Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-11-29
AGRICULTURE IN CHINA.

The Chinese are very fond of boasting
that they, &c a nation, have practically
nothing to learn OF Ia gain by adopting
Western methods of manufacture aud
agriculture. Any ooe Who has Travelled
much In that country, knows very we'll
that such statem.nt I. only made by
the more Intelligent Chinsmeu With the
intsntIon of keeplng their pccrvr neigh
bor. In ignorsnCe. Considering that
many of th.lr manufactures are otiicerci
by EurOpeans and Americans, and o~e
their existence Ia w..tern eaergy, such
r,mark. are cot 20 place. A regards
agriculture, there ls No doubt that II
American farmer. could have the con-
| troll of the coantry--so Ear as agriculture
i. cOncvTu.d--lt Would spe-iily wear .
different aspect. The Chinese farmer IL
nut only intensely conservative, bat Il
generally very poor. lie has little or no
isirs of .cisntihc farming. aud !. content
With the most elementary implements.
l,oand about kiun1-,how. snd up the
loh-chung riS,r, to within mile or tao
ot f'ah-hi-on- cf IN. disturbe,i di.trivt.
during the rcvut rrt~llioa against for
sigusr-- the lsnd Il we'll cultivated and
/. soms~h hat similar In gcDerai appear
anew to the fonquin delta-the immens-
quantity ~ bamto lending Itself to thl.
resemblance. The production. of th.
soil are also similar, comprising the
papaw, sr-cs palm, sweet potato, turnip,
srOand nut, sni orange tire. Tue CO.
cosnut palm grows In this district la
great abundance; also the dwarf Idsda-
Hss, producing the nher used In the man
ai.ctur, of "grss. cloth" or hemp.
4 good deal of this part of the Empire
!. devoted to cultiSating sweet POTATOES.
shich form an exccllent food for the
llsinan pigs, which are found In every
household. This brccd of pigs IL of -
superior tyre; the upper part of their
bodies u black. anil the lover part white.
a dividing lin. Of grey running along
IN. side frOm the snout To the tall. The
chinese have turned their attsnt.on,
slth some degree % succcss, Ia irrtgs-
tion, aud land adjacent To the river, ~
terred %, l. ~aierci BY large wheels,
forty feet In diameter, constructed With
. good deal % ingvuuity, so arranged a.
Ia IL moved by the current and needing
no attsntion whatever. By this means,
about hundred gallons % water ate
discharged every minute, day and night
into the trOughs above. The water !.
distributed over the surrounding coaniry
by mean. of channels.
The condition of the peasantry In the
southern part of formosa IL deplorable.
Tn. district I. devoted mainly to sugar
cultlyation. and the cane planters haS.
gradually drilled into ~hAt l. practically
state II .srfdom. aud are entirely Ia
the hand. of fen capitalists, To whom
they owe cousliersbl. sums Of money.
Ths-e planters are extremity Ignorant
aud illiterte. Not understanding sc-
counts aud business Affairs, they have
iallen PREY 90 the money lenders, Who
have no~ obtained possession OF the
shole Takow crop. These money lend
-rs charge . COMPOUND Interest eighteen
to thirty-six per cent.), aud deht. that
hsgan at tfty or one hundred dollar.
apidly incrcase Ia an amount quite be-
,ond the power ~ the drbtor 10 lqul-
late. Indeed. II !. rcckoned that IN.
rasov division I. really In the hands Of
Que or t~o capitalists.
Mention has bceu made of the lIalnsn
pig. Ihi. animal !. often the b.-, friend
% the family, As by u. means, the rent
and taxes are provided fcr, and living
gained. 4 very respectable export
trade l. done by the natives la this dircc-
tion, the value of th.' shipments from Que
district alone. in ISL, amounting Ia
thrvc million. of dollars, aud sometime.
- many as . Thousands Pig are .hipi~i
Ia Hong koBg in on. steamer. They are
sell caT~i for during transit, and PIX
cargo !. aid 10 b. often cleaner than
humAn curgO of Chinese Ccolics. Each
pig 1. hou.~i IN strong bsmboo cagr,
Ia which he c,n IL down In comi"rt, aud
Il 1. Forbidden Ia place mor. than one
plg on th. top 10 the neither ones. TIL.
:, stem will compare very fsVorably In
Iced With the cattle boats trading br-
tween America and England.
Although the Chinese have certainly
done the ec.t they could With the Land,
according % their system Of agriculture,
Vet II l. a method that would excite
.mile FROM an American or q European
farmer. Their ways have probably al
tered very little frvm ~hAt they were
thou sand year. ago. Western idea. are,
however. gradually gaining ground, snd
Ahen railways do REALLY make their al
p~anncr In the country-not q. merr
rxpsriment.-,hey ~ill inevitably be tbs
forrrunnsr of brighter days for ,hlns.-
American Agr,culturist.