Durham E-Theses The geography of the swamp rice region of coastal Sierra Leone Hewapathirane, Daya U. How to cite: Hewapathirane, Daya U. (1966) The geography of the swamp rice region of coastal Sierra Leone, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9695/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 'BSE GeBOGRAlOr Cff SHE SWAHP BIGB RSCSCON OP COf&TO, Simtk Wm Dl8QUttati«n oubiBlttcd in Uoxch 1966 to tho Unlvorsity •£ Durham, England, fw? tho ckigxxjo liostur ef Arts by The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. PREFACE Tids sttK^ vroQ m0» ppsoilijUi by a S&txsoroh Fbllefv70hip gtont off<ei^ by the Giovc^nun^ of Sivrra Zieonn for thv aoacloisiQ ysor 196^3^ uncler th® CoBnonowclth SohslArship md TttUmaiAp Plcoi. Bda&curoh was ottntzvd ot Pourah Bay CoiUese* tho Univer• sity ColX@se 6if Sierra Iicem) undor thi sia^rviBim of Professor J<i^ t. Qlexia^ of tlw I)upartra»nt ef G@Qsrr|)l)y. This eli03>>rtati@n incQziporat&s the z^ssaroh work unclurtakm chuins a period of mm mpnths. The diotzibutionol ospsets of thn study n^oessltatcd th^ ^yatoinatio iDcqpping ^ mm^B, snronp xle@ londs end otfa^r nuleited frnturoo* Tfai» 1:50,000 aocHM nspa (First edition in 1961) prdduasd by the Dirootorat© ef Overseas aurvssys w»re us«d as bas« mpBf which ars the loost up»to<Klat« and a0eurat«» znaps avollciblo on land vm of Siorra Luone. Only sixty two shRi«t8 9ov«ring th& mai»xn half ef thu country worn available at thu tiins of censtidtation. fx&a thuso, svranp rio^, nangreva, grass• land swanks, cJotL other swanip lends plottod. Timat traeings w«»r@ XN0duo«d to 1:260,000 using th^ Grant Pro>etor, end 181 anq^a w«ir9 siado shewing ettparatoly tho four dlstxibvttion pottoma. Haterlol frqn thsso na^s was uaod to ooiqpilo four ntaps (en tho BcnB scsalo) to de^et tho f^ distribution patterns in th@ me^m half of ths Muntiy QB a whole« Subsequently these four tBcqio w^ro phatographicoUy n^duoed to th^ scale of 1:500,000» li onl QP8 incajr^rat^d in this dissertation* At all stages of th@ cGBidl&tion« o. dstenoinkl effork woo Bjoda to ochLdve noxi- mm meaxsteg ond perfection. Aerial photogrc^hs of Siorm iLsQi^ taken by tfau Foirsy Air SiirvoyG Liodtud, in 1958 and In 1962 xf&ni oenQt£UDt3y referred te, to ocquiro dutoilcd infonnation. A xasSi&r ef eth»r eriginal aeyps ox& inoludwl in thia Otuciiy, A f@v7 un^oublishBd m^a of 7ref«os@r J« I. Clark, Dr« S. Gregexy, (Senior Ziectunir« IMvor^ty ef LiTezpool) and Mr« F.E. Hitc|i»ll, (s«nier Lisotuziir, Poured 6c^ GoUofv) an (Bi&odiod in tha dissertation for trhieh t &m midi timnks to tfaom, Fi^ld rSQdansh was sRicc&ae£\3ll^ UQdsrtaloQn nostly bocaxustt vf tho coKjporation and holp trillingly givim by wcuny individuals too ntanarauii to nuntion hure, Thu cuthor Tbeing a foreigjaQr, loss acquainted with local conditions, perhaps v/ouid not havu boen oelo to ccnduct propor field T7ork, if not for the oesiatonoo of aoTOral local school toochttrs and Gevernnent Officicls v/h© patitsntly intciprettsd in the local languQgds - l&ancks and Tissm, t sz^atly f^iprociato ths hospitality and help tho chiefs ejad farmara and also ©f a wunibsr of private individoals both local and foreign* Dr* H.p^ Jordan, th» Director ef thcs Rioe Bcisoaroh i^totion at IU>k£pr, and strVwral othttr effio^ro of Gowmnsnt iii I)&|«txts»nts ~ AgiieuLture end Natural Besouro@o; Rio@; Co• operative; Lalido and Surveys *• have given th^r tisu generously to oftower ny ^etions and to prevlcte m vfith valuablo infieiro- ation, TQ oil thsoe iniivlduQlo and institutions £ coUeotively comey qy sinosre thanks. Tim writing of th& dissertation was oenluoted under the thoughtful guidanse ef ProiVssser J* t. dax^ke, whose c^reach to the stuc^y of Geogztph^ to a considsroble ext<imt moulded HQT emi approach. has always Qiv&n freely ef his guidanoe and help at ioll sta^o ef this study, oxui I mo tmr^ than I can ?t3Ddily soy, to ©xoeptianal critical ability. His scholarly wisdoiB woo generously j^ven to further isy 9m geographical ^nderstanEliJ|1lS# I esg^ss iqy deep grEititucle and thanks to him, vitmo oQsooiation thou^ unfortunateljr limited to a cpm of nine nx^nths, would be always gratefully resMnnbered by me. Messrs. P. K. Uitohell, G.J. WiUlans, S.J.A, Neloon and other odleagues of the Dopartnent of Geography of Fourah Bay College, have tkx>ugh9ut oontzibuted suggestieno and oritiolSDs for v/hioh t m thankful to them. JSy grateful thoughts and ros^pects to the Govumnents of both Ceylon and Sierm Leono, for tha opporfcutAty afforded to this stu^. 1^ parents who have alwi^ inspired and encouraged jjB partictdarly In ny academic work, are rDsgectfully zoBuncber^d hexu. September, 1966. DAXA. WSlit HEJVAPiflJHrRAHE. TjmE OP CX3NTERTS PREPACE i IJST TABLES • LIST OP MAES AMD DTAGBAIB Chester t. nmJODTJCKOH 2 It. SWAMES OP SIERRA lECKE 26 m. MfilffiROVE SWAMES 42 I?. GRASSI^ CR KTVERAU* SWAMPS 86 V. OTHER SffAMES OR mLAHD VAL££I SVAMES 118 VI. SWAMP RICS IN THE COASTAL REGICW .; , 152 Vn. PHESICAL FACTORS AFFECTING DTSTRtBlTOCK OP SWAMP RICE. 154 Vm. TB(2iNIQCES AHD METHODS OP SWAMP RICE CUUTIVATIOR 188 IX. PRODIJCTION AHD YIELDS 216 X. PROCESSING OP KTCE 227 XI. SOKE EOONOMrC AHD SOCIAL FACTORS 242 » SEUBCTED mMSKXSUiPSX 269 LIST OP TABtfiS Poeu TdSlo 1. ESTIMATES OP POPULATION OP SIERRA LBCfllB 19 2. RICE I1SX)RIS , 22 3. MECHANICAL HiOUGBCNG THE DEPARTMENT Cff* AGRICULTURE ... US 4. SWAMP RICE AiCSlEAlS OP TEE SCARdES AREA - 1930 140 5. DOUBLE CROPPING (Muan Yiold in lbs. ppr aoru) 191 6. liSmNICAL CULTtVATION IN THE COASTAL REGION - 1964 200 7. RICE PiaODUCTION 1987/58 - 198^63 216 8. PSQDnCTTON - 196^63 217 9. MTLLING IN QOVEENMEin RICE MELI£ - 1963 230 10. PETGBS OP LOCALLY PARBOILED AND KCLLED RICE, IKaUSIVE OP TRANSPORT COSTS - 196V65 246 LIST OP MAPS m> miJ3sm ' Pagu Piguro 1 AMCNISTRATtVE DTVTSIONS - SIERRA LEONE , 1 2 KrCE REGION - TROPICAL TOST APRIGA 8 3 NATURAL VEGETATION 11 4 DBtaiAJM) SECONDARI FOBEST AND SAVANNA 13 5 SWAMPS 29 6 SWAMPS - WEST SAMU CHtEFDOM 52 7 SWAMPS - LOWER BOMPE 54 8 msroVE SPECIES - DISTHIBOriON (HXPOTHETICAL) 44 9 RTBI AND LOWER BDMPB - MANCSDVE LAND 48 10 MANGSJDVE 60 U ETBI IXJBEK BDMEE - ELEVATION 56 12 MEAN m^Mj RAINFALL; WET SEASON RAINFALL FERC0ITA(£; »EAN DAILJT U&XtMDM TElffERATURES 62 13 EJHSTTNG AND POTEIHIAL BICE LAND - 1938 70 14 SWAMP GRASSLAND , 88 15 RIVER GATCHJm AREAS 92 16 PRECAIOTAN ROKEL RIVER SERIES ((2!0L0(SrCAL) 101 17 OTHER SWAMPS , 120 Til Fifuxv Betfo 3d SWAMP EtCB 139 29 SWAMP RIQB (COASTAL RBGtON) 135 20 SCAROm RIVERS WEST SAMU (SiXSFDGM RICE RBGZQR .... 142 21 mA ^ WAANJE > KZTTAli - HALS? RTVESS RICE RECKON ... 140 22 SOARGISS RIVERS AREA - BELIEP 155 29 TEHPESAXORB - RQiaiFRi TElflPERATQES BQ9)THB; MEAN HELATIVB BUMIDm; MEAN DAILI SUiSBCNB 158 24 lElAN ANNUAL RAINFALL 162 25 RAIHPAIL 165 26 WET SEASON RAINFALL 107 2? RAINFALL FBRCBNTAGE IN WET SEASGH (MAI -MOV.) ...... 169 $8 DOT SEASON RAHPALL (JM!. - AHtIL) 171 29 MECHANICAL CaLTTVATlOlf 197 90 IffiCmNICAL OULnVATKm SCARGXES RIVERS > FORT USED (SEEK. REGIGH; SEWA ^ WAANJIE KITIAM - MAmi RIVERS RBGICK 199 91 RICE MXI2S AND ROADS - SGARCIES RIVEBS AREA 254 32 00>OPERATIV£ RICE MARKETING SOCIETIES 269 1 ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS ^jgRRA LEONE KOINADUGU DT. BOMBALI \ O R T HIB V I N R/^T L 0 K vt K O N O TONKO LIL I /^*ErS)T E R N . B O \ PROV/NCE M O Y A M B A V or 11 / SOUTH'ERN KAILAHUN , \ DT BOUNDARIES INTERNATIONAL PROVINCIAL DISTRICT r^r] MILES 40 Fig. !• CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Soiw kspcata of Rjoo Cultuiy In tho Tropjos Rico oulturu in tho tr^oal ^Torld wll uaui^if ius nan* s diffUrunt ruaotiona to simllor physical conc^tions. This is vsoll brought out in a dos^arativo study of tropiool Asia and tropical Africa. In the fexnur, ziou ovdtuzu has been, from tiiu imnuBioriol, thu domliiant human ootivityf so sajch so that this rugion has far surpassed oil other rice griBring regions of thu world in both area ond production. Thu tropical Asian ncoi has only obeyed the naturol environinent and developed his fields in places T7fauru natural ocnditions mire found fovouroblo) but also in mazyr other places he has modified thu enviromaent coiusiderttbly. The various techniques evolvod by his oiviliaation such as irrigation and water control, manuring, and artificial torraoins made it posoiblo for him to bring under thu floi^gh a givat es^anse of land. Today almost all land otdtcble for rice has boon broiaght under its doeaain.