THIEl 
SGRICULTURSL mSCSZinG, 
COLOMBO. 
Vol. IX.] SEPTEMBER, 1897. [No. 3, 
Added as a Supplement Monthly to the '‘•TROPICAL AGRICULTURISTS 
The following pages include the 
for September : — 
SEASON REPORTS. 
ESTERN Province. — Paddy. Yala 
crop thriving, preparations for 
Malia going on in some places. 
Fruits and vegetables plentiful 
in Colombo district and Rayigam 
Rorale. Rainfall sufficient. 
Central Pro yince.— Paddy. Malia cultivation 
begun; rainfall at Matale 3'38 in.; a case of alleged 
murrain reported from Matale South. A good 
supply of fruits and vegetables in Niiwara Plliya. 
Northern Proywce.— Paddy. The threshing of 
the Kalapokam paddy crop is nearly over every 
where; where Sirupokam paddy was sown the 
crop is about to be harvested. No rain in Jaffna 
and Mannar districts, but few showers in 
Mullaittivu. 
Southern Proyfwce.— Paddy. Yala crop in course 
of being harvested. Rainfall in Galie 5'26 in_ 
Eastern Proymce.— Paddy. Pinnari cultivation 
somewhat interrupted by rain and flood in Batti- 
caloa, in Trincomalee satisfactory and promises 
well. Cattle murrain still lingers in some villages, 
but is being stamped out. Rainfall, ‘51 in Batti- 
caloa, and -95 in Trincomalee. 
N orth- Western Province.— V&CLAy. Crops in vari- 
ous stages, but good yields are expected ; no mur- 
rain except in Hiriyala Hatpattu. Rainfall at 
Puttalam ’69 in. 
North-Central Proirince.— Paddy. Crop nearing 
harvest and prospects good. No cattle murrain. 
Rainfall at Anuradhapura 10 in. 
Province of Uva. — Paddy. Maha harvest over, 
yield good. Vegetables scarce and dear, Health 
of cattle good- 
Contents or the Agricultural Magazine 
Province of Sabaragamuiva. — Paddy. Yala crop 
prospects good. No reports of cattle murrain. 
Rainfall at Ruauwella 8'63 in., same in Amban- 
pitiya. 
RAINFALL TAKEN AT THE SCHOOL OF 
AGRICULTURE 
OF 
DURING 
AUGUST, 
THE MONTH 
1897. 
1 
Sunday 
•06 
17 
Tuesday 
•25 
2 
Monday 
Nil 
18 
Wednesday. . 
Nil 
3 
Tuesday 
•13 
19 
Thursday . . 
Nil 
4 
Wednesday. . 
•02 
20 
Friday 
Nil 
5 
Thursday . . 
1-43 
21 
Saturday 
•02 
6 
Friday 
•57 
22 
Sunday 
Nil 
7 
Saturday 
•07 
23 
Monday 
Tuesday 
1-33 
8 
Sunday 
Nil 
24 
rio 
9 
Monday 
Tuesday 
•61 
25 
Wednesday . . 
Nil 
10 
2-14 
26 
Thursday 
•35 
11 
Wednesday . . 
Thursday . . 
1-85 
27 
Friday 
■27 
12 
•50 
28 
Saturday 
•07 
13 
Friday 
•10 
29 
Sunday 
•08 
14 
Saturday . . 
•41 
30 
Monday 
Nil 
15 
Sunday 
-03 
31 
Tuesday 
•02 
16 
Monday 
Nil 
1 
Wednesday. . 
Nil 
Total. .11-30 
Mean . . '36 
Greatest amount of rainfall in any 24 hours on 
the 10th, Tuesday, 2-14 inches. 
Recorded by A. R. Jeremiah. 
^ 
THE LABOUR QUESTION. 
The Labour difficulty in Ceylon cannot be ex- 
pected to decrease with the increase of plantatiou.s. 
The formation of large companies of late years, 
and the opening up of extensive tracts of land 
in the B.ilangoda district by^^Messrs. Finlay, Muir, 
& Co. chiefly, have created a great demand for 
large gangs of coolies. And as all the required 
fresh labouring hands are not brought over from 
