August i, 1891.] 
THE TROPICAL AQRIOULTURI 8 T. 
131 
GRAIN CROPS IN CEYLON. 
From the ftbutrnat of eeasna reports for Jiiao 1891, 
pnblished in the Oazttte, of July 10th wo learn that in 
the Colombo diwtriot of the Western Province heavy rain 
and floods had injured the prospects of crops in low- 
lying villages to a great exieut, but it was not <'i- 
pected that there would bo extensive or complete 
failure of crops iu any particular locality. Id the Ne* 
gombo districl au unusually largo extent had been 
sown for yala, and crops were thriving ; very little 
darasgo having been done by floods. The llahaoyi valley 
dry grain orops wore very small, but thriving well. Iu the 
Kaiulara mud Panadure totamuuas prospteta were 
good ; in Rayigam horalo alight damage was caused 
by floods in pattne bordering Bolgoda lake ; in Pas- 
dun korale low-lying lands generally wore darasgod 
by floods. In the Kandy district of the Central Province 
the prospects of yala harvest so far wore very favour- 
able, there having been abundant rain. The yala 
chena crops in Yalinuwara and Pata Dumbata promised 
well. In Mstale district rains in Mafcsla south were 
avourable to yala ; in Matale north lauds under tanks 
were partly cultivated; iu Malale east the mahacrop just 
reaped waa damaged by rain ; tala and chillies were 
Buccesafiil iu the north ; a good orop was expected from 
^eohouassuveralljr. In Walajiano paddy orops had failed. 
Coming to the Northern Provioee, we kiiru that tiie 
prospects of various crops were on the whole good. In 
the Southern Provinoo the Gatle and Matsra districts 
had auliered considerable damage from heavy taiu and 
floods ; hut the ilry grain crops iu some parts were very 
good. In the Hamhantota district the yala crop at 
liaaa was damaged by flies ; in other parts prospects 
wero good or fair, e.xcept iu Tangalla, where the crops 
Wore greatly damageil by floods. Indian corn how- 
ever was ripening n good crop. Friiin the Eastern 
Province a cheering report comes from Batticaloa 
district 
Early and late pinmari crops cut, and turned ont 
exoelleut. Large sowings in prjgress for Ettala^, ii - 
eluding 4,U0U Acroa of pii.mari lands cultivited a s-- 
Qond lime in ooiiBeiiaouef, of la go supply of water in 
the big tal ks and the iavjural.io « . r ,n. P- ’ iy ii, 
hand UrgeW in cxces-. of local n qui ouieiits, an,! ,ii y . 
sales being made for export to Jaii.i.i ai RI< 1 J per 
bushel delivered in town and 11125 on threshiug-liuure 
in Maumunai pattu. High price dne to scaroity in 
India. Cbonai crops all over, but good supply of 
plautaina in markets, and manioc being dried and 
exported to Jalliia. General condition of di-triot pros- 
perous, and as money is available for reinvestment 
there is a brisk demand for laud for paddy and coo i. 
nut oultivatiou to be cleared before next raius. No 
cattle murrain ; foot-and-mouth diseasu not severe. 
In Triuoomaleo district the paddy prospects were 
good. In the North-Western Provico tbo crop were 
generally good. From the Anuradhapura district of 
the North-Oeutral Provinoo the report was 
Nuwnrskalawiya cultivation for yala, prospect good 
-^somewhat rostriotod by want of seed paddy in some 
villages. The rain having fallen only at end of May 
there was no time to arrange for supply of seed paddy 
to those who wanted it. Most of tho village tanks 
filled except jn Keligan and ICorosagalla tiilauaB. 
Ghenas are being roped. Gingelly crops fair. Tavalu 
cultivation not yet ooiuwanced. Meueri and chillies 
are being reaped, fair crop. Tamankaduwa tanks are 
half to one-fourth full. Oonditiou of orups fair. No 
rain sinoe the heavy rain on May 20th. 
In the Province of Gva the prospeote wero pretty 
good on the whole, except in Bintenna, where they 
wore unsatisfactory owing to drought and flies. In 
AVellawayn potatoes were being planted, Coming to 
the Provinoo of Sabaragamnwa, wo loam that in the 
Ratuapnra district the prospects fur the yala harvest 
in all korales were favourable, though some damage 
was reported from recent floods. In the ICegalla dis- 
trict also, the yala prospects were good, fair, or mid- 
dling; and the dry ground orops also promised well 
on the whole. 
SPONGE FISHING OFF FLORIDA. 
“The sponge is a strange beast,'* says au old fisher, 
who has grown gray in the chase himself. “Ho ain’t 
a flah, or a hanimal, or a wegetablo, an' yet he’s all 
three. Nobody knows what they grows from, or how 
they does it. Rat somstimea we’ll scrape a place 
clean Bud conclude that that's done for, for good. 
N, xt year we goes back, an’ there’s just as many of 
’em as hever. An’ dn you know if you cots up a 
green sponge under water an’ soattora the bits, each 
bit’ll griw by hilself?” This la authentic. “Nat’’ 
Niles, a local oelebritv, started a “ sponge farm ’’ on 
Xi’rch Key, thirty miles from Key West, and failed 
only for want of a cement to hold tho sponges to 
tho bottom under water. During the fishing tho 
scho-mer keeps its catches in v/oodcii pens along tho 
quay-benobes. There the animal matter decomposes, 
and the ebb and flow of tho lido washes it away. 
When the end of the cruise approaches, the men 
jump into the water up to their waists at the pans 
and belt each epniige separately with sticks, rinsing 
and squeezing it mitil tho “moat” is all eliminated. 
Then they load np, run a needle tbrongh the sponges, 
string them together in bunches of ten or a dozen, and 
joyfully turu homeward. 
The largest vessel", of eonrrn, can m.ako tho biggest 
hauls, since they can send out the most men iu 
diugies. But the crews all share in the same pro- 
portion. A five-toil boat, carrying five bands, in- 
cluding the ciiptsin, will perhaps bring back from a 
three weeks’ trip 300 hunches of sponge. These are 
spread out on the wharf at Key Weatand aold to the 
highest bidder, the skippers often agreeing togetlier 
informallv to take nothing below a fixed price. 
Two hnmlred good buuolios should bring 400 dole. Of 
this sum the vessel receives a iliird, and the captain 
and crew divide the h.alanoe equally. Tho vessel costs 
about 160 dols. n year for repairs. Where the mer- 
chant ia the owner, the shares are graded aocording 
to the crew’s duties. Some years ago Mr, E, J, 
Arapian, a shrewd Greek, who has praotioally bnilt up 
this trade, sunk about 12.000 dols. in trying to int'O- 
diios tho l’arki.sb style of diving for spoiiges. Ha 
iironght oxjiRrt diver;' from tho L-waut and purchased 
elanirate appsratiis. But where the water is deep 
enough for divers, it is too deep for small Vessels to 
manoouvra safely. The State Government sinoe pro- 
hibited diving. AppalachicoU, iu Western Florida, was 
g.'ca a grext sponge port, but the industry has tallcu 
oil there considerably for lack of attmitiou. 
Except III October, the “hnrricauo month,” the 
sponger makes a trip of three weeks every month the 
year round, spending other week in harbour, “Do 
t like tho life ?” says tho old skipper belore quoted. 
• No, iudeetl. It keeps us scratohin’ for aliviu’ an’ it's 
tbo same thing hover and hover again. We never gets 
uowhero to see uothink, an’ wo’re away from our 
families hall tho timo.” The cry of " Shark ho ! ” 
is tho moit exciting the sponger usually hears. 
Among the “keyS;” where the water has tho prismatic 
tints of emerald and sapphire that you see in Ber- 
muda and tUeBahamos, “ bonnet-noses” and" shovel- 
noses ” are plentiful. The shovel-nose is a little too 
fierce a foe for tho peaceable spongers. But his con- 
gener they ro.adily harpoon and “ play ” until he gets 
exhausted. Then they bury su axe in his head, hoist 
him on board, cut out his liver and throw the carcass 
overboard, where it sinks to the bottom, ilauy 
people think the sailors' use of oil for calming troubled 
waters is a device of modern soieuoe. Yet these 
spongers have beeu trying out sharks’ livers for a 
generation to got a clearer view of tho bottom in 
breezy weather. The spjrgors fish twice a week for 
tlieir own larder. They are bettor judges of turtle 
thau ChoRpsido aldermen. The Florida sponge is 
superior to that of Bahama, aud inferior to that of 
Turkey. Tho best native sponge !a the sheops-wool 
with a firm but open textnre. The grass spouges 
grow in tho shape of hats and pine apples. Sponges 
are used in iioarly all trades, oven by curriers for 
fluishing leather, and by potters tor glazing their 
ware. The sponges as they come ashore are bleaohed 
with secret preparations (the formaU elsewhere ie 
