CROP SEASONS.

7%

monsoon, seed time beginning with the rains in October
nd harvest with the dry weather of January ; by May most
of the crops of whatever kind have been gathered in. Only
vith the aid of irrigation can two crops be obtained in the
year, anil even to ensure the success of any of the longerlived
 crops, such as tobacco, for their single season, irrigation
is needed. In the latter case it is generally conducted from
wells by hand labour, but to obtain two crops of rice, which
requires a large quantity of water, regular irrigation from
tanks is necessary. In the days of the ancient Sinhalese
kings, when the capital lay in the dry zone, a vast system of
cleverly planned irrigation works covered the country like
a network and sapported a dense population. Invasion,
with the consequent disorganization of the working of the
sluices and overflows, resulted in the final complete destruction
 of these wonderful works by the breaching of the tanks,
and the country became a wilderness, with but a few
sickly, poverty-stricken inhabitants, and overgrown with
forest. Now, in recent years, after a neglect of many
centuries, these works are being restored by the Government,
and the country thus gradually rendered both more healthy
and more productive. Already the population is on the
increase, and with the opening of new irrigation works and
the completion of the railroads it will probably again
become an important centre of agriculture.
The soils of Ceylon are very poor, being mainly derived
from gneissose rocks, with dolomite or coral in places ; and
‘he fertility of the Island is mainly due to the genial climate.

Areas under Gultivation.
The Island comprises about 16,200,000 acres, of which
bout 3,500,000 ave at nresent cultivated, the chief cultiva-Hons
 being = —

Acres.
Rice 310.000 Tobacco
Dry grain 20000 Tea
Uocoanuts 1.000 Cacao
Dther palms ).000 Rubber
Fruits 2hn.000 Cardamoms
Vegetables Red ON Other spices
Cinnamon eo 40,000 Coffee
Citronella ~.. 33.000 Cinchona wu
"The left-hand column represents mainly native industry,
;he right-hand European. The figures for fruits, vegetables,
und other palms, added to about quarter to half of those for
cocoanuts and dry grains, represent together the approximate
srea of the high lands round the native houses bearing the
mixed vegetation above described.

Acres.
25,000
385,000
35,000
11,000
,000
-,000
4,000
2 (5)