Bintenne and Uva countries are extensive
plains of alluvial soil washed down from the table-lands above, where
once a teeming population produced large quantities of grain. The
remains of ancient works of irrigation bear testimony to the bygone
agriculture of these extensive regions now covered by swamps or dense
jungle.

The general character of the soil in the maritime provinces to the
east, south and west is sandy. Large tracts of quartzose sand spread
along the whole line of sea-coast, some of which, of a pure white, and
very deficient in vegetable matter, is admirably adapted to the growth
of the cinnamon plant. In the light sandy districts where the soil is
perfectly free, and contains a portion of vegetable and mineral loam,
the coco-nut palm flourishes in great luxuriance. This is the case
along the entire coast line from Kalpitiya to Point de Galle, and
farther eastward and northward to Matara, stretching to a distance
inland varying from 100 yds. to 3 m. From this light sandy belt as far
as the mountain-zone of the Kandyan country the land is mainly
composed of low hilly undulations of sandstone and ferruginous clay,
incapable of almost any cultivation, but intersected in every
direction with extensive valleys and wide plains of a more generous
soil, not highly fertile, but still capable, with a little industry,
of yielding ample crops of rice.

The soil of the central province, although frequently containing great
quantities of quartzose sand and ferruginous clay, is in many of the
more elevated districts of a fine loamy character. Sand sufficiently
vegetable and light for rice culture may be seen at all elevations in
the hill districts; but the fine chocolate and brown loams overlying
gneiss or limestone formations, so admirably adapted for coffee
cultivation, are only to be found on the steep sides or along the base
of mountain ranges at an elevation varying from 2000 to 4000 ft. Such
land, well-timbered, contains in its elements the decomposed particles
of the rocks above, blended with the decayed vegetable matter of
forests that have for centuries scattered beneath them the germs of
fertility. The quantity of really rich coffee land in these districts
is but small as compared with the extent of country--vast tracts of
open valleys consisting of an indifferent yellow tenacious soil
interspersed with many low ranges of quartz rock, but