Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-27

rather reticent about giving figures, but
said that 1t used from two to three million
taels annually, and told me that it was
doing well. Just before the Chinese-japan-
csc war it making, Mr.. Danforth
said, as much as 30 per cent a year. 1t is
not doing this now. and, indeed some of the
other factories have been running at
loss.
The warehouses OF go-downs of this fac
tory are Of vast extent. They are back of
the factory proper On the banks or the
Whampoa river, so that the goods can be
shipped from them to most parts of China
by water In some of the rooms I found
thousands Of bales of piece goods and cot
ton yarn. 1t seemed to me that there were
acres of them. and l told that they
represented hundreds of thousands of dol
lars in actual value. a gang of workmen
was busy packing up the goods and label
ing them for shipment. and other gangs
were carrying them in and out of the go
downs. In other places they were unload
ing cotton from the boats. and as 1 came
to the mill saw men wheeling great bales
through the streets on wheel barrOwS. The
bales We're strapped on each side of the
barrow rising up so high to almost hide
the man who was pushing 1t.
The Cotton Fields of China.
I was surprised to find that most of the
cotton used here is grown in China. 1t is
cultivated in patches at different places
along the Yangtse and in the south. I am
told it can be raised all along the Yangtse
Klang, and even far north as Tien TSn.
The chief cotton fields Of the present are
south of Shanghai, spotting the country
for about one hundred miles back of the
SeaCoaSt. The plantations range from
fourth of an acre to five acres in size.
The seed Is sown broadcast. and the
plants come up far more thickly than they
do with US. They are thinned out and care
fully weeded, being hoed with long slen-
der hoe. The cotton is planted too thickly.
1t is almost as thick as small grain, so
thick that the stalks rarely grow to
height of more than three feet. The bolls
are small that it takes forty to fifty of
them to make a pound OF seed cotton, and
they do not average more than six to
stalk. 1t is believed with better cultiva-
ton and more careful planting that China
might produce better cotton and greater
quantity
Picking cotton is largely done by women
and girls, who go from place to place work.
ing for their neighbors In some parts of
China the poor people claim the right to
pick any cotton that Is ripe after the first
frost. At this time most of the crop has
been gathered but there are some bolls
which have not yet opened There is reg
uiar day fixed by the village district on
which this picking may begin, and after
that the poor turn out and go for all the
cotton in sight. Some of the women walk
miles to reach region where the picking is
good. sleeping at night In the fields or in
the outhouses until they can gather what
is left.
Weave at Home.
The bulk of the cottons now used in China
are manufactured at home. We are Ship
ping more every year and England, India
and Germany are drumming the trade. All
the imports, however do not begin to touch
the enormous market. The Chinese are
clad in cottons. Only the rich can afford to
wear silk. and of the four hundred mil
liens at least three hundred and fifty mil
lions can afford nothing but cotton. l have
cd hn an on
the average uses at least twenty yards OF
cotton a year. Now, there are four hun
dred million Chinese, and according to this
the empire demands at least eight billion
yards of this. material annually
OF this amount fifteen-sixteenths is woven
in little houses by Chinese women. Much
cotton, the ginning, spinning and weaving
being done with hand machines. The cloth
is very coarse but closely woven. Much
of it is made only thirteen inches wide, in
pieces about seven yards long. In the city
of Foochow about four million pieces are
manufactured in this way.
American CottOns In China.
I have had chat with Consul General
Goodnow about the increase in the con-
sumption of American cotton. He tells me
it was very great up to the breaking out
of the war, and he predicts that the bulk
of the foreign trade will eventually come
to US. AS. 1t is now the Americans have
Fever tried to push their trade in the
Yangtse valley and South China, where. at
a rough venture, I should say at least
three-fourths of the people live. Our cot
ton goods are shipped to Shanghai and sent
to the north being consumed In great
quantities In Chihlf. Shantung and other
northern states. including Manchuria and
Mongolia. This region demands heavy
cotton to protect the people from the cold.
In most parts Of China little fuel is used
except for cooking. As winter comes on
the Chinese Adds coat after coat Until
he at last assumes almost the shape of a