SuppltiMtU to the “ Tropical Agricultunst. 
[August I, 1891. 
158 
CERKMONIBS OBSERVED BY THE KAiV- 
DYAJJS .IN BADDY CULTIVATION. 
The time of ploughing is one of great solemnity 
to the Kantlyan paddy cultivator. Tlie Sekatrala 
is again consulted for the purpose of fixing a 
nehata. ... .1 
Exactly at the lime appointed the goiya puts 
into a large earthern vessel of water, the jiaddy 
that is to be sown. Having allowed the paddy to 
iookfor a time, it is heaped on the cow-dunged 
floor in a pyramidal or conical shape. Don- 
uomuva Bandar llatamahatmaya of the Badnlla 
district informed me that a peculiar preliminary 
ceremony woe observed by the cultivators of that 
iiart in connection with the sowing of paddy 
Imanes of Buddha in recumbent, sedent, and erect 
uosturea are brought with every murk of solem- 
mtv to the place where the paddy to be sown 
is stored, and certain religious performances are 
uone through by the ofllciating Kapurala. Four 
days after the soaking referred to above, the 
ceremony of i/an kamnawa takes place, tiiat is, the 
senarating of the germinated seedsfrom the general 
mass A part of the pita (vernndali) nr other 
convenient place i.s then rubbed over seven times 
with a thick solution of cowdmig, and I lie 
uaddv is placed on this prepared floor and covered 
over with leaves of the Habarnla, JCnduru or 
\Iaru The Held is then got ready for sowing 
and tiie goiya proceeds to the Astrologer to con- 
sult him as'tn a lucky hour and day for sowing. 
VArv ttarlv iu the mornin^j oil thin day tlie cultivu- 
tor ^anoints himself with sandalwood or other 
o?l and repairs to bis Held with the seed to be 
.owu-the paddy being placed on plantain leaves 
a^d a mixture of cowduug and water poured over 
it The goiya, as be sows the paddy, repeats to 
himself certain religious stanzas and meditates on 
the Hatnrawaran Dewiyo, the gods of the four 
«eions of the globe. Every precaution is taken 
to* prevent trespass of all kinds on the 
a m and the goiya fences in his land with 
'I \ nr sticks Much Of the time of the culti- 
( W((l Ederema) is done. This part 01 me worn is 
IxcliLu-ely done by women, who are reouired to 
be thoroughly cIpub- , , .1 
Thinning and planting or Selvnin is done by the 
women when the paddy is about B moiitbs old. On 
» dav which is not considered unlucky Lin- women 
" in.pon the owner of the field for be attaa- 
InLa and the owner, according to recognized 
custom, treats the women to kaun aiul hnhaf, 
and directs them to commence work, fhe ivomeii, 
while transplanting, intone verses of poetry, mak- 
Cpleasant music. Xo one dare cross the ridges 
will open umbrella while the women are at work, 
there be urgent need for so doing, and per- 
riS on be fir.st obtained, otherwi.se mud &c. 
Hrli tlZwii on the intruder 'vhoever he be^ The 
IVesideut of Uda-IJulatgama ^ 
it is reeonfed of a certain king f/’ ''‘“f 
while crossing a field known as ( bl , 
in Kundossie, whore some women were eiigag . 
in transplanting, be was bespattereil with mud ly 
them. The women proved themselves no respecters 
of person in the carrying out of their duty, wliila 
the king himself passed on without a word of 
oonsure against the treatment which no doubt 
he thought be deserved. 
T, B. Fohatu Kkuklpanai.a. 
Gampohi, Augammoiia Adikaram IValauwa. 
( To be continued^) 
GENERAL ITEilS. 
•Mr. . 1 . g. (le Saram, late Assistant Master ilt the 
Schoolof .\griculture, and still more latel.v ilagis- 
trate at Balapityii, has been provisionally ap- 
lioiiited Assistant fciuperiuteiuleiit of Police of the 
IVeslern Province. 
At a Ciimniitteo Meeting of the Agri-Horticul- 
tural Society, it was decided that the December 
Show slioiild 1)0 belli at the Racket Court, Colombo. 
Be are anxiously looking forward to the 
conditions of the proposoil settlement under 
Kalawewn tanks, fortlie success of the project will 
grentl.v depend on I be nature of the conditions. 
The following is an extract from tin; Admini.s- 
tration Report of .Mr. Priee, Assistant Govern- 
ment .\gpnt of Kegalla, and contains some excel- 
lent suggestions : — 
“To encoiirnge agriculture andtofoster improve- 
ment, in it.s luetliods are similarly part of good 
government. Tlie institution of a Department of 
Agriculture or of Agricultural Boards, someudtat 
oil the line.s of the suggestions which liave fre- 
I|ueully been pulilistied in the lociil press, i,s a 
measure wbicli is verj- desirable. Meanwhile 
progress, if it can be said to really exist, is spas- 
modic instead of being regulated under the guid- 
ance of e.x))prts. An Agricultural Show now and 
then, an occasional distribution of small rewards 
h.v llie .Assistant Government Agent on circuit, 
agriciilniral instnirtion — confined, owing to the 
wants of ruiuls, whiclv admit of tlie employment 
of only one in.structor, t o a restricted area — arc 
the oiil.v efforts iil present jiossi hie for local ofiicers. 
.More agricultural instructors are wanted, Imt tlie 
.Assistant tlovevnmeiit Agent has no money avail- 
able for their salaries, and the movement in this 
direction is eraiiiped for want of funds Ar- 
raiigemcnts are now being made, witli the ’assi.s- 
tanee of the Director of I'umip instruction to 
station the oue agricultural instructor, for whose 
remuneration it has been fomul possible to 
provide, at a new school close to the so-called 
e.yperimenlal Garden of Kegalle, And it is hoped 
that the headmen and people who come in from 
all parts of the t istrict to headfiuarters may profit 
by 11 hat they will see at this centre. But it is a 
mi.'re drop m the ocean, fliven a little money, 
and real advance would be feasible. Another 
thing to do IS to undertake the systematic plant- 
* 'rt Cfirerul rearing of fruit trees in public 
grouniliji, such as the premises of every restliouso 
and each Village T ribunal. Preparatiom? are now 
being made for doing some work in thid direction 
iu earliest during l^!}l,uiid tlie Assistant Govern- 
ment Agent baa secured promiae.s of assistance 
from tlie Diri^ctor of the Ttoya,] Botanic Gardens. 
The i*ari.s correspondent to the “Covlon 
Patiiot, ^ gives the following as “ useful to 
Dairymen : ” — ^'Hot water for cows is the maxim 
