for  gathering  le:if.  It  may  not  be  felt 
just  yet,  but  it  is  the  oxiinion  of  many  reflecting 
minds  that  the  supxu'e.ssiou  of  crime  among  the 
Sinhalese  villager.^  can  be  be.'t  attained  by  taking 
them  in  hand  when  young  and  teaching  discripline 
and  morality  .as  in  European  countries.  The 
school  has  ever  been  the  mir.sery  of  the  Church, 
and  even  if  wo  did  not  c.irry  the  Chri.stian's  pro- 
paganda iiito  the  iinddhist  villages,  still  Christian 
.school  masters  who  have  oversight  of  the  boys 
during  scho'  1 hour.s,  c.in  do  an  immense  amount 
of  good  in  watching  their  conduct  generally  and 
training  them  to  love  rectitude  and  truth  and  to 
control  tiieir  natural  imx)ulses.  To  take  a man 
whose  character  has  been  moulded  and  fixed  and 
to  fine  scourge  and  imprision  may  satisfy  the 
vindictive  requirements  of  justice,  but  results  have 
X^roved  that  it  has  neither  cured  the  offendor  nor 
operated  as  a deterrent  to  others  of  b.is  class.  It 
is  x>ossib!e  that  comx)ulsory  e<lucalion  and  the 
establishmeu  .of  normal  schools  all  over  Ceylon 
may  do  more  to  suijipress  crime  by  training  the 
Sinhalese  youth  while  young  tlian  the  increased 
rigorous  treatment  in  jails  will  do  after  the 
criminal  has  been  made  by  the  general  neglect 
of  his  mcra  education  in  his  early  vears. 
1’. 
I'AEMVIIAII  I’ALM  IMIGGCCTS. 
Air.  C.  E.  Cdlyer,  the  fibre  referee  for  the 
Imperial  Institute,  reports  as  follows  on  sarax)les 
of  Palmy  rah  fibre  : — 
“The  stiff  fibre  extracted  from  the  base  or 
sheath  of  t'’e  leaf-stalk,  when  in  mature  condition, 
of  dark  colour,  and  tough  and  sujjple  in  quality, 
is  in  consK.erable  favour  as  a broom  and  brush 
making  material,  and  has  rapidly  become  one  of 
the  best  substitutes  for  Bahia  Piassava,  notwith- 
standing a tendency  to  curl  in  warm  and  dry 
weather. 
The  consumption  haskeiit  i)ace  with  the  supply, 
and  its  us^’  could  bo  largely  increasd  if  sufiicient 
(Xuantities  could  be  obtained  at  moderate  x^rices,  of 
which  accor'Hng  to  the  available  information  there 
is  much  doubt. 
The  light-coloured  fibre  extracted  from  the 
leaf-stalk  itself  is  of  a different  character,  and  is 
at  present  of  com])arati vely  small  value; — its 
want  of  li''e,  toughness,  and  strength  to  recover 
its  strnightiu'Ss  after  being  bent,  limit  its  use  to 
common  mixing  x)ur])oses,  and  it  is  considered  infe- 
rior to  African  Piassava,  for  the  lowest  uses.  It 
is  xtossible  a better  and  more  extensive  use  for  this 
fibre  may  ultimately  be  found,  but  in  the  mean- 
time shipments  would  come  to  a very  doubtful 
market.” 
The  wood  forms  a valuable  rafler  for  houses 
Toddy  is  got  by  fementalion  from  the  sweet  juice 
of  the  llower,  as  with  the  coconut  and  kitul  X)alms. 
Sugar  (jagg(U'y)  is  made  from  the  unfermeuted 
juice.  .lAins  art'  constructc'd  of  tlie  young  leaves, 
which  in  the  very  young  stage  are  also  woven 
into  braids  and  thus  e.\])orled.  llaskets,  hats  and 
other  nrlicdoa  are  also  maile  of  the  le.avcs,  whicl; 
have  a 1-0  from  lime  immemorial  served  the 
])Ui|toses  of  writing  jaixier.  The  soft  iJulp  inside 
the  shell  or  stone  of  the  fruit  is  oaten  raw,  of 
