The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1890-10-25
TIE CHINESE AxESaoE.

characteristics Of the Chinese is their
remarkable ability as farmers. In the
United States, if father were to give
his son two or three acres of land, and
10 tell him that he expected him TO
raise vegetables enough on this acreage
to grow rich, the son would be fully
justified in indUlging in ineredulous
laughter. Suppose that, In addition to
making his own living, and to paying
and feeding labOrer out of the pro-
duce of the land, the son were called
upon to pay S25 or $50 a month rent
per acre, would hot everyone say,
This is impossible p But it is MOTTO
a Chinaman, at least. A year ago |
sold for a friend in San Francisco
about two and one-qusrter acres of
land in western suburb. A China
man was occupying. For this speek
of ground he regularly ~~'' s7s
month"; and h h. syed on it with an AS.
sistant. lie used ii for growing yege-
tables, which he disposed of to China
men. When | sold the lot the China
man had been upon it three years, and
his lease had two years to run. The
buyer desired to fill the lot in and sell
IL Tor building plots, but the Chinaman
would not leave. Despite the high
rent he was making money, aud he
was dIspossessed only by an action at
law to suppress his business as nui-
sance. The Rev. Mr.. Voorman, now
Chinese interpreter in the California
courts, who was for twenty-five years
missionary at Canton, and was subse-
quently among the Chinese in Mel
bourne, informed me that he knew Of
two Chinese in the latter place who
made living for themselves and for
horse from a quarter Of an acre of
land. In addition TO supporting them
selves and the horse, they each sent
$50 yearly to their relatives.
In China the owner of land who
should not cultivate il would bo de-
prived off it. Fertilizers undreamed of
In Europe are used there, and tho nos
trils of an European or an American
are assailed with all sorts of odors at
every turn in city and country. All
ordure is penuriously boarded aud
used, and replanted in water by
human hands, and to add one handful
to crop would not be thought un-
worthy ofeilort. Rain-water is every
where stored in ponds or in water
holes for irrcgation, and In all cases
fish are grown in these reservoirs.
Human hands do all tho work human
animals are the beasts that drag most
of the loads, where they cannot bo
transported on canal or river. Horses,
cows and sheep are crowded out; they
would cost more than they would pro-
duce. Why should a horse or an ass
be called TO bear burden when there
are poor human beasts to be had, in
number sufficient to build the pyramids
or TO drag mountains from their bases,
If the poorest of wages to recompense
such task were forthcoming? There
are practically no plant weeds to be
seen in tho most thickly populated
parts of China. There Is no room for
them, and they are completely extir-
patcd in land where agriculture "a
so minute that the roots of plants are
examined to expel or to kill any insect
or grub that would dare to dispute u
Lying with tho hungry lord of creation.
Seeds are stepped in liquid manure to
force them to rapid and luxuriant
growth. Fertilizers are applied di-
rectly to the roots of plants and not
placed on the surface of the land as
with us, for in the latter process is
evaporation and waste.
Man Is the only weed tolerated in
China, and he teens everywhere. A
population OF 800 to the square mile
is not uncommon in the best agrcul-
tural Districts there
The Chinese, and the Japanese also,
1t may be added, are as far ahead
of the agriculturlsts of the United
States in what they can get out of
given area of land as we are ahead of
them in manufacturing and transpor-
tation development. We have quite as
much TO learn of them on the ono
hand as they have TO learn ofus on the
other. Let me also add here that If a
proposition in serious business shape
should como from any of the States
last named 10 the representatives Of
the Chinese companies in California
to take long leases of from 10000 to
100000 acres of land, the Chinese to
cultivate the land, paying all taxes and
from $5 to $40 por acre annual rent, |
feel reasonably sure that 1t would be
accepted, provided the Chinese were
allowed TO como and go freely. Chi
nese now rent at least 10000 acres of
fruit and bottom lands within radius
of 100 miles of San Francisco, for
which they pay from four to ten
times what q white lessee could afford
to give for the same. Land in their
hands is farmed IN earnest, and with
them Its richness increases.
But for the civilized powers, China
would at once seize the Sandwich and
PHILIPPINE Islands by conquest. She is
rapidly capturing them in an indus
trial way. The Chinese arc power
as agriculturists, shopkeepers and
financiers, before which the soft and
easy-going natives Of those islands
must give way. Extinction was the
doom Of the natives of the Sandwich
Islands in any event, but there crasure
was slow, indeed, compared with tho
rate at which the Chinese are now dis
placing them. The Ladrone and Phil
lipine Islands are still owned by Spain.
The Chinese have o strong foothold
upon the latter, and will finally master
the Ladrones also. AS conquerer
China has played a paltry part in his
tory, but as an industrial supplanter
and trade absorber no nation of the
earth can equal her. If picked white
workmon labor twelve hours o day,
the Chinese laborer aud mechanic will,
If necessary, learn from them, and
ovcrtake them by working twenty
hours, and that ON incomparably poor
cr food, housing and clothing
Fresh air and sunshine the China
man can come nearer doing without
than any other human beng. Both
seem to be superfuities to him.
frhiunea naqaenoore on Junk or hnat |