The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-08-01
HIS NATIVE HEATH.


over on Long Is.and, at a place
known as Steinway. you can find John
Chlnaman on his native heath, as IL
were.
Here you may see him In queer
clothes and queer houses, raising queer
products, and with qdeer-looklns pa
goda-like summer house near by. 10
END a real Celestial air tn his surround
ngs II seems liHs bit OF emma
dropped into rural New York. 1t Is
special feature Of he district, ana IL
pointed out as an iaducement to sum-
mer boarders.
If you would learn how to husband
the natural resource of the soil go VIII
ness a Chinese farmer at work. He can
give points to the most thrifty squat
ter that ever worked IA Harlem field.
Several fortunes .aTe been made at
Steinway. and Their owners are now en-
joying them in China
The Chinese farming community OF
Long Island was started back III the
eighties by Shcn Ju who lost his for
tune in his native land and came TO re
make IT In America Now there are
several truck farmers there. and the
profits are divided among them. The
same system prevails among the Yege-
table gardeners of California. In few
days Lee Wah, one OF the colony. Will
return to his home IN Asia with more
than $50, 900 to his credit all dug out
If that same soil on which the Long ISL
and farmer finds II hard to support his
family.
The Chinese farmer lives in squalor.
A laundry in the slums or squatters
shanty IL notniaS to II. The farm
house is a mere hut made of old boards
knocked together aad some tar paper
nailed over them. There Is an door OF
opium and anu ther of the grass
around the place although decaying
vegetables contribute their share OF the
general hlthiness. Old boxes and bas-
kets lie around and lumber up the pass
ageways old frui; cans and paper
scraps MI IN the chlEks, as II were. and
a general debris covers the ground.
John generally selects tree near
running water under which to build his
house. and while the house is pretty
sure to be dirty. the fields are the pink
of neatness N all that pertains TO good
farming. Vegetables are his strong
hold, and formerly only the Chinese va
rieties were raised. Johns best Gus
TONER in those DAYS was Mott street.
HIS FINE CROP.
In the field he wears his native hat,
uses primitive tools and generally does
everything upside down, Even his ex-
plantations are topsS trVy. but then
every one knows that lie writes back
ward. He never puts his phosphates
in the ground he U:st sprinkles them
along the top of ih hill 1t Is queer
stuff too WhiS,I tooks like SCOT He
plants his vegetables upon hill with
deep gull.es on either side. He builds
treli5es and trains his vines upon
them, and then when the fruit is ripe.
crawls underneath on his back and
ships 1t eff with a pair of shears.
But sucl' fruit No Jersey or Della
ware horticuiturist grows more tooth
some products His squashes cucum-
bers, tomatoes and pumpkins have a
reputation. His beans sometimes weigh
three to the pound-hy the way he sells
everything by the podnd He has sue
ceeded in raising i=inger and sugar
cane and ginseng ~ n toothsomeness
which makes him the best praised man
In Mott street-when he goes there
The rural Chinaman is a thorough
believer in irrigation. The whole sub
soil of his farm Is a network OF water
pipes Every plot NJ ground has a wa
r-harrel placed en- one side and Il
pipe and faucet leading thereto. II
show how Queeriy he works after
IeadlnE the water all under his fields
to mis- water barrel, he iaboriously lift,
il out by the hucketful and throws il
over the growing plants.
But IN the field he is a picturesQG
figure IN his umbrella shaped hat
From daylight uHtl datk he - st H.
stopping only t. eal grn after dark he
still Koes or, carrying his pailfuls Of
watt" over the hetus.