The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-05-30

too late. and only caused the plants - grow tall
and run 10 leaf. without producing those -ecre-
tiJns which ultimately 20 % the formation If
flowers and Sod.
The cOtton-plant produces IT, hower- in success
sion from August 70 the end Of October. but
sometimes. when the autumn i mild, blooms are
produced even up 70 November, when the cold
nights generally nip the buds. and prevent them
from forming seed. In the autumn IF l-i4 this
happened on the night Of the 2sth Of October,
when the Thermometer sank 70 the freezing point.
and then ice was found on tie sides Of the canals
and ponds.
A the PODS are bursting every day, it i ne
cessary to have them gathered with great regu-
larity. otherwise they fall upon the ground and
the cotton gets dirty, which Of course reduces It's
value In the market. Little bands Of the Chinese
are now seen in the afternoon in every field.
gathering the ripe cotton, and carrying it home
% the houses Of the farmers. As the farms are
generally small. they are worked almost entirely
by the farmer and his family, consisting some
times Of three or even four generations, including
the old grey-haired grandfather OF great-grand-
father, who has seen the crops Of fOurscOre years
gathered into his barns. Every member Of these
family groups has a certain degree Of interest in
his employment the harvest IL their own, and
the more productive 1t u, the greater number Of
comforts they will be able to afford. OF course
there are many cottOn-farms Of larger size. where
iabOTers are employed in addition to the farmers
family, but by far the greater number are small
and worked IN the way | have just described. IL
IS no unusual sight 70 see the family goats, too,
doing their share Of the work. Several Of these
animals are kept on almost every farm, where
they are, Of course, great fayorites with the chill
dren, and often follow them 10 the cOttOn-telds.
Although the children with their little hands can
gather the cotton Us well as their elders, they are
not strong enough 10 carry 1t about with them,
and II Is amusing 10 see their fa~vOrites the goats,
with bags slung across their backs, receiving the
deposits Of cotton, and bearing il home 10 the
houses, evidently aware thai they too are work
ing for the general good.
However fine the crop may be, the Chinese are
never sure Of 1t until it is actually gathered in.
Much depends upon q dry autumn, for, if the
weather Il wet after the pods begin 10 burst they
drop amongst the muddy soil, and are consequent
ly much injured, IT not completely destroyed.
W hen the cotton reaches the tarmyards. it is
daily spT-ad out on hurdles raised about four feet
from tAr ground, and folly exposed To the sun.
As tn object is to get rid of all the moisture, it
l. OF course only put out in fine weather, and Is
always taken into the house OF barn in the even
ing. When perfectly dry, the process of sepura-
ting II from the seeds commences. This is done
by the well-knOwn wheel with two rollers, which,
when turned round, draws or sucks ia the cotton,
and rejects the seeds. IL u u simple and beauti-
iul cOntrIyance, and answers well the end for
which 1t Is designed. The cotton Is now sent To
market, and l. portion of the seeds are reserved
for the next years crop.
Early IN the fine autumnal mornings the roads
leading into Shanghae are crowded with bands Of
coolies from the cUttOn-iarms, each with his bam-
boo across his shoulders and 4 large sack of cot
ton swung from each end. With these they hur-
~ into the town, for the purpose Of dispOsing Of
them 10 the merchants, who have numerous
warehouses from which they send the cotton 10
the other provinces of the empire. These coolies
Or small tarmers-fOr many of them bring their
own produce TO market themselves-are very in
- = - 4 IL IL -
warehouse, the cotton Is exposed 70 the view
Of the merchant, who IS asked what price he in
tends 10 give for that particular quality; and
should the sum offered tie below the owners ex-
PectatiOns, ne Immediately shoulders his load and
walks away 10 another merchant. At this SEA-
son 1t Il almost impossible TO get along the streets
near the sides Of the river where the cotton ware
houses are, owing To the large quantities on this
commodity which are daily brought in from the
country. 1t is bought up by the large cotton-mer-
who empty 1t out in their warehouses,
and then repack 1t in a neat and compact manner
before it is conveyed on board the iunks.
Before the cotton Is converted into thread for
the purpose of weaving, it is cleaned and freed
from knots by tire well-knOwn process common
in our possessions in India. This is done bv an
elastic bow, the string Of which, being passed
under a portion Of the cotton placed on a table,
throws It in the air by the vibration which is
kept up by the workman, and separates the
hClS AAO at 81 bAthhihB u ibluIlliS I. AZ
the same time the wind caused by the sudden vi
carries off the dust and other impurities.
After this process the Chinese cotton il particu-
larly pure and soft. and is considered by good
not to be surpassed by any in the world.
1t Is much superior to that imported to China
from HindOstan, and always commands a higher
price in the Chinese market.
Every small farmer or cottage reserves portion
Of the produce of his fields for the wants of his
own family. This the female members clean,
spin, and weave at home. In every cottage
throughout this district the traveller meets with
the spinning-wheel and the small hand loom,
used To be common in our own country in
days Of yOre, but. which have now given way TO
machinery. These looms are piled bv the wives
daughters, who are sometimes assisted by
the old men OF young boys who are unfit for the
field. Where the families are numerous and in
4 much greater quantity of cloth is
woven then Is required for their own wants, and
in this case the surplus is taken 10 Shanghae and
the adjacent towns for sale. y sort Of market is
held every morning 1T one OF the gates of the city,
where these people assemble and dispose of their
little bundles OF cotton cloth. Money is in this
manner realized for the purchase of tea and other
necessaries, which are not produced by the farms
in this particular district.
When the last crops are gathered from the cot
ton fields, the stalks are carried home for fuel.
every part of IL Is turned 10 account the
cotton itself clothes them. and affords them the
means II supply liR themselves VIII ali the Ilec'--
saries Of life the surplus seeds are converted into
oil the stalks boil their frugal meals. and the
eu-th remains Of all-arc strewed over
their fields for the purposes Of manure. But
even before this takes place, the system | have
already nOticed-Of sowing and painting fresh
crops before the removal Of those which occupy
the lands already in progress. Clover. beans.
and other vegetables are frequently above ground
in the ccstOn-ii-lds before the stalks Of the latter
are removed. Thus the Chinese in the northern
provinces lcngth-r by every means in their power
the period Of growth and gain a. much as they
can from the fertility Of their land.
reader must bear in mind. however, that the
soil in this district i = rich deep loan, which i
Of yielding many crops in succession
the aid Of a particle Of manure. Nature
has shOwered her bOunties ON the inhabitants of
the Chinese empire with no sIaring hand the
soil i not only the most fertile in China. but the