Evening star., 1901-11-09
AGRICULTURE IN CHINA.
system of Cultivation That Is Careful,
Though Primitive.

From the Forum.
Notwithstanding the great antiquity ~
agriculture among them, the Chinese
have failed to make any great progress i'm
il. Their system of cultivation is very
careful and marked by attention to details.
but it shows ignorance of the principles OF
rotation of crops and of adaptation of soils
To particular grains. and an extremely
primitive knowledge of agricultural imple-
ments. Their fields are treated like gar
dens, being subjected to the most constant
and watchful care, both at the time II
planting and during the growth of the
crops. When ripe the crop is gathered ~
hand, with the utmost completeness not a
straw or leaf, scarcely even root. being
allowed 20 remain. In threshing grain the
Chinese spread 1t out smooth clay
floor in the open air-there is such thresh-
ing floor adjoining every farmhouse--and
the grain is detached either by threshing
with fails by rolling over it stone
roller drawn by a donkey. The chan is
removed by tossing the grain into the air
in a slight breeze. the kernels of grain fall-
ing straight to the ground and the chaf
and the dust being blown aside.
The two most characteristic features Of
Chinese agriculture are the use of manure
and the system OF irrigation. Manure is
gathered from all conceivable sources. In
the cities the night-soil deposited on the
sides of streets and alleys is gathered by
men and boys. 1t is mixed with clay, dried
in the sun. and sold to farmers. On coun-
try roads boys, AMI often women ana girls,
are seen at places where large numbers of
pack-horses, camcls and mules pass, gath
ering the material, which is afterward. with
| beneficial effects, spread on the fields. Earth
from canals, rivers and streets is carted
away for the same purpose Other sub
stances are diligently collected says Will
Jams. ''as hair from barber shops, exploded
firecrackers and sweepings form the
streets. lime and plaster from kitchens and
old buildings. SCOT, bones and fish and ami
| NAL remains" The quantity of these fer
tilizers used and the importance the Chi
nese attach to them are proved 10y the
number of people whose livelihood is gained
by their collection.
In irrigating his land the farmer uses
many devices. Where running water Is at
hand he turns Ii to advantage by directing
| it over his fields in large channels These
| are banked in with clay, and subdivided
| into smaller and smaller streamlets, until
| every part of the ground has been reached.
| IL no running water is found wells are dug,
| and the water IS drawn up by hand, and
poured into the main bitches, which are
subdivided into numerous smaller ones.
Holes are dug in which rainwater accumu-
| lates. which is baled out when needed. The
| raising Of this water in most cases, espe-
| cially in the vicinity of Pekin, is done very
| laboriously by hand.
| Chinese agricultural implements are of
| the rudest character. They are chiefly the
| hoe, the harrow, the rake, the plough and
! the stone roller. The plough is simply a
! broad blade fastened to a rough handle.
| guided by man, and drawn by teams OF
| the most miscellaneous description. 1t cuts
| a furrow never mere than six inches deep,
and frequently only two or three. The
teams are made up of horses, donkeya,
| mules, bullockS and men, IL being not I'M
| usual to see a man or boy and any one or
more of the animals above named drawing
the same plough. Chinese farmers measure
| the depth of the burrows by the fingers,
and frequently speak of ploughing only two
! or three fingers deep. The reason of this
| seems to be the difficulty of making n
| deeper furrow with their ploughs. The hoe
| is a much more effective tool, and it is
| with it that they work between the furrows
| OF grain after it has sprouted.