Sepfember t, iPqi.] 
Supplement to the “ Ti'opical AgneHlturisi.'" 
219 
tlio Kiiii/'D Sfre/iiii. Tliis sir.'iim is uiiw c<m- 
siiU'valily ri'diictMl in tireinltli inviii^ to, 1 sup])os(‘, 
tho (lopi'isit of soiliniiMil. Tlii' liclds nre idtoiit tioO 
mminiim-i ill paddy sowiiitr oxti'iit; mid a ]mnornmic 
viiiw of thoni roiild begot, from \\\e Miwniiralte Ti'tt 
Facfiirii. An fiti'ra nrgnitiiiry with citrveil follossal 
jiillara for tlie storing of jinddy was const riii ted 
by Olio of tlio later kings. Tlie wooden jiart of 
tlip strnetiiro is massive and grot esi pie, and yet 
ornanipntai. This nturn ivas capable of holding 
about riO.tHK) bushels. The late Alartyn Mohaii- 
dirain of (fiimpola, a Kaiidynn Chief rejmted for 
his riclie.s, repaired the structure, taking care to 
jiresevve its former shape and .“tyle. This ntuca 
is at present known as the vftnm, and 
belong, s to Kehelpanala I’oliath AValanwa. The 
fertility of these Helds has been reduced to an 
appreciable degree, ns may bo proved from a com- 
parison of present crops with the produce of former 
times. The Helds being Aliiligawa property are 
e.xempted from all taxes,” 
A correspondent writes; — “ One cannot but 
admire the excellent arrangements made by the 
Agricultural Department of Alnilras for gathering 
information regarding the coiulition of all 
branches of agriculture. Men rpialifled for the 
work of inspecting and reporting on such subjects 
ns crops, cultivation! cattle, &c., are sent about the 
country to enrpiire into these matters, with a view 
to rendering such timely aid n,s it is possible to 
give, when assistance is needed. Here in Ceylon 
it is only after tho lapse of much time (and it i.s 
during such time that any action, if necessarj’, 
should be taken) that the existence of any abnor- 
mal circumstances connected with any branch 
of agriculture is made known by a casual 
reference to the fact in the report of a revenue 
officer. As might bo expected the reference it- 
self is too vague to be of any practical value, no 
details, reliable facts and correct figures being 
given. tV’hile in the Jhulras Presidency infor- 
mation is gathered firsthand by Agri- 
cultural In.spectors who travel about with this 
object in view, in Ceylon similar information is 
commonly g.ithered by some illiterate unpaid 
minor headman, who so far from possessing a 
special knowledge of agricultural matters, is some- 
times poorer in hi.s general attainments than an 
ordinary village schoolboy. The information 
gathered by these minor headmen is pa.ssed over 
to others, who though higher in station nre not 
more intelligent than they; in due course the 
information reaches the Mudaliynr, through whom 
it reaches head(iunrter.s. 1 am able to 
give an iitstance of how ‘reports’ nre made 
from my own jiersonal experience. A village 
headman casually empiired of me what 
Weight of arrowroot tubers would be snfllcient to 
produce one pound of flour. Having had no 
experience of the preparation of arrowTool flour at 
the time, 1 answered that I was not in a ]) 0 .sition 
to give a dellnite an.swer, but that I thought about 
lO or 12 lb. would bo neces.sary. Some time after- 
wards it came to my knowleig;* that the headman 
who <jue.stioned me had to furnish a report on arrow- 
root, and had mentioned in his report that Iff lb. 
of tubers were necessary to produce one I'ound of 
flour. Fortunately the headman not wishing to lot 
it be known that he had got this information 
secoudhnnd, did not mention the name of his 
authority. This report ims.sed through several 
bauds, appiatring no doubt as the outcome of the 
personal experience of the indiviilnal who last 
suhmitted it. In tho end the figures of the 
Wewila Agricultural Instructor, which were 
obtained as the result of numerous ex])eriment.s, 
and which were published for general information, 
were called in (piestion on tlie authority of the 
report, whose history I have narrated !" [AVe can- 
not but think, a., we earne.stly hope, that this is 
only an exceptional case. — En.] 
KAPOK OK THE SILK COTTON TREE. 
( Enudemh'on Anfractimum.J 
Uy AV. a. Dk Sii.VA. 
There are several species of plants which sup- 
ply a silky down, known by the popular name 
of Silk Cotton. In different countries this name 
is applied to tho product of different species of 
plants ; but most of these products have had hardly 
any commercial value, as silk cotton is totally un- 
fit for .spinning purposes. The staple obtained from 
some of the species has now got a certain economic 
value, as it is used as stufling material for pillows 
and cushions, and somelimesfor adulterating with 
genuine cotton and wool. There are two sjiecies 
of trees in Ceylon which produce the silk cotton — 
commercially known as Kapok. Among tlieso 
the most important one is the Eriodendron a»- 
fractuoKum, the Sinhalese Imbul, and the Tamil 
Elavum. This tree thrives well in the warmer 
parts of the l,«land. 
It generally grows wild, but is at present cul- 
tivated to some extent in certain localities. It 
must not, however, be understood by this that 
the tree producing theKaiiok is ever systemati- 
cally cultivated, but it Is only planted here and 
there in plantations. 
The tree attains to very large dimensions, often 
growing to the height of eighty feet. The trunk 
is straight and the branches are borne on the top 
of tho tree. The bark in the lower part of the 
mature trunk is covered s])nrsely with thick 
prickles, which form into small knobs as tho tree 
grows older. The timber of this tree is very 
light, and hence is only adapted for tho pnr])oses 
of fuel, but of late, after being sawn into planks, it 
has teen tisedinthe manufacture of tea boxes, &c. 
The plant begins to bear in its third year. 
Tho flowers which nre of a j)rotty large size with a 
thick whitish corolla and a cup-shaped green 
clay.x nre borne once a year in February-March, 
and the frtiits which are formed very soon after 
are ready for plucking in .April, Jlay and June. 
During the flowering time flying foxes frequent 
the trees, as they nre verj' fond of the young 
blossoms. The fruits are long at\d cylindrical, 
about five inches in length and three in circiim- 
ferenco, and are fllled with a downy cotton — staple 
very short and curled — interspersed with black 
seeds. This down forms the ‘ KajMik of com- 
merce. The productive power of the frees 
differ mnch according to size and age. FAm 
instance, a fully-grown tree with numerous 
branches might yield about half n hundrwl- 
weight or even more of Kapok, while n j-oung 
tree with a few branches might yield not more 
than a poiiud or two, 
