84 
Supplement to the " Tropical Agriculturist: 
[July I, 1891. 
After what I have seen of cotton cultivation 
in Ceylon, I do not think it will pay when grown 
as a separate crop, and I would advice that it 
should he raised, as is frequently ilone in India, 
with some other crop. At tlie niinuketale cotton 
plantation in the Matale district, the property 
of the Spinning and Weaving Company, 1 was 
disappointed to find that cultivation was to all 
appearances given up, and that hut for a few pro- 
minent cotton trees the land was overrun with a 
jungly growth. The surviving plants I found 
to be either of tlie kidney or Egyptian variety. 
Last February I passed the Government Relief 
Garden in Walapaue. It will be remembered 
that this garden was opened to give employment 
to the imfortunate people of tlii.s district who 
had lost their paddy lands, Tobacco and cotton 
appear to be the only crops that any attempt was 
made to grow, and their cultivation cannot bo 
said to have been successful. One would have 
expected that useful and suitable food products 
would have been raised in a place like this, instead 
of such doubtful crops as those that have been 
tried ; and the Relief Gardens bring to mind the 
Alfred Model Farm that proved a failure owing to 
mismangeraent. After the major part, if not the 
whole of the money allowed for relief work in 
Walapane was expended, it seems that the services 
of an Agricultural Instructor were secured. This 
officer was e.xpocted to cultivate the land with 
the aid of a' few school boys, by no means 
willing to work, who are expected to turn out for 
an hour or two a day (holidays excepted). The 
previous record of the Belief Gardens has by no 
means left an encouraging effect on the inhabi- 
tants. I hoard that dhall, arrowroot, betel and 
yams have been grown, and that arrangBm(mta 
were being made for planting sugarcane, bread-fruit 
and jak. It is a pity that the Agricultural In- 
structor could not have begun work under better 
auspices. 
[Mr. II. D. Juanis, the Agricultural Instructor, 
Walapane, who was unable to obtain leave during 
illness contracted at Lemesuriergama, whither ho 
had been srent, broke down completely in health, 
and was obliged to resign his post. — El).] 
TRAVELLER. 
THE CASTOR OIL PLANT. 
( Ricinun (Jornniunis.) 
By W. A. Dk Silva. 
The Castor Oil plant which flourishes in the 
warmer parts of the world, is grown largely 
along with other crops in the different districts 
of India. 
There are two varieties of this plant ; one has 
pink stems and petioles, and generally grows 
to the height of from six to eight feet, while 
the other variety is characterized by the pale 
ashy colour of its surface. The Castor is a 
quick-growing perennial, with delicate stems 
filled with soft tissue. The leaves are large 
and pontaftd with numerous prominent veins, 
and they are borne on long and smooth petioles. 
The plant is monoecious, bearing distinct staminate 
and pistillate flowers upon the same raceme. 
A large number of capsules are borne in clusters. 
and when dry the oval-shaped black and smooth 
seeds are easily separated. These seeds contain 
a largo percentage of an oily matter which has 
a peculiar smell and the properties of a purgative. 
On account of the latter property it is mucli used 
in medicine. 
The Castor Oil plant thrives in light soils, and 
is generally cultivated along with other crops, 
such as beans, varagu au<l cumbu. The plants 
begin to produce in their fourth month, and in 
India much profit is obtained by its cultivation. 
It grows wild all over the Island of Ceylon 
in light soils, and the rapidity with whioli it 
comes up without any care in the soils of the 
Cinnamon Gardens is remarkable. 
The leaves of the Castor plant form the food 
of a, variety of silk-producing moths. 
The oil fetches from 3(i. to (>d. in the London 
market, whilst the Castor cake or poonac is 
considered to be a good fertilizer, and is in 
great demand. 
This plant might bo usefully added to the 
garden and chena products of the villagers, who 
will be able to raise it along with their other 
crops. 
♦ 
CEREMONIES OBSERVED BY THE 
KANDYANS IN PADDY CULTIVATION. 
It may not be uninteresting to the renders of 
your useful Magazine to know something about 
the ceremonies observed by the Kandyan paddy 
cultivators, and I trust that the information which 
I have collected and embodied in this paper will 
not be considered altogether unprofitable reading. 
After having selected a suitable plot of laud 
for cultivation, the goiya presents himself before 
the Neketrala (village astrologer) on a Monday 
or Wednesday wi'.li the customary offering of 
forty betel loaves and arecanuts, and expresses 
his wishes in a humble attitude. The Neketrala 
then informs his petitioner, after certain astro- 
logical calculations, the circumstances upon which 
the success or failure of hia undertaking depends. 
On an auspicious day (according to the Neketrala), 
the goiya after partaking of heel-bat (the morning 
meal) wends his way to his land with a mamoty, 
his face turned towards the favourable direction 
of the horizon as indicated by the astrologer, 
should the goiya on this journey encounter sights 
or sounds which portend failure — e. ^., the hooting 
of an owl, the cry of a house lizard, the growling 
of a dog, the sight of persons carrying weapons 
capable of inflicting injury, ftc., — he immediately 
turns back and retraces his steps homewards. Again 
the Neketrala has to be approached in the manner 
before desci’ibed, and consulted as to a lucky 
hour. Were the goiya to meet with a milk cowq 
vessels filled with water, men dressed in white, 
&c., when he sets out towards his land, it ii 
considered verj' propitious. 
Assuming he has arrived at his land without 
the occurrence of any untoward event, the goiya 
begins to turn up the soil wnth his mamoty; 
this process being called Gevadenawa. On the 
following day the goiya entertains such of his 
fellow-villagers with kaun (rice cakes), kiri-bat 
(milk rice), &c., as are willing to co-operate with 
him in the cultivation of his field. At the lucky 
