The evening times., 1900-04-16
AGRICULTURE IN CHINA.
Consul Martin Writes From Chinki-
anE of Oriental Practices.

ang of Oriental Practices.
William Martin, United States Consul at
Chinkiang, China. writes as follows to the
State Department:
Il am in receipt of communication from
leading manufacturers of agricultural i'm
plements in Illinois, requesting me to send
list of dealers in agricultural implements
in Chinkiang, with a view to the intro
duction Of these articles into this portion
of China. There being no such dealers in
Chinkiang-the agricultural conditions not
warrantng such-I request the depart
ment to publish my reply to the Illinois
people in Consular Reports, and thus, per
haps, save our manufacturers OF agricn-
tural machines and implements good deal
of useless expense and labor.
Farming is not carried on in large
way here. Farms ranging from half an
acre to five acres constitute the large and
small holdings; it is clear they do not re-
qure reapers. mowers, threshing ma
chimes, or steam plows. The Chinese dead
seem to have pre-emption rights ovef all
the hills and billsides, leaving only the
plains and valleys to the living-eyen these
are encroached upon by the collins of past
generations
The people build dikes of mud. enclos-
ing, say, half an acre each, often making
them from three to six feet high, to re-
eeive and retain the spring rains. Into the
water they go-men, women, and children
and work until their little farm is plant
ed in rice. Most of their time after the
spring rains are over is spent in treading
the carrier pumps or bringing water and
pouring il on the rice plants until the har-
vest time comes. | have no doubt hoes,
rskes. shovels, and cheap hand rice hullers
would find a market here, for the Ameri-
can implements are as far ahead OF what
they use a diamond Is superior to d
sandstone.
The localities where wheat or barley q
raised have farms about the same size. Tee
ploW is a light affair made OF a crcoAed
stick. with a steel point fastened TO 1t.
and is pulled by water buffalo, Kind OF
half breed between Texan cattle and tfe
Western buffalo. Because he loves to wa
low in the water. with his nose, eyes, and
ears above that element, he is caileI
water buffalo. When he Is used for piow-
ing. they attach a rope TO the machine and
slip loop around his neck: being powerful
and the plowing being shallow. he pulls
the plOw with rope on only
one side. They plant wheat jest
as We do corn: they do not son
ii As il begins to show above ound.
they gather up all the human eXcrement
they can, mix il with water. and scatter
ii over the growing grain or vegetables
TO force their growth.
When harvest time comes. men and
women take blade. inserted in a short
handle at an angle of about A. degrees. aHd
proceed to cut The grain. bind il carefully,
and carry IL 80 the threshirg foCr rear
their buildings This floor Is a hard. beat
en- spot OF ground atOut twenty feet in di-
ametre. The water buffalo. auzZled, ard
attached 10 a stone roller. tTamps and rolls
the grain out OF the ear. After the t1resh-
ing is done, they throw wheat and Chaff in
the air and ALLOW the wind 10 bow the
Chan away. When the wheat is thus win
moved. they gather it up, pat it into tags,
and pound what they need for use in
stone mortar.
Il think scythes. small hand threshers
tanning mills, and some cheap apparatus
for grinding would find large marke,
here III time.