The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-07
T.-Trace of rain.
WHEAT RAISING IN CHINA.
The Primitive Processes of Growing and
Milling tho Celestial Empire.

wong Chin Foo, IN New YORK sun.
wheat raising is one of the principal industries
Of the farmers. The winter wheat is planted at
about the same time that wheat is planted here
The soil, especially in the northern provinces is
so well worn that it is especially untitled for
wheat growing and the Chinese farmers, appre-
ciating this fact and the fact that all kinds of
fertilizers are excessively dear, make the least
money to do the most good by mixing the seed
lings with finely prepared manure. A man with
bushel basket swung upon the shoulders fol
lows the plough Immediately and plants the
mixtures in large handfuls in the burrows, so
that when the crop grows up IN the fall 1t looks
like young celery, even as wel-tralned French
soldiers in a row. Immediately after the first
melting of snow, and when the ground has be-
come sufficiently hardened by frost, these wheat
fields turned into pastures, under the theory
plants by healthy animals the crops will grow up
with additional strength in the spring.
Wheat thrashing is the principal interest in
Chinese farming Owing to the scarcity of
fuel the wheat is pulled up usually by the very
root and bundled up in sheaves, the same as Is
done here, and Immediately earted to the ''mlen
chong" smoothed and hardened space OF
ground near the home of the farmer. The tops
of the sheaves are then clipped off by hand
machine. The wheat is thus left in the ''mien
chongn to dry. while the headless sheaves are
piled up in heap on the outside OF the "mlen
chong" for fuel or matching
When the wheat is thoroughly dry it Is beaten
under a great stone roller pulled by horses,
while the places thus rolled over are constantly
tossed over with pitchforks. The stalks left
untouched by the roller are thoroughly threshed
with fails by women and boys The well beaten
stalks and straws are then taken out by an in
genious manipulation of the pitchforks, and the
chaff is removed by a systematic tossing OF the
golden grain into the air in shoyelfuls until the
wind blows every particle of chaf or dust out of
the wheat. Even the chaff is carefully swept up
and slowed away for fuel or other purposes.
such as stuffng mattresses, pillows, and stable
uses. After the wheat is allowed to dry few
hours in the burning it is slowed away In
airy bamboo bins.
Wheat in ordinary years, is worth In open
market in northern China about ST. per Amerl-
can busheL The milling process is a very an
Gent one-two round, large bluestone wheels,
with grooves neatly cutin the faces on one side.
and in the centre of the lower wheel a solid
wooden plug, are used. The process of making
-four out of wheat by this slow machinery is
employed. The poor, having no animals, grind
the grain themselves.
Three distinct grades of -four are thus pro-
duced by this single grain. The ''shon mien,"
or grade, is the first siftings; the NEE MEN,"
or second grade. is the grindings of the rough
leavings from the first siftings, which is of n
darker and reddish color than the first grade;
the last grade. mo D. is the finely ground
last siftings of all the grades. When bread is
made from this grade it resembles rough ginger
bread This is usually the food of the poorest
families. who buy it at something like twenty
cents bushel The bread of the Chinese is
usually fermented aud then steamed Only a
very small quantity is baked in ovens But the
staple articles of food in northern China are
corn 1ni1let and sweet potatoes Wheat and
rice are the food of the rich while the middle
classes of the empire eat wheat and rice. In the
southern provinces the entire breadstuH is rice.