Evening star., 1900-11-17
CHINESE FARM ERS
There Are a Number Of Them Near
New York.
SELL TO FELLOW -COUNTRYMEN
Their Methods Are Primitive and
Their Profits Small.
SOME POPULAR DISH f s
Written for The Evening star lay Edgar Mels

Written for The Evening star lay Edgar Mes.
, Rats. puppies and kittens have long been
considered as inseparab,e adjuncts of the
Chinese menu-when in rea ity the Chinese
are the most cleaniy people in the world
IN the matter of eating and cooking. This
statement is borne out and emphasized by
th- fact that the Chinese residents In the
Nv England and middle eastern states
obtain all their food products not imported
direct from Chinese farms near New York
city and Boston. They deem them cleaner
than AmeriCan-raised food stuffs. These
frms furnish the vegetables and fowls for
the more or less famous restaurants of the
Nv York Chinatown-dingy rooms in Mott
street. Pell street and Dcyers street, where
EErgry ceieStials and curious Caucasians
may satisfy their appetites
According to Charles Lamb, the Chinese
discovered the culinary value of cooked
neat, especially of roast pig. However
this may be, the Chinese prediction
for pig me at is a matter of TACT. Mutton
/ almost IabOoed and beef Is scarce y
known as an article of diet. Fowls, pork
and vegetables. on the other hand, the
SaD.eS of life most used Yuan Mel. The
greft celestial expert on things culinary,
ho lived 1Tl6-l19I. is authority for the
statement that chicken pig fish and duck
ar" the four heroes of the table" He says
IttI- Of vegetables save where he pro-
/ UUd~ some w0ndrous recipes-awe-inSpir-
ifg mixtures that take hours to compound,
according to this same authority The great
mass Of the Chinese people live vege-
10 bic prepa rations. however. Rice. the
g~e-tt staple of Chinese life. cannot be
raised far north New York city,
huce the Chinese farmers eschew it en-
Utely.
Lee Wah's Farm.
The farms near New York are situated
a Sceinway. L. l., where the white resi-
q, nts give a good name to their celestial
rrjghbors hard workers, quiet and we'll
behaved men 1t is only the small boys
VINO have different opinions-and the farm
sr- recprocate when the opportunity Of
r. The farms, half dozen in number
a. situated on either side of Steinway ave-
H.. within sight of Flushing bay. The one
the left. going toward the water. be-
rs TO Lee Wah. dIlaptdated specimen.
ir-c!dd and woebegone- Lee comes from
II" vicinage of Canton. and is about fifty
years Old. 4 wrinkles and missing teeth
may be considered in the light of a cri-
trrYn- He speaks English by main
Strength and was desperately afraid of the
Camera carried by the photographer ac-
C9mpanying The writer. He declined posi-
lively to be photographed. and even half
dollar made no impression upon him.
'Eo> picty-no picty.' he remarked, smil-
uiOn the photographer took the house,
and while Lee was busily engaged upon a
description of his farm he was snapped
without his knowledge and of course
HiT7sput his consent
Me pay two hund' ed dolla's-five aces"
Remarked Lee, omItt,ng the ''r" for there is
no surh letter in the Chinese vocabulary
Too much Cabbages no good-too cold
come ana kill EN- all. You make money all
time. eh?''
Being assured that the writer was a Croe-
sIS, Lee thawed somewhat and contided the
lie ra,+
MAS entirely TOO high. and as he could not
'htfd 10 engage help the work was cor
T'<i"Id-ngly hard. The frost had killed his
',tH3aSsS anu he had lost money this year
- saying he turned and entered his
I'GSe- The structure is literally thing
OF rags and patches" Externally it is dis
ma anu gaunt-internaly il is gaunt and
dismal Near the main entrance is an open
oven made of brick. evidently constructed
ty the amateur hand OF Lee. Next to IL
stands dilapiIated range and then comes
an Inner room. where d dirty bunk
broken table and wooden box constitute
the furniture
w hat Chinese Farmer Raises
Lee raises cabbages. caulifower, water
C-csS, leek. thistles. spinach. dande-
hon, pis-weed chives. garlic and a peculiar
thing growing on vines-a cross between a
cucumber and squash. What the latter IL
called is still and must remain a mystery
for Lees lack of teeth makes his enuncia-
not understand Chinese
Lees farm is bare and desolate. The five
Acres OF ground rented by him look ex-
Ea@sted. dry and seemingly incapabIe of
t'aIlng another crop A broken pIow lies
behind the house, a hoe and SPADE are
nearby. A dtlapidated wagon stands under
.hr shed in front of the house; the horse
was sold a few days before, for Lee needed
Iha money.
The other farms to the right of Stein
way avenue seem a trifle more prosperous
to fltA of
ruthish. with heaps of decayIng vegetables
ad0rning one side of the farm house,
starved cat and sign Gn Chinese charac-
ters) proved the only signs of life about
Inc place. After some time young Chi
naman arrived, and having been coaxed
and threatened for half an hour consented
t. being photographed. He declined to
give his name. but asserted that he had
made "one hund'ed dolla's SO far above
all>expenses
Over a hill toward the west were "the"
IaTns,tracts OF land that produced some
thing besides blistered hands. Recently
harvested corn and long rows of celery
were silent evidence of the hard work Of
the farmers. The head OF the place. Hop
sing, was busily engaged In mailing q
framework of boards together He wore
lC2se trousers of the Chinese pattern. a
padded coat and a yachting cap. He was
fat and chanted a dirge when first seen
Entirely oblivious to the presence of stran
gers. or seemingly 50, he continued his
work.
. Not a Great Success.
Information ELECTED in the vicinity of
the farms tends to prove that the Chinese
farmer Is not great success. The prod
ucts he raises bring about the same prices
as those from Caucasian sources The
Chinese lives. however. on one-ffth of what
would sustain a white man. and conse-
Quently the chances of profitable work are
30 much the greater When the product Is
r1pe for the market one of the farmers
loads 1t into wagon-usually owned and