Asiatic. Register, vol. vi.
The soil of Ceylon is, in general, of a sandy nature, with only a small mixture of clay. In the south-west parts, however, particularly about Columbo, there is a considerable quantity of marshy ground, which is ex ceedingly rich and productive. The ordinary season of sowing in Ceylon, is the months of July and August, and the harvest is about February ; but if the land is well supplied with water, the natives do not pay much atten tion to this, but sow and reap at all seasons of the year. Hire is the principal grain which they cultivate ; and as this requires water to grow in during the whole time it stands in the ground, they are at particular pains in pro curing a sufficient supply of this necessary article, in making proper conveyances from the rivers and ponds into their lands, and in levelling their corn fields, which must be as smooth as a bowling-green, that the water may completely cover them. By an ingenious contri vance, they are even able to overflow their lands on the hills. For this purpose they level them into narrow allies, from three to eight feet wide, and they surround these with banks, so as to form the appearance of a stair up the declivity. The waters at the top fall into the first alley, and afterwards, by successively running over, one into another, the whole are watered. The instruments which the Ceylonese employ in their husbandry, are rude in the extreme. The plough consists merely of a crook ed piece of wood, of such a form that the one end serves for a handle, while the other, (which is shod with iron to prevent the wood from wearing,) tears up the ground. After the first ploughing, the fields are flooded ; and when they have lain some time in this state, the water is let off, and they are ploughed a second time The other instruments of the Ceylonese are a board for smoothing their fields, and a piece of wood fastened to the end of a long pole, which serves them in place of a rake. When the season for ploughing arrives, each village makes the operation a common concern ; and every one attends with his plough and his oxen till all the fields belonging to the whole society are finished. The same method is employed in reaping the corn ; but each person affords provisions to the whole during the time they are cultivat ing his fields. Oxen arc employed both in ploughing and in treading out the corn. This method of separating the rice from the straw is both an easy and an expeditious mode of thrashing grain. it is evident, however, from this sketch of the agriculture of Ceylon, that the country does not produce a crop by any means equal to what, by proper cultivation, it might be made to bear. In con sequence of these defects, it does not raise a quantity of rice sufficient for the consumption of the inhabitants, but requires an annual supply from Bengal and other places on the continent of India. The cultivation of this article, however, has been considerably augmented since 1300, and many tracts on the western coast, which were for merly wild and marshy-, have been brought into a state of cultivation. See Knox's Historical Relation of Cey lon. Percival.
This island is partii ularly -abundant in fruits. Almost all those plants which arc peculiar to tropical climates are found in Ceylon in great plenty, and of a superior quality. Most of those fruits which are natives of the
island, grow spontaneously in the woods without culture or care ; and the only lahour necessary is to pluck and bring them to market, where they are of course sold at a very moderate price. Among them are most of those which constitute the greatest delicacies in the deserts of our European tables, such as pine apples, pomegranates, melons, citrons, limes, oranges, almonds, Eke. Besides these, Ceylon produces a great variety of valuable and delicious fruits. Among the vegetable productions of this country, cinnamon is the most important. The principal woods or gardens of this tree lie in the neigh bourhood of Colombo. They approach within half a mile of the fort, and fill the whole surrounding prospect. The grand garden near the town is so extensive, as to occupy a tract of country from ten to fifteen miles in length, and in this space nature has concentrated all the beauty and the riches of the island. The low cinnamon trees which cover the plain, allow the view to reach the groves of evergreens, which arc interspersed with tall clumps, and bounded by extensive ranges of cocoa nuts and other tt ces. The whole is diversified with small lakes and green marshes, or skirted by fields of rice and pasture. One large road, which proceeds from the west gate of the fort, and returns by the gate on the south, makes a winding circuit of seven miles among the woods. It is here that the gentlemen belonging to the garrison of Columbo take their morning ride, und enjoy one of the finest scenes in nature. The quantity of cinnamon raised on other parts of the island is now very small, unless around Negumbo Caltura, Point de Galle, and Matura. Of late years, little is procured from the interior, and what is brought thence is coarser and thicker in appearance, and of a hot and pungent taste. The internal parts of the country are not so well adapted for the production of this plant ; and the exac tions and avarice of the Dutch, at length reduced the king of Candy to such desperation, that he resolved to secure himself against their future attacks, by leaving nothing in his dominions which could excite their covet ousness. With this view he has, since the of the treaty with them in 1766, el— ' to prevent the • • tree.• In other resp, , or hus bandry in Candy does no' be despicable. Mr Cordiner informs us, that all the way from Geeriegamme to the capital, the country is extremely beautiful, and probably in a higher state of cultivation than any part of India. Many of the hills arc cleared to the summit, formed into ridges, and sown with grain. The fields be low are terraced in the most regular manner on different levels, so that not a drop of water can be lost. The vallies are ornamented with groves of cocoa nut, areka, orange, lime, pimplemose, and plantain tree. See Per cival. Cordiner, vol. i. ?lsiatic Register, vol. vi. For a more particular account of the vegetable productions of Ceylon, see Pennaw, vol. i. p. 215-252 ; Percival, p. 312-351 ; Cordiner, vol. i. p. 348-422 ; and Thun berg's Travels. vol. iv.