The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-04-09
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
Friday Morning, April 9, 1859.
PORTLAND. .
chinese Economy i'm Farming.

examples of economy in farming? The
question is an interesting one; shall we look
for an answer to Europe, Asia, Africa or
America? From the best knowledge of the
worlds history at our command we are in
c.ined to the belief that the people of the
Chinese Empire furnish the best examples of
economy in practical agriculture. At first
view this assertion may seem strange to
many, and yet we believe history will bear us
out in meking it. If it were not SO, how
have those hundreds of thousands of human
beings contrived to live for so many centu-
ries within certain territorial limits?
In all its aspects this empire is absolutely
colossal Mountains of towering altitude en-
close it on the west, and their long ranges are
so high that the great road, we are told, from
Canton to Pekin, winds through pass 5000
feet above the ocean. Vast basins of land
lying between and among these ranges are
fertilized and commercially interviewer by
great navigable streams, some of which are
more than 1000 miles in length, and the
Yang-tse Kiang is 5000 miles long and as
| cended 400 miles by the tide. These and
other great rivers are only the central threads
render the empire preeminent among nations
in facilities for internal trade. These un-
equaled facilities afforded by its great riv-
ers are increased by four hundred canals,
greater in extent, possibly, than those of all
other nations together. The longest of these
canals was constructed six hundred years
ago. New York must look to her laurels, for
this Chinese canal is twice as long as the
Erie, which has been the pride and boast of
the Empire State for many years, and given
Clinton a name to live many generations.
What industry and perseverance characterize
these people? Again, look at the great wall,
the most titanic work of defense ever erect
ed by man. 1t is 1900 miles in length, from
fifteen to thirty feet in height and fifteen
broad at the top. 1t was built SO long ago
that the centuries of its age are more than
the hundreds of miles of its length.
Again, look at its territorial extent exactly
fitted and furnished by nature Tor great
concentric empire. Even our own country is
Il
this grand Asiatic region. The empire
stretches through thirty-eight degrees of lati-
tude and seventy-feur of longitude, and pos
sesses every kind of climate and admits of al
most every species OF vegetable production.
Within these borders live one-third of all the
human family! Sew minds," says Prof.
Bartlett, comprehend the greatness OF Chi
ma, past, present or prospective. When we
utter those two short syllables we mention
one-third of the human family, and each let
ter of that word stands for more than one
hundred millions of soulsp And yet this vast
multitude draw their support from limited
area of the earth. These millions have been
toiling there for long ages. We say nothing
OF their fabulous era, but the curtain of his
tory rises 1000 years before Christ and dis
closes already an elective monarchy. Prof
Bartlett says: "The eye wearies with reading
the names and the exact dates of fifty-eight
monarchs, from Ta-yu to Yew-wang." These
monarchs reigned on the banks of their
mighty rivers before Romulus had sucked his
"wolfs milk" on the banks of the Tiber
Truly they can boast of very ancient civil
ization, and although it has never been
quickened by the Christian religion, yet it
has achieved wonders and accumulated splen-
did trophies. Many of its great canals are
more than 1000 years old, and from time i'm
memorial this people have been manufacturers
of silk. The silk-worm is indigenous and
abounds in all parts of the country.
They are our antipodes in almost every
thing. They live on the opposite side of the
globe, and so diverse have been all their Gus
toms from ours as to place barrier between
us from the outset. "We read horizontally,
they perpendcularly, and the columns run
from right to left. We uncover the head as a
mark of respect they put on their caps. We
black our boots, they @hitewash theirs. We
give the place of honor on the right, they on
the left. We say the needle points to the
North, they say to the South. We shake the
hand of a friend in salutation, they shake their
own. We locate the understanding in the
brain, they in the belly. We place our foot
notes at the bottom of the page, they at the
top. In our libraries we set our books up,
they lay theirs down. We now turn thou
sands of spindles and fly hundreds of shuttles
without single hand to propel, they employ
hand for EACH"
Truly, they are wonderful people! But
what interests us most at our present writing
is their cultivation of the earth. Their agri-
culture has been so managed as to utilize
every kind and particle of refuse, and 10
maintain density of population in some oil
their provinces three times as great as the
average of England and more than twice
that of Belgium. The perfection O.
their agriculture, and their marvellous
industry may well challenge our admiIa
tion. They have set many examples which
we shall do well to follow. Nothing thai
will fertilize the soil and stimulate the
growth of vegetable life is ever lost. Not 6
particle of manure is allowed to run to waste
Liquids as well as solids are all saved ant
spread upon the land. They will carry then
long distances in pals and baskets SO thai
nothing shall be lost. In this way they Civ,
back to the soil what the crops draw from it
But what are we doing? Our lands have
| SSOn >NhnfotC0 Du1 O iCW years SOhPAk Su
with theirs, and yet our soil is being fast ex-
hausted. Many of our most important crops
are growing less every year, and many farm
ers are pulling up stakes and removing to
virgin lands. But this must have an end
long before We are a hundredth part as ole
as the Chinese. We must practice more
economy in our cultivation of the soil, ant
pattern after the Celestials. No wonder tn,
Emperor takes hold OF the plow-handlel
every year and thereby encourages his sub
jects in their agricultural labors. These in
dustrious people have saying that If one
ceases to spin some one must grow hungry
No doubt Chinese farmer would be aston
ished to walk over our farms and see how
much land we cultivate to get small crops
and his astonishment would be much in
creased when he saw how much manure oul
farmers suffer to run TO waste. Our farmers
must cultivate less land and make and save
more manure. 1t is folly to go over two
acres of land to get fifty bushels of corn
when the same amount may be raised from
one with much less labor. The time has al
ready come when a revolution in our mode
OF farming should take place. There is a
good deal of wisdom embodied in the phrase
"a little farm well titled" and everybody