aril  El 
AGRICULTURSL  mSGSZinG, 
COLOMBO. 
Added  as  a Supplement  Monthly  to  the  “ TROPICAL  AGRIGULTU RISTT 
The  following  pages  include  the  Contents  of  the  Agricultural  Magazim 
for  March  : — 
Vol.  VIIL]  MARCH,  1897.  [No.  9. 
SEASON  KEPORTS  POR  JANUARY,  1897. 
EST  ERN  PRO  VINCE.— liaha 
padilj'  harvest  has  begun.  No  dry 
grain  cultivation  worth  noting. 
Fruits  and  vegetables  scarce 
generally  except  in  the  Colombo 
district,  wliere  the  supply  was 
good  and  prices  moderate.  Rainfall  light. 
Harvest  prospects  may  Jbe  said  to  be  generally 
fair. 
Central  Province. — Maha  paddy  nearing  matu- 
rity in  most  parts,  prospects  fair.  Dry  grain  crops 
fair.  Indian  corn  and  Rurrakkan  cultivation 
very  satisfactory  in  Walapane.  Health  of  cattle 
good.  Rain  fell  in  most  parts  excepting  Udunu- 
wara,  fall  registered  in  Matale,  3'95  in. 
Northern  Province. — Paddy  crops  being  har- 
vested, prospects  good.  Dry  grain  crops  satis- 
factory ; out-turn  in  Mannar  below  average  owing 
to  damage  by  floods.  Rain  more  or  less  general : 
in  Jaffna,  '82  in.,  in  Mannar  ‘72  in.  Murrain  re- 
ported to  have  broken  out  at  Ralvilan,  in  Tunukkai 
division. 
Southern  Province. — Only  a middling  paddy  har- 
vest is  to  be  expected.  Vegetables  in  Galle  dis- 
trict scarce.  Rainfall  in  Galle,  l'o6  in. 
Eastern  Province. — Paddy  much  damaged  by 
flood  in  Batticaloa  district,  in  Trincomalee  dis- 
trict thriving  in  nearly  all  parts.  Dry  grain  crops 
also  suffered  from  the  same  cause.  Fair  pros- 
pects of  Tobacco  in  Trincomalee  district.  Rain- 
fall in  Batticaloa  10  in.,  in  Trincomalee  1116. 
North- Ji  estern  Province. — In  the  Kurunegala 
district  paddy  and  dry  grain  prospects  good, 
health  of  cattle  good,  except  in  Dambadenni  Hat- 
pattu  and  Ivatugampola  where  murrain  has  been 
reported.  Prospects  of  grain  crops  good  in  Putta- 
1am  district.  Rainfall  in  Puttalam  1'20  in.  Reap- 
ing of  maha  in  Chilaw  district  where  rain  has 
done  some  damage. 
North-Central  Province.— crop  in  various 
stages,  good  harvest  expected  ' throughout  the 
Province.  The  severe  murrain  of  last  year  causes 
great  scarcity  of  buffaloes  for  agricultural  work, 
Rainfall  at  .\nuradhapura  6'92  in.  A few  cases  of 
murrain  in  Ivalagampalata. 
Province  of  TJva.  — Yala  harve.st  in  progress, 
yield  good.  Preparations  for  maha  crop  going 
on,  but  delayed — some  fields  being  abandoned — 
owing  to  floods.  Indian  corn  and  Kurrakkan  ripe 
and  ready  for  harvest.  Fruits  and  vegetables 
plentiful  and  cheap. 
Province  of  Sabargamuwa. — In  Ratnapura  dis- 
tricts paddy  promising,  though  rain  has  caused 
damige  in  some  i^arts.  Fine  grain  prospects 
good.  Preparations  going  on  for  Yala  paddy  and 
dry  grain.  In  ivegalle  district,  maha  jiaddy  being 
harvested  and  yield  very  good.  Dry  grain  crops 
satisfactory.  Rainfall  registered  at  Ainbanpitiya 
2’.34  (on  three  days),  at  Ruanwella  2-31  (on  three 
days). 
RAINFALL  TAKEN  AT  THE  SCHOOL  OP 
AGRICULTURE 
DURING 
THE  MONTH 
OF  FEBRUARY, 
1897. 
1 
iMonday 
Nil 
18 
Thursday  . . 
•18 
2 
Tuesday 
Nil 
19 
Friday 
Nil 
3 
Wednesday . . 
Nil 
20 
Saturday 
Nil 
4 
T;;iir.‘!day 
Nil 
21 
Sunday 
Nil 
o 
Friday 
Nil 
22 
Monday 
Nil 
6 
Saturday 
Nil 
23 
Tue.sday 
•51 
7 
Sunday 
Nil 
24 
W ednesday . . 
Nil 
8 
Monday 
•15 
25 
Thursday  . . 
mi 
9 
Tuesday 
Nil 
26 
Friday 
Nil 
10 
Wednesday  . 
1 do 
27 
Saturday 
Nil 
11 
Thursday 
■05 
28 
Sunday 
Nil 
12 
Friday 
Nil 
1 
Monday 
Nil 
13 
Saturday 
•05 

14 
Sunday 
■06 
Total. 
.2-80 
15 
Monday 
•25 
Mean . . 
•10 
16 
Tuesday 
Nil 
17 
Wednesday  .. 
Nil 
Greatest  amount  of  rainfall  in  any  24  hours — 
on  the  10th  U'ednesday,'  inches  I ’So. 
Hecorde.l  by  A.  K.  Jkuf..miah, 
